Burger King debuts BK Veggie

Associated Press ^ | 3-18-02

[Oldeconomybuyer]

MIAMI (AP) --  The company that made flame-broiled hamburgers famous is showing off its veggie side.

Burger King unveiled the BK Veggie on Monday, hoping to provide a meatless alternative to the Whopper and other fast-food fare.

The flame-broiled, soy-free patty offers a blend of vegetables, grains and spices on a sesame seed bun. Topped with reduced fat mayonnaise, lettuce and tomatoes, the burger provides a leaner fast-food alternative -- only 10 grams of fat and 330 calories. A Whopper has 39 grams of fat and 680 calories.

[aomagrat]

It will probably cost three times as much as a whopper.

[dead]

Most bars have had these for years.

They call them "coasters".

[doug from upland]

Having not consumed animal fat since 1991, I think I'll give it a try. I am an almost vegetarian since I do eat fish sometimes.

[tacticalogic]

Wonder if you can get a water shake to go with that?

[kidd]

A better name for this "burger" would be the "Flopper"

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

actually garden burgers are pretty good but I would not go to bk for a veggie burger, kinda like those salads they sell has anybody ever seen one of those sold in a bk or a mcdonalds

[Grampa Dave]

This piece of Blarney will be gone and off the menus before/by the next St Patrick's Day.

Vegans, fitness eaters and PETA members do not go to Burger King to eat.

Another example of PC idiotic brain flatus in action! Is Al Goron their business advisor?

[Savage Beast]

We're on the same wave-length, Doug. I've been wishing the fast-foods chains would do this. I'll drop in for a burger. It's been a long time.

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

This piece of Blarney will be gone and off the menus before/by the next St Patrick's Day.

agreed this will go the way of the mclean deluxe from mcdonalds of course the california bk's will probably keep them

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Yeah, I'll try it too! I love veggie burgers... and I do eat meat!

[strela]

I remember Mickey Ds placing "health" foods in their lineup a few years ago, and also remember them selling about as well as plutonium pie at a church bake sale. Looks to me like Burger King is going to learn the same free-market lesson that McDonalds did - that people don't dine at their establishments for the health benefits.

[dutchess]

Doug - I know there was a reason I like you. An "almost" vegetarian who doesn't push the lifesyle on others (and you clearly don't). That being said, to me there is nothing like flamed broiled animal fat although I would like your comment on the taste of the veggie burger. Actually hubby & I love portebella mushroom burgers.... (but gosh...I need my meat LOL) BTW, hope your military kids are doing well. Regards - Dutchess

[cerberus]

I'm with you guys.

I'll take a good veggie burger over a greasy old whopper any day.

[Cap'n Crunch]

I had one about a week ago. It was OK but I wouldn't buy another one. Reminded me of thin, fried eggplant, ground up.

[hattend]

I predict the demise of this product by the end of Summer. Any other guesses?

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

My husband won't even try a bite..... I am anxious to try it now..... But, Bennigans has a great veggie burger!

[wardaddy]

I for one am glad for this....I missed the old McLean....I know ..I know....it's no Jackson Hole style burger but it would do for a quick fix.

[wardaddy]

Boca burgers are edible....but I'd rather just have a lean beef burger. My wife ...semi-veggie....loves Bocas....like all quasi veggies she misses bacon most.

[Bobsat]

...reduced fat mayonnaise...

Wow, that's an expensive condiment! $2.67 per teapoon! Well, I bought a jar, tasted it, trashed it....

[antidemocommie]

They ought to be giving away this crap. Who wants to waste good money on a "substitute"?

I would try it if its free, but otherwise, Im not wasting five bucks on a dang vegie burger! haha! No way!

BEEF, its great on your plate!

[pray4liberty]

Husband is a vegetarian and he said it was pretty good. Not all vegetarians are card-carrying members of PETA. Some of us go veggie because we're just too darn fat :)

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

PETA'S STATEMENT REGARDING THE BK VEGGIE(from petas website)

BK DOES IT PETA’S WAY

Group to Promote Burger King’s New Mean, Lean, Green Veggie Burger

For Immediate Release: March 15, 2002

Contact: Andrew Butler 757-622-7382

Miami — Last year, PETA held nearly 1,000 demonstrations outside, inside, and even on top of Burger King restaurants throughout North America to protest the fast-food giant’s cruel treatment of animals killed for its products. Now, PETA has put down its protest signs and put on aprons: PETA members will hand out free Burger King Veggie Burgers next week at a Miami Beach Burger King restaurant.* Daisy, PETA’s appreciative "cow," will greet the lunchtime crowd, waving a poster that reads, "Try the BK Veggie Burger!"

Date: Monday, March 18

Time: 1-2 p.m.

Place: Burger King, 201 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach

Why is PETA helping its one-time enemy? In June 2001, following PETA’s six-month campaign, Burger King agreed to hold its suppliers accountable for upgraded standards of animal welfare. Now, Burger King has added a vegan veggie burger (already available in Europe and Canada) to all 8,000 U.S. locations.

"Launching a mean, lean, and green veggie burger puts Burger King ahead of its fast-food competition," says Andrew Butler, PETA’s Vegan Campaign coordinator. "We hope people will give the animal-friendly burger a royal welcome."

For more information on PETA’s Burger King Campaign, please visit MurderKing.com.

*PETA’s free offer is limited to one sandwich per customer.

Looks like they caved in to peta to me

[L.N. Smithee]

I actually had one of these yesterday. They should have Howard Stern or the guys from South Park promote it. Why? It's totally tasteless.

[Grampa Dave]

Even the Kali BKers will not keep this artificial turkey on their menus.

The franchise owners are a tough group, and as soon as the first blip is over and when only 1% or less of the faithful grass munchers return for more dried and fried fodder/sileage. They will drop this mutation faster than Tipper Gore was dropped by the Tn demonicRats as a possible senator!

Property rental, operating costs and insurances costs are just too expensive in Kali to mess around with this PC fiasco.

The only way it will be around is if the home office provides the sileage free and gives a pm to the franchises for keeping a dozen frozen grass paddies on hand or pr/PC relations.

[satire]

I'm betting that this is partially to prevent future lawsuits. This will be BK's "proof" that they at least offered "healthy," even if there are few takers. There will be lawsuits over fat in the future. There will be relatives of dead Corolla drivers suing the manufacturers of the SUVs that hit them, and the drivers of the same. That said, I'll give the Veggie a try. If it tastes good, why not?

[SamAdams76]

I'm not a vegetarian but I do try to keep a lot of vegetables in my diet. Maybe I'll give this veggie burger a try. I had one of these "soyburgers" at a barbeque last year and I must say it wasn't that bad. I'll have to order it plain though, I hate mayonnaise.

With all this fast food that clearly is not good for you to eat on a regular basis, I'm surprised that nobody has ever tried to open a chain of fast food restaurants that actually has food that is good for you. Like fish sandwiches that aren't deep fried. And something other than fries for a side dish like sauted mushrooms or corn on the cob.

The closest I have seen to this is Boston Market, which offers rotisserie chicken and turkey sandwiches with a choice of sides that includes squash, string beans, corn, cauliflower, etc. If you ever see one of those, stop in and give it a try.

[Jennikins]

Grampa, I most definitely will try one of those veggie burgers. I've tried them and like 'em. I hope they don't disappear off BK's menu.

[Focault's Pendulum]

........have had these for years. They call them "coasters".

I've never tried to eat an AOL installation disk.

[doug from upland]

Military kids are doing fine. Thanks.

Actually, with garlic salt, fat free mayo, loads of onions, and guacamole, a veggie burger is actually pretty good. For a time after 1991 I did not even eat fish. Then I started with shark because I figured that he'd eat me so screw 'em. Then I started eating salmon because it is good for your heart (I'm 53 -- my dad died at 56). Then I figured it was okay for me to eat fish because they spend all day eating each other anyway. Still, no meat or chicken since 1991. The only thing I miss is gravy, so I put mushroom soup on mashed potatoes. That works.

[cerberus]

It amazes me that some people will eat "hamburger" (not "ground beef") weiners, sausage, bologna, salami, "potted" meat, pepperoni, etc. but they are repulsed by something with grains, nuts and soy.

I like all of those things, but I don't eat them often and I have to try try not to think too much about what I might be eating when I have them.

...and, by the way, in case any of you get the wrong idea, my kid can beat the snot out of your honor student!!

Three heads are better than one,

cerberus

[doug from upland]

California Pizza Kitchen, for all the S. Calif. FReepers, has one of the great eggplant dishes ever.

[Grampa Dave]

Well good luck.

Most of the vegetarians out here have replaced their religion with the vegies until they have a serious health problem.

I like my veggies too and my fruits with my protein of the day, real fish, real fowl, real beef, real pork or real lamb. Our dinner tonight will be chuckar charcoal broiled, grilled asparagus, Cous Cous or wild rice, rosemary bread, tossed greens and some fruit for desert!

When the food nazis came down on meat and eggs a lot of people stopped their intake of Lutein, which is vital to health eyes. We may never fully calculate the harm to peoples eyes due to the no egg hysteria.

Mothers stopped giving their children whole milk after stopping nursing their children. Now the good pediatricians and family practice doctors have to be adamant to Mothers to give whole milk to babies until they are two years of age!

All things in moderation usually results in a better diet than the radical chic diet of the day with zero real science!

As my family md says, "Show me a vegan or strict vegitarian, and I will show you an unhappy and starving person!" He has had two children as young adults go throught this malady until a medical crisis gave them a wake up call!

Now they are healthy and enjoy a diet of moderation of all good things!

Now back to my original prediction this Blarney Stone PC addition to the BK menu will be gone in a year!

[Grampa Dave]

Buy them quick before they disappear!

[dixiechick2000]

Hi, Grampa! Good to see you.

" Vegans, fitness eaters and PETA members do not go to Burger King to eat. "

Well, I'm not one of those, but I am almost a vegetarian. It's not a political statement...I have never cared much for meat of any kind. I've always been a veggie eater. This will give me a choice that I may like (don't know yet...haven't tried it) and the rest of the family can get their burgers.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Oh, I love beef! But I have tried some veggie burgers and liked them too.... I'm not anti=beef!!!! lol

[Dog Gone]

You're right. The health nuts will try this burger but BK isn't their style. Pizza Hut might lose their minds and offer a cheese-less pizza, too.

But not for long.

[Balding_Eagle]

This is being done for strictly legal defensive purposes. Those who predict that this burger will probably fail to sell are probably right. BK knows it too. Their attorneys also know that they are in for a fight of their financial lives. They are probably BARELY going to survive.

I for one won't buy it because I don't want to give those who want to sue BK and others out of existence on the notion that the public would eat healthier IF ONLY BK and others would give them a choice.

Heads up folks, the eventual settlements are going to make the tobbaco settlements look like pocket change. AND we will have to make our own burgers at home, cuz the BK's everywhere will be serving coasters! (Good line dead, #3)

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

For some reason, the older I get (and I soon will be ...uh... 29, again) I have to NOT think about what is in some of the things we eat......

[SamAdams76]

...Then I started with shark because I figured that he'd eat me so screw 'em.

Hey, can't fault your logic there!

Then I started eating salmon because it is good for your heart (I'm 53 -- my dad died at 56). Then I figured it was okay for me to eat fish because they spend all day eating each other anyway.

I've been overweight most of my adult life. I switched to a "Mediterranean" diet - primarily fish - a year ago and I feel great. While I haven't taken off all that much weight, my double-chin went away and I don't have that bloated feeling anymore. I have more energy too. I do have poultry and the occasional steak from time to time. Don't know if I have the willpower (or the inclination) to give that up entirely.

I eat lots of salmon too (just had it tonight) but I eat a can of these just about every day for breakfast. King Oscar sardines in olive oil. My cholesterol level dropped 30 points in the past year eating these and I'm sure they are good for the heart too.

[Balding_Eagle]

Looks like they caved in to peta to me

They sorta did. Just like you and I would if a 500 pound creep had both feet firmly planted on our necks. See my reply #39 above.

PETA is just angry that their gods are being eaten by ordinary folks.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for finding this and posting this.

This was the first thing that ran through my mind was the problem with Peta and BK. I believe that some were BK's were damaged or burnt down by the Peta eco terrorists.

Also, how much of the Peta Burger goes to Peta to finance more eco terrorism in America!

$crew Burger King! There are plenty of other fast foods out there if the need arises for fast food or that is the only option!

Miami — Last year, PETA held nearly 1,000 demonstrations outside, inside, and even on top of Burger King restaurants throughout North America to protest the fast-food giant’s cruel treatment of animals killed for its products. Now, PETA has put down its protest signs and put on aprons: PETA members will hand out free Burger King Veggie Burgers next week at a Miami Beach Burger King restaurant.* Daisy, PETA’s appreciative "cow," will greet the lunchtime crowd, waving a poster that reads, "Try the BK Veggie Burger!" Date: Monday, March 18 Time: 1-2 p.m. Place: Burger King, 201 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach

Why is PETA helping its one-time enemy? In June 2001, following PETA’s six-month campaign, Burger King agreed to hold its suppliers accountable for upgraded standards of animal welfare. Now, Burger King has added a vegan veggie burger (already available in Europe and Canada) to all 8,000 U.S. locations.

"Launching a mean, lean, and green veggie burger puts Burger King ahead of its fast-food competition," says Andrew Butler, PETA’s Vegan Campaign coordinator. "We hope people will give the animal-friendly burger a royal welcome."

For more information on PETA’s Burger King Campaign, please visit MurderKing.com, Link to MurderKing.com (MurderKing.com)

Just more proof that so many health fads are nothing more than left wing manipulation of the American Sheeple;

Enjoy your damn Peta Burgers while financing more eco terrorism in America! (MurderKing.com)

[timydnuc]

I applaud BK! Let free market forces dictate the menu. If this thing is really great, then it will sell, if it tastes like a cow pie then it won't.

[Grampa Dave]

If you want to support the Peta eco terrorists then go to BK and order their extortion burger: (MurderKing.com)

Just remember more eco terrorism is commited in Oregon than anyother state! These Peta Burgers will help finance future eco terrorism1

Go to their site and read their own words: (MurderKing.com)

[Jefferson Adams]

Some of us also go veggie because of the health benefits. Check out Dr. Lorraine Day's website for information on that. I know more than one person who cured themselves of "terminal" cancer by changing their diet.

I still cheat once in a while, like when we go out to eat and I just gotta have a dish that includes meat, but it's interesting that starting about an hour after I do, I feel semi-sick for about another hour.

[Grampa Dave]

This is nothing but extortion payment to the PETA eco terrorists!

Go to this amazing Peta site and read their own words:(MurderKing.com)

[GoreIsLove]

Now if only they'll bring back their veal parmesian sandwich they had in the early 80's.