For families who struggle with food allergies and intolerances, it can be tough to try and find foods that everyone can eat with gusto. Then if you try to add “eat less meat” to that equation, you’re probably looking at just serving empty plates. Fortunately, there’s a line of allergen-free products by Hilary’s that may be just what the doctor ordered.
Disclosure Statement: This post contains reviews of products that were given to me free of charge for the purpose of review. No other compensation was provided, and all views are my own.
VegFest in Seattle is one amazing way to try all kinds of unusual vegetarian products without spending a fortune. For $9, you can taste up to 500 samples of vegetarian foods, enjoy kids’ activities, a book fair, and this year, medical seminars for doctors and other professionals, too! It’s on April 1st and 2nd this year, 10am-6pm.
Though I failed to make it to VegFest last year, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to some pretty neat products in 2016. A babysitter of ours is avoiding sugar and most grains due to a temporary medical issue, and she brings the most interesting things over for her meals! One of the items that piqued my interest was Hilary’s Allergen-Free Veggie Burgers.
Hilary’s is a Kansas-based company that makes minimally-processed foods that are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, corn-free and nut-free. OMG, wow, right? It has been so annoying to find things that are egg-free for my kid. I did try making my own veggie burgers, and it was a lot of effort for a mediocre result. Unfortunately, he is a little too picky at this point to try these burgers, but at least I know that if he does show interest while we’re eating them, they are totally safe for him.
I tested two flavors for this post: “World’s Best Veggie Burger” and the Adzuki Bean Burger. They are both light and tasty burgers that crisp up brilliantly in the toaster oven. They are grain-laden enough that you really don’t need a bun with them, which is great for folks who are avoiding gluten AND minimizing grains!
The “World’s Best” flavor is mostly millet & quinoa with some leafy greens in there. I enjoyed it, but personally I prefer the Adzuki Bean one, cuz you know how much I love beans! Some bean burgers can be kind of mushy, but this one has a wonderful texture. The millet & quinoa kind of crunch and pop, and the adzuki beans hold them together nicely. The World’s Best can be a bit more crumbly, but I just mop up all the pieces with some mustard or mashed avocado — yum!
Last summer on Cape Cod, I tried grilling these, and that worked great, too. Besides picky kids, I’ve never had complaints from anyone I served them to. Kimchi, spicy Thai, and curry burgers? There are so many flavors! Someday I shall try them all.
Unfortunately, I do have to take issue with the “world’s best” claim. I have had a better veggie burger before. It was at the Ravenleaf in Ravenna / Maple Leaf, Seattle, back when it was the Hudson Public House. They had a beet & goat cheese burger there that was out of this world. Not vegan, sadly, but delicious. I’m glad to see Hilary’s now has some products featuring beets — that root veggie burger and mesquite bites are next on my list!
That’s okay though, Hilary’s. Surely yours is the best veggie burger in Kansas? And I guess since Hudson isn’t around anymore, it may be the best we can do for now. My allergic son and I sure appreciate your efforts at giving people some options for those moments when we still must turn to convenience foods. Your mission to “heal the American diet” is a great one, and I look forward to trying more Hilary’s products!
