I was a little worried about trying this product. Now that it’s over, I’m just confused, and reaching out for the first piece of real meat available, in hopes of forgetting the whole unpleasant experience. Alas, somebody had to do it.

There are things called vegetables. They are rare in the fast food world, but they DO exist. Things like green beans, carrots and such. I’m sure most of us feel the lettuce and tomato on our burgers is enough vegetation, but sometimes it’s nice to eat some additional healthy grub. Personally, I suggest eating a serving of your favorite veggie on it’s own, as a side dish. Perhaps 2 or 3 veggies, why not. But some people feel that’s too complicated, so they decided to take their veggies, grind them up together, mix with a bunch of soy, and create their own blend. Next they took this blended substance and shaped it into the form of a hamburger patty.

I don’t even feel right, putting this in the “Burgers” category, but what am I going to do? That’s what it’s called, and that’s how it’s marketed. So that’s where it goes.

The meat — There is none.
The cheese — There is none.
The bun — It’s a decent bun, much like BK’s REAL burgers.
The toppings — Lettuce, Mayo, Ketchup and Tomato. The lettuce was crisp and tasted fine. The mayo was average fast food variety, the ketchup the same. There was no tomato included because of the current Salmonella scare.

The taste — If I cut a piece of the foam padding from my desk chair that’s currently poking out from a rip in the fabric, added a little bit of carrot, pepper and mushroom, I’d imagine this is what it would taste like. It’s the first fast food item I have reviewed, and for that matter can even remember, that I did not finish eating.

To be fair, if a person ever found themselves stranded on a deserted island with no other food source, they would eat it. I’m confident Gilligan, Skipper, Ginger, Mary Ann and crew would dive right in. However… foam padding isn’t very flavorful.

Where does the patty come from? It comes from MorningStar Farms, and this link will take you to what appears to be the exact product used by Burger King, for those interested in learning more about this unusually tasteless creation.

How is it cooked? It definitely was not flame-grilled like Burger King’s standard beef burgers. The manufacturer’s website says it can be microwaved or cooked in a regular oven. Considering the regular oven directions call for a 15 minute cooking time, I think it’s safe to assume that Burger King is using a microwave.

Here’s the official description — Savory vegetable and grain burger with a blend of carrots, mushrooms, bell peppers, black olives, brown rice and rolled oats.

Here’s a crazy idea — JUST EAT SOME VEGETABLES. Have some corn, beans, peas, spinach, mushrooms, carrots, WHATEVER. But eat them on their own. Don’t smash them up together to create a tasteless circle of fake-meat and call it a Burger. Certainly I do support eating as healthy as possible, and I also support those who choose to be vegetarians, but this is NOT the answer.

The Veggie Burger from Burger King is Bad, and not in a “good” way. Vegetables are awesome, but this is gross. Please make the scary “Burger” go away.

Price: $2.69 — Website: BK.com

Fast Food Critic Score: F

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Nutrition Facts - Veggie Burger from Burger King.

Calories - 420
Calories from Fat - N/A
Total Fat - 16 grams
Carbs - 46 grams
Saturated Fat - 2.5 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 10 milligrams
Sodium - 1100 milligrams

In my opinion, there are not nearly enough vegetable side dishes served at fast food restaurants. I suppose the demand is not there. People want fried and flavor-packed food, and the simple subtle tastes of things like green beans and corn are just too boring. KFC is one place that offers a decent selection of veggie sides. Among the best, at least in my region of the country, are the fancy cut green beans. They taste great, and have a hearty wholesome quality. A healthy choice with only 50 calories.

There’s not too much to say about them, but I wanted to give my readers some type of background on the product if possible. Such as whether they were frozen, canned, or made fresh. I knew they were unlikely to be fresh, but I wanted to be certain. I called two different stores, and found the regular employees could not, or would not tell me. When trying the 3rd location, closest to my home, and the source of the beans in these photos, I requested the “Store Manager”. I was greeted by a friendly enough person, but unfortunately she was not familiar with the product she was serving, even insisting the green beans had no red peppers in them, despite the obvious facts.

No red peppers. — She said.

I eat at your store all the time. They always have red peppers. — I said.

No red peppers. We could never have those in our regular menu items. Too many problems with people’s allergies. — She replied with absolute certainty.

I’m looking at red peppers right now. I’m picking them out and holding them. They are nice sized chunks. — I told her.

There are No Red Peppers in the green beans. There are none when they come from the can, and we don’t add any. We add some spices, but it’s just a small packet of powder. — She says.

I guess these chunks of red pepper are dried, and part of the seasoning packet you add. — I remarked.

There are no red peppers of any kind. — She said.

I’m telling you, there are red peppers. And I’m not trying to hassle you. It’s a GOOD thing. They add flavor. For that matter, there are little chunks of Onion in there too, and the green beans are delicious. — I added.

There are No Onions. — She said.

Ha! At that point, I decided we had talked enough about the green beans.

She was a nice lady, and I’m not here to make her day confusing. As for the green beans, at least she did confirm they come from a can, albeit a very large restaurant sized can. There’s nothing wrong with that. I also confirmed the following from the green bean’s ingredient list on KFC’s website. Dehydrated Vegetables (Onion, Red Bell Pepper). It also lists an alternative ingredient list that does NOT contain the dehydrated vegetables, with a note explaining that it depends on current “regional suppliers”. This indicates there are some locations where the green beans will not contain the red peppers or onions. Maybe the manager of the store I spoke to had just transferred in from somewhere else in the country, and had not looked at the green beans at her new store? I don’t know, but I can tell you ALL the stores in my area, including hers, have been serving the same recipe for a couple years.

The Green Beans from KFC are delicious, assuming you get the version with the onions and red peppers. My research outside of KFC tells me they are Blue Lake Fancy Cut Green Beans in super sized cans like these examples at Sam’s Club. Don’t ask any more questions, just skip the greasy fries next time and try a vegetable. Or as my Mother would have said — Be quiet, sit still, and eat your green beans.

Price: $1.39 — Website: KFC.com

Fast Food Critic Score: A-

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Nutrition Facts - KFC, Green Beans, Individual Side Order.

Calories - 50
Calories from Fat - N/A
Total Fat - 1.5 grams
Carbs - 7 grams
Saturated Fat - 0 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 5 milligrams
Sodium - 570 milligrams