The Discontinued Trader Joe's Veggie Burger We Probably Won't Get Back
Trader Joe's unique, you-can-only-get-it-here branded products can become popular enough to start cult followings, which makes it equally as devastating when the grocery store chain pulls a beloved item from the shelves. One famous casualty of fan-favorite Trader Joe's items is its Hi-Protein Veggie Burger. The veggie burger earned its high protein moniker from a pea protein and black bean blend. This veggie burger, blended with onions and some seasoning powders, soon became a beloved product.
Trader Joe's confirmed the news of the burger's removal from store shelves in May 2023, causing a legion of loyal customers to take to Reddit to mourn their favorite high-protein meat alternative. Vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike appreciated the burger's flavor and convenience as an easy protein-packed lunch option, clocking in at 26 grams of protein per serving. "Unlike so many of the veggie burgers out there these had decent ingredients and a good amount of protein in them," one Reddit user posted. Of the many discontinued Trader Joe's items shoppers miss the most, the Hi-Protein Veggie Burger seemed to be a favorite.
What customers loved about the Hi-Protein veggie burger
Another Reddit user commented on the aforementioned post, mentioning that they appreciated that the Trader Joe's Hi-Protein Veggie Burger was "one of the few soy and gluten-free burger choices" besides being a veggie burger. This unique feature is notable, as there are plenty of unhealthy store-bought veggie burgers on the market that are not soy and gluten-free in addition to being vegan, which is a key marketing point for soy or gluten-intolerant shoppers. And with vegetarianism and veganism steadily on the rise in America, it seems Trader Joe's understood the advantages of offering this product. So why did it choose to discontinue it?
Per Trader Joe's discontinued product feedback page on its website, "We do not enter into the decision to discontinue a product lightly ... If a product is not earning its spot on our shelves, then we discontinue it to make room for something new."
While no specific comment from the company has been made regarding discontinuing the Hi-Protein Veggie Burger, it's safe to assume that the product's sales simply weren't up to par with other products. But if you're a former fan, you can leave a note to the team expressing disappointment so they can consider it for future products.
Similar Trader Joe's products you can still find in stores
Luckily, all hope is not lost for Trader Joe's shoppers looking for a quality frozen veggie burger product at the store. One product still available is the Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burgers. While not as high in protein, the quinoa and black bean-based veggie burger still satisfy a vegetarian burger craving with its Southwest-inspired flavors, including corn and red peppers. It seems Trader Joe's wanted to place more of a focus on a veggie burger with easy-to-see vegetables over protein powder.
The Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burgers aren't created to act as much of a meat substitute. However, if a meat-like vegetarian or vegan burger is what you crave, look out for a veggie burger option in other stores that contains walnuts, which gives veggie burgers a meat-like texture. Although the odds are unlikely, maybe there's a slight chance Trader Joe's will hear consumers' cries and bring back the beloved Hi-Protein Veggie Burger.