MorningStar Farms Original Sausage Patties: 9g Protein, Labelgrade B- (72/100)
B- 72 / 100 — Strong protein density (23.7g per 100g) for a meat-free patty, and very low saturated fat with almost no cholesterol. The ceiling is the ingredient panel — wheat gluten and soy base padded with phosphate stabilizers and flavor enhancers — plus high sodium per 100g, structural for a savory breakfast meat.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
MorningStar Farms Original Sausage Patties deliver 9 g of protein per 38 g (1.34 oz) patty for 71 calories (USDA FDC 2682481) — about 23.7 g of protein per 100 g, which is genuinely high for a meat-free breakfast patty. They earn a B- (72/100). The appeal is single and specific: this is the meatless sausage you reach for to skip the fat and cholesterol of pork. Each patty carries just 0.4 g of saturated fat and 0.38 mg of cholesterol — roughly a tenth of pork sausage’s fat and effectively none of its cholesterol — at the same protein. What holds the grade down is the ingredient panel (a wheat-and-soy base propped up with phosphate stabilizers and flavor enhancers) and sodium that runs high for the calorie count. One thing to settle before you buy: this is the vegetarian, not vegan, recipe, and it is not gluten-free.
Why the B-
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | A- | 86 / 100 | 23.7 g per 100 g — top-tier for a meat-free patty, and the number that matches pork patty-for-patty at a fraction of the fat |
| Ingredient quality | C- | 59 / 100 | ~38 ingredients: a fine wheat-and-soy base, but padded with sodium phosphates, hydrolyzed proteins, disodium inosinate/guanylate, and caramel color — clear ultra-processed markers |
| Saturated fat load | A | 94 / 100 | 0.4 g per patty — the standout number, and the entire point of choosing this over pork |
| Sodium load | F | 32 / 100 | 254 mg per patty — high for 71 calories; structural for a seasoned breakfast meat, and it climbs fast across two or three patties |
| Sugar load | A+ | 98 / 100 | 0.5 g per patty — negligible, as expected for a savory product |
| Fiber | D | 46 / 100 | 0.9 g per patty — minimal; the soy and gluten contribute a trace, but this is not a fiber source |
The grade is an honest split. The macros that matter for a pork substitute — protein, saturated fat, cholesterol — all grade A-range. The two things dragging it to a B- are the sodium (an outright F) and the ingredient quality (C-), and neither is an accident. Both are what it costs to make wheat and soy taste like a salty breakfast sausage.
The pork trade-off, made concrete
The reason this product exists is to be a pork sausage you can eat without the saturated fat and cholesterol. On that exact promise it delivers. A MorningStar patty and a same-size pork breakfast patty land at roughly the same protein, but MorningStar swaps pork’s several grams of saturated fat for 0.4 g, and pork’s 30-plus mg of cholesterol for a rounding-error 0.38 mg. If the reason you’re standing in the freezer aisle is “I want sausage without the artery math,” this is built for that.
What the swap does not buy you is a cleaner label or less salt. Pork sausage is a short ingredient list; this is ~38 ingredients. And the sodium is in the same neighborhood as pork, not below it — so you’re trading the fat-and-cholesterol problem for an ingredient-and-sodium one. That’s a good trade for a lot of people. It’s just worth naming honestly.
The sodium ceiling
At 254 mg per patty, sodium is the one number that turns a meal into a problem. A typical two-patty breakfast is already near 500 mg of sodium before the eggs, cheese, or toast — and those add more. The phosphate system (sodium tripolyphosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, monosodium phosphate) and the disodium inosinate/guanylate aren’t just preservatives; they’re there to make the patty taste savory and meat-like, and salt is the carrier for all of it. If you’re managing blood pressure or watching sodium closely, hold it to one patty and build the rest of the plate low-salt.
Vegetarian, not vegan — and not gluten-free
This is the recipe’s most common mix-up, so it’s worth being blunt. The Original patty is vegetarian: the USDA panel lists egg whites, sodium caseinate, lactose, and whey. It is also wheat-heavy — wheat gluten is the second ingredient, with hydrolyzed wheat protein further down — so it is not gluten-free. The full allergen set is wheat, soy, egg, and milk. If you need vegan, look to MorningStar’s separate Incogmeato/Plant-Based sausage, which is a different formulation with different macros. If you need gluten-free, this product is out regardless. For everyone else — flexitarians, vegetarians cutting back on pork, anyone who just wants a leaner breakfast — those allergens are a non-issue.
How it stacks up in MorningStar’s own lineup
For scale within the brand: a MorningStar Veggie Cheeze Burger (the closest product we’ve graded head-to-head, FDC 2754066) packs 24 g of protein per 113 g patty at 270 calories with 3.5 g saturated fat — a dinner-sized protein hit. This breakfast patty is the opposite end of the same wheat-and-soy playbook: a third the size, a third of the protein, but far leaner per patty (0.4 g saturated fat vs 3.5 g) and lighter on calories. Same brand DNA, sized and seasoned for a breakfast plate rather than a bun.
Ingredients
The base — wheat gluten, soy flour, egg whites, soy protein concentrate/isolate — does the protein and the chew. Modified tapioca starch and methylcellulose bind it into a patty that holds shape on the griddle. The long tail is flavor and stability: a stack of sodium phosphates, hydrolyzed wheat/soy/corn proteins, autolyzed yeast extract, and disodium inosinate/guanylate to build the salty, umami, sausage-like taste, plus caramel color for the browned look and added B-vitamins and iron.
Full panel, verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry (FDC 2682481): Water, wheat gluten, soy flour, egg whites, corn oil, soy protein concentrate, sodium caseinate, modified tapioca starch, and 2% or less of: soybean oil, soy protein isolate, lactose, autolyzed yeast extract, spices, methylcellulose, natural and artificial flavors, sodium tripolyphosphate, salt, hydrolyzed wheat protein, disodium inosinate, caramel color, whey, hydrolyzed soy protein, hydrolyzed corn gluten, potassium chloride, disodium guanylate, dipotassium phosphate, onion powder, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, succinic acid, dried yeast, monosodium phosphate, lactic acid. Vitamins and minerals: niacinamide, iron (ferrous sulfate), vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B12.
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 patty (38 g)
30028989971525Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 patty (38 g)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 71.1 |
| Protein | 9.01g |
| Total Fat | 2.66g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.418g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 3.88g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.874g |
| Total Sugars | 0.494g |
| Added Sugars | 0.494g |
| Sodium | 254mg |
| Cholesterol | 0.38mg |
| Calcium | 20.1mg |
| Iron | 1.63mg |
| Potassium | 102mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to MorningStar Farms Original Sausage Patties (1.34 oz (38 g) patty — foodservice case) · UPC 30028989971525. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains animal-derived ingredients
contains no listed meat or fish
contains a gluten-bearing ingredient
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in a MorningStar Farms Original Sausage Patty?
9 g of protein per 38 g (1.34 oz) patty (USDA FDC 2682481) — that works out to 23.7 g per 100 g. The protein comes from a blend of wheat gluten, soy flour, soy protein concentrate/isolate, and egg whites, which together cover a fuller amino-acid spread than soy or wheat alone would.
Is it vegan, or just vegetarian?
Vegetarian, not vegan — and this trips people up. The USDA panel lists egg whites, sodium caseinate, lactose, and whey, all egg- or dairy-derived. If you need a vegan patty, the classic Original recipe isn't it; MorningStar's separate Incogmeato/Plant-Based line is the reformulated vegan option.
How does it compare to a regular pork breakfast sausage patty?
Pork is the whole reason to buy this. A patty-for-patty swap lands at roughly the same protein, but MorningStar carries about 0.4 g saturated fat versus the several grams in pork sausage, and essentially zero cholesterol (0.38 mg) versus pork's 30-plus. You give up the long, clean label and you don't undercut pork on sodium — but on fat and cholesterol it's a decisive win.
Is it gluten-free?
No — wheat gluten is the second ingredient, and the panel also lists hydrolyzed wheat protein and hydrolyzed corn gluten. It's one of the more wheat-heavy meatless sausages on the shelf, so it's a hard no for celiac or gluten-sensitive eaters. Full allergen set here is wheat, soy, egg, and milk.
Is it keto-friendly?
Marginally. At 3.88 g total carbs minus 0.87 g fiber, that's about 3 g net carbs per patty — fine for one, but the wheat-gluten base means carbs stack up across two or three patties faster than an animal sausage would. Strict-keto eaters usually reach for a higher-fat pork or chicken sausage instead.
Why is the sodium so high?
254 mg per patty (about 11% of the 2,300 mg daily limit) is the price of a seasoned breakfast meat — salt carries the flavor, and the phosphate-and-yeast-extract system layered on top amplifies the savory, meaty note. Two patties put you near 500 mg before anything else lands on the plate, which is what drags the sodium score to an F.
What does the long ingredient list actually do?
Three jobs. Wheat gluten and the soy proteins build the protein and the chew; methylcellulose and modified tapioca starch bind it into a patty that holds together when cooked; and the phosphates, hydrolyzed proteins, and disodium inosinate/guanylate engineer the salty, umami, sausage-like flavor that plain soy and wheat don't have on their own. It works — but it's why ingredient quality scores a C-.