Burgers are great, but they can be upwards of 800 calories with far too much saturated fat. So, if you want a healthier option, make them with veggies! Veggie burgers are delicious and the recipes below have even been approved by my meat-loving family members.
Here are three tips for getting started:
- Get rid of extra moisture. There is nothing worse when making a perfectly round burger than for it to crumble as you serve it. Squeeze all the extra moisture out of your veggies before you cook them.
- Freeze before baking or grilling your burgers. Freezing your shaped burgers for at least 30 minutes helps them stick together when cooking.
- Focus on spices and texture. Recreating the texture of a beef burger is a challenge but can be done. To do it, use a combination of textures. For example, mash 90% of your beans (in the BBB recipe below) into a smooth texture and keep 10% as whole bean. This creates a delightful texture.
Here are three of my favorite veggie burger recipes:
Sweet & Savory Veggie Patties (7-Day Cleanse Approved!)
2 patties for 1 serving
Calories: 39, 25 g carbohydrates, 9 g protein, 7 g fat, 174 mg sodium, 73 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber
Ingredients:
- ½ cup zucchini, grated and squeezed
- 2 tablespoons avocado
- ¼ cup cooked sweet potato
- 1 scoop Shaklee Organic Greens Booster
- Pinch salt, cumin, and smoked paprika
Directions:
- Grate a small zucchini until you have ½ cup; then in three portions, lay out the zucchini on a clean towel (or paper towels) and press to squeeze out all possible moisture.
- Add the squeezed zucchini, sweet potato, and avocado and mash together. Add the spices and Organic Greens Booster. Once combined, take two pieces of wax paper and form the two veggie burger patties on the paper. Freeze the patty for at least 30 minutes.
- Place patties on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F (191°C) for 15 minutes on each side, 30 minutes total.
BBB (Black Bean Burgers)
Makes 6 burgers
Calories: 179, 25 g carbohydrates, 9 g protein, 7 g fat, 174 mg sodium, 73 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber
Ingredients:
- 2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup finely chopped bell pepper (½ of a pepper)
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (½ of a large onion)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup oat flour
- ½ cup feta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Pinch salt + pepper
- 1 scoop Shaklee Organic Greens Booster (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Spread drained and rinsed beans evenly onto a lined baking sheet. Toast for about 10 minutes.
- As the beans are toasting, sauté chopped pepper, onion, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until peppers and onions are soft, about 5-6 minutes. Be sure to pat with a paper towel to remove the extra moisture.
- Combine eggs, oat flour, spices, and Worcestershire sauce in large bowl. Stir, then add the black beans. Mash with a fork into the texture you like. Form into patties and freeze for 30 minutes. While the patties are in the freezer, turn the oven up to 375°F (191°C).
- Place patties on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F (191°C) for 10 minutes on each side, 20 minutes total.
For an alternate twist to the BBB, try this:
Calories: 196, 19 g carbohydrates, 10 g protein, 9 g fat, 155 mg sodium, 103 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber
Ingredient Changes:
- Swap half the black beans for sautéed portobello mushroom (remove the extra moisture)
- Swap the feta cheese for ½ cup swiss cheese
- Swap the oat flour for bread crumbs (I suggest a low-sodium and whole grain option)
- Add an additional egg
- Don’t add the bell peppers
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Spread drained and rinsed beans evenly onto a lined baking sheet. Toast for about 10 minutes.
- As the beans are toasting, sauté portobello mushrooms to remove the mushrooms’ moisture. Additionally, sauté chopped pepper, onion, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until peppers and onions are soft, about 5-6 minutes. Be sure to pat all items with a paper towel to remove the extra moisture.
- Combine eggs, bread crumbs, spices, and Worcestershire sauce in large bowl. Stir, then add the black beans and mushrooms. Mash with a fork into the texture you like. Form into patties and freeze for 30 minutes. While the patties are in the freezer, turn the oven up to 375°F (191°C).
- Place patties on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F (191°C) for 15 minutes on each side, 30 minutes total.
Sarah is the Shaklee Pure Performance Team dietitian/nutritionist. She is also a two-time competitor for the USA in the Summer Games, participating in the 10-meter Air Rifle event in 2012 and 2016. Her experience as an elite athlete and her status as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and Licensed Nutritionist (LN), make her perfectly suited to consult with Shaklee athletes on their nutritional needs. Sarah graduated from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas with a BS in Nutrition in 2013, and then earned an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Healthcare Management. She specializes in weight loss, improved sport performance, diabetes prevention, heart health, healthy aging, smoking cessation, and performance goals. Her hobbies include church ministries, mountaineering, physical fitness, and gardening. Keep up with Sarah on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
