Healthy Burgers

Live Holistically is a multi-author site.
This post was written by: Pat Kennelly

One of my favorite foods year-round is a thick grilled burger topped with melted Swiss cheese and sauteed mushrooms. And although I occasionally eat this favorite just the way it is, more often I choose a healthier burger. Over the last ten years, the vegetable burger business has evolved with exciting new flavors including black-bean chipotle and sundried tomato basil.

Other alternatives to high fat burgers are lean turkey burgers, bison burgers, salmon burgers and a vegetarian favorite, the portabella mushroom burger, which I simply marinate in balsamic vinegar, olive oil and garlic and grill. Or try my favorite vegetarian burger, falafel which are the original vegetable burgers. Top the chick pea patties with tahini, cucumber slices, shredded cabbage and tomato.

For a healthier burger try these tips.

*Choose whole-grain buns over processed white flour buns or serve burgers in a butter lettuce wrap.

*Top burgers with plenty of fresh vegetables, cucumber slices, tomatoes, dark-green lettuces, red onion, red or yellow pepper slices and pickles add lots of flavor and fiber without any additional fat.

*Choose healthier condiments, mustard over mayonnaise, salsa over ketchup.

*Experiment by making your own healthy condiments. Mango-Strawberry Salsa adds a sweet-hot flavor to a turkey burger. A chutney can add spice and zest to a vegetable burger. Tzatziki, a Greek cucumber sauce made with yogurt is a low-fat alternative to mayonnaise.

*Look for pickles, pickle relishes and ketchup without high frustose corn syrup.

*Use smaller amounts of high-fat cheeses or substitute with lower fat skim-milk cheeses.