It’s a common dilemma: You’re trying your best to lose weight and eat healthy, but what you really want—more than anything else—is to sink your teeth into a big, juicy burger and some crisp, salty fries. So what’s a person to do? Would you believe that you don’t have to choose? That you can actually tweak your favorite restaurant’s burger and fries to be not just satisfying to your taste buds, but also trim and nutritious?
It will require a little forward thinking and a bit of prep work—but if you’re willing to invest the time to learn a new recipe, healthy burger and fry menus are very much attainable. And in fact, it’s worth mentioning that many high-end burger joints offer nutritious options just like the one we’re going to share.
Burger and Fries: A Healthy Option
To make a healthy burger and fry meal, here’s what you’ll need:
1 1/2 cups brown rice, cooked
2 Tbsp chipotle seasoning, divided
1 can black beans (15 oz.), drained
2 zucchini, cut into sticks
4 tsp olive oil divided
1 white onion, sliced
2 cups white mushrooms, sliced
2 whole-wheat buns, separated
4 slices fresh mozzarella
And here’s the recipe: Preheat the oven to 400, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper and some non-stick cooking spray. Then turn to your food processor, blending your rice, beans, and half the chipotle seasoning for about a minute. You should have enough of the blend to form into four patties; salt them, then lay them out on one half of the cooking sheet.
Next, in a bowl, coat the zucchini sticks in olive oil and the rest of your chipotle. Lay them out on the other half of your baking sheet, and put everything in the oven for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan, flipping both your patties and your “fries,” and bake for another 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, for toppings, sauté your onions in some olive oil until they’re caramelized. This should take 20 minutes or so. Then sauté your mushrooms in olive oil for about five minutes.
When everything is all ready, put patties onto buns, top with mushrooms, onions, and cheese, and serve with the zucchini sticks on the side. And there you go: A burger and fries—made healthy, but still delicious!
The Healthy Route
It’s plain to see that this recipe puts nutrition first. The beans and rice form a powerful, filling protein. Meanwhile, zucchini is loaded with vitamins, yet, when prepared this way, can really satisfy your itch for something salty and crunchy.
This is a great hack for your next family burger night—one that nobody is going to complain about, and nobody should feel guilty for enjoying!
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