Meatless Monday—Black Bean Burgers

Making the decision to become a vegetarian can have many wonderful health benefits, but you have to be conscious of what you are eating to reap these benefits. Vegetarians often focus on what they aren’t eating rather than what they should eat. While a big part of vegetarianism is not eating meat, it is equally important for vegetarians to eat vegetables and not just processed carbs and meat substitutes.

Many vegetarians also forget to incorporate natural protein into their diet, such as nuts, nut butters, beans, quinoa, and seeds. Getting adequate nutrition can be more or less difficult depending on the specific type of vegetarianism you follow.

For example, vegans have a fairly restrictive diet, as they avoid animal products completely, including eggs and all dairy products. On the other hand, lacto-ovo-vegetarians allow themselves to eat both eggs and dairy products. Fruitarians only eat parts of the plant that don’t harm the plant itself, like seeds, nuts, and fruit. Some people only eat raw foods because they try to get all the nutrients produce can offer, which is sometimes destroyed in the cooking process. Regardless of the diet you choose, it’s extremely important to make sure you’re getting a diet that is nutritionally balanced.

If you don’t think a vegetarian diet is right for you, try and pick one day a week where you follow a vegetarian diet, as a healthy experiment. I personally am not a vegetarian, but my kids and I have “meatless Mondays.” One day a week we eat vegetarian meals. It gives us a chance to experiment with fun new recipes!

When we do choose meat, we try to know the source and make sure it has no additive hormones or antibiotics. Recently, Dr. Mark Hyman said, “ fast food hamburger[s] contains very little meat…we are living in a food nightmare, a sci-fi horror show.”

Whatever diet you choose, try and select organic food products to protect your family from unwanted chemicals and make sure to have a balance of good protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

Vegetarian Bean Burger Recipe 

Makes 4 servings 

Ingredients:

1 can of black beans

1 egg white

1/4 white onion

Dash of cumin, salt and pepper

1 oz cheddar cheese or veggie cheese of choice

1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Put half a can of beans into a blender and blend until it a paste forms.
2. Mash the other half of the can with a fork.
3. Mix the mashed beans and the blended beans together with 1 egg white, 1/4 cup chopped white onion, sprinkle on cumin, salt and pepper then mix in the cheese.
4. Make a small ball and pat down into a burger and sprinkle a thin layer of breadcrumbs to both sides of the burger.
5. Place burgers in a pan on medium heat for about three minutes each side. 

6. Serve with guacamole if desired.

Why eat black beans?

Black beans are a brilliant choice for vegetarians and are great to include in your diet. They are packed with nutrients that boost energy and maintain fullness. Black beans are loaded with protein and fiber, which helps to put of hunger and sustain energy. Magnesium, a mineral found in beans, regulates blood glucose levels, which encourages a healthy metabolism. Make black beans a part of your snack or prepare my vegetarian bean burgers for a meal that’s high in protein and magnesium.