Healthier Burgers For Your Grill

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Memorial Day weekend starts an unofficial season: Grilling season. I competed this week in a burger showdown at my local television station and wanted to share the recipes and tips to a good-for-you burger.

Three simple tips:
1. Go lean. Thumbing through one of my favorite magazines, Cooking Light, I found this handy chart to showcase the differences between ground beef at the grocery store:

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You can see why it’s worth it to go lean!

2. Add moisture. As you go leaner, add moisture to lean grilled beef through veggies, fruit, juices or sauces.
3. Jazz it up. Use guacamole in place of mayonnaise. Top with whole grain buns. Try grilled veggies for some fun flavors.

Kenny’s recipe surprised me in that I never thought to combine teriyaki flavors with hamburger before, it was seriously good. Especially with the juicy pineapple surrounding the beef. Here’s his recipe:

Kenny’s Hawaiian Burger
Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1 pound 85/15 ground beef
½ of a packet of Weber Just Add Juice Teriyaki mix
¼ cup pineapple juice (reserved from pineapple)
8 pineapple rings
1/4 cup reduced sodium teriyaki sauce
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
4 whole grain English muffins, split

Preparation:
1. Preheat grill. Mix together beef, marinade mix and pineapple juice. Form into 4 patties.
2. Sandwich patties between pineapple slices and grill until patty reaches 160 degrees. Baste patties with teriyaki sauce.
3. Meanwhile, mix together mayonnaise and soy sauce. Set aside.
4. Serve on whole grain English muffin with dollop of mayonnaise mixture.

Nutrition Information: 610 calories, 29 grams fat, 8 grams saturated fat, 1010 mg sodium, 60 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fiber, 29 grams protein.

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I wanted to showcase how yummy a burger could be with some guacamole on top. The judge loved the flavor and wasn’t even a guacamole fan!

Jen’s Guacamole Cilantro Lime Cheeseburger
Serves 6.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds 90/10 lean ground beef
½ cup diced onion
½ cup diced tomatoes
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ lime, juiced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup salsa
6 slices reduced-fat cheddar cheese (optional)
6 whole grain sandwich thins
12 tablespoons Wholly Guacamole, any flavor

Preparation:
1. Preheat grill. In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and garlic.
2. Form beef mixture into 6 patties.
Grill burgers to desired doneness, until patty reaches 160 degrees. Baste each burger with salsa during grilling.
3. Add cheese to each burger during the last minute of cooking to melt. Serve on toasted sandwich thins with a healthy dollop of guacamole.

Nutrition Information:

Without cheese: 427 calories, 18 grams fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 406 mg sodium, 34 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams fiber, 31 grams protein.

With cheese: 497 calories, 22 grams fat, 9 grams saturated fat, 576 mg sodium, 34 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams fiber, 38 grams protein.

For more great recipes and tips, visit http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/ Happy Memorial Day!

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