Meatless Mondays, Tofu Tuesdays, Salad Saturdays… however you choose to observe opting for meat-free food options a few days a week, one of the most delicious ways to indulge in this healthy food routine is to incorporate veggie burgers into your menu.
For anyone who has had a bad experience with store-bought plain veggie patties and thought there’s no way you’ll ditch the meat for those flavorless frozen pucks, I totally understand your hesitation around veggie burgers. Though pre-made veggie burgers have certainly come a long way since their gray patty ancestors, no frozen burger, veggie or not, will ever compare to a freshly created burger.
When you’re a vegetarian, you get used to the taste of vegetables first standing in for, then eventually becoming better than the meat that used to rule on high. For those who still enjoy the taste of meat, it is hard to comprehend how vegetables and grains could taste just as good as meat does. That’s what makes opting for meatless meals a few days a week such an adventure.
If you’re exploring vegetarian recipes week after week, you are likely to come across countless meat-free options that make your mouth sing and are packed with flavor. When you find such a meatless wonder, keep it in mind – it may make a very tasty veggie burger one day!
Until the day comes when you’re discovering your own vegetarian burger masterpiece, try these delicious, nutritious, and healthy vegetable ingredients to make yourself a fresh and mouth-watering veggie burger for your next meat-free meal.
Eggplants
Eggplant is the go-to tasty meat alternative that takes on lots of flavors and delivers a delicious punch of meatiness that will leave you feeling full. Eggplants are also positively brimming with nutrition, making them a great way to get your daily vitamins and minerals in while enjoying a tasty burger. Eggplants are loaded with fiber, iron, calcium, and phytonutrients from their purple skin. Better still, eggplants are super low in calories so you can indulge in lots of toppings without the extra guilt.
Whether sliced and grilled, fried crispy or diced up and formed into a patty, eggplant is a no-brainer veggie burger star.
Zucchini
Extremely versatile and easy to prepare, zucchini makes the best base for any veggie combination burger your heart desires. Zucchini can be sweet (hello zucchini bread) or it can be savory. It can be grilled, baked, fried, or battered, and it will always deliver a ton of flavor. It will also load your burger with anti-inflammatory properties, fiber, Vitamins C, B6, and K, has good proteins and low carbs, plus it is naturally fat-free.
Lentils
Have a love for Indian foods or hearty grains? Look no further than a healthy and delish legume that has been a meat substitute for a very, very long time. What makes lentils such a great meat replacement is their texture, and the best news is that you can seriously spice up lentils to make them enhance your favorite flavors.
Lentils are packed with protein, fiber, are super low in fat, and very filling.
Sweet Potatoes
The adaptable sweet potato is a perfect fit for a burger, and it can be dressed up or down, served sweet or salty, and is always ready to dazzle your palate. Sweet potatoes have lots of Vitamin A, beta-carotene for your eyes, and potassium, not to mention that they are the perfect complement to tons of other ingredients from maple-crusted pecans to marshmallows to white beans. Ditch the sweet potato fries and opt for a sweet potato veggie burger instead!
