Cheeseburgers With a Healthy Little Secret

Stretch high-quality grass-fed ground beef—which has a higher ratio of healthy fats than conventionally raised beef—and boost nutrients by adding vegetables and cheese. All ingredients, including the cheese, are incorporated right into the meat mixture, which makes these burgers moist and flavorful. Small patties are perfectly portioned for kids, and each one provides a quarter of your little ones’ daily vegetable needs. Serve with a side of fresh fruit to add another food group.

Hidden Veggie Cheeseburgers

Ingredients

1 lb. grass-fed ground beef
2-3 medium zucchini, shredded and squeezed completely dry (to yield 7-8 oz)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
6 small whole-grain rolls (TRY: Rudi’s Organic Bakery Wheat Buns)
Toppings: Lettuce, tomato slices, avocado slices, ketchup

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor, place ground beef, shredded zucchini, parsley, cheese and salt. Grind until well combined, stopping to scrape down bowl sides as needed. Form into six small patties, about 3 ½ ounces each.
2. In a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat, warm oil. Add patties, allowing space in between. Cook 4–5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. You can also use a grill.
3. Set burgers, rolls and toppings on the table and let everyone assemble their own burger.

PER SERVING (1 burger with bun): 291 cal, 8g fat (3g mono, 1g poly, 4g sat), 56mg chol, 517mg sodium, 29g carb (5g fiber, 4g sugars), 25g protein

SOURCE: The recipe by Amy Palanjian and photo by Jennifer Olson are posted by permission of Delicious Living (and its parent company New Hope Network), a trusted voice in the natural living community for 30 years.