Burger Bliss

Five years ago, I announced to my mother that I would no longer be eating meat. After recovering from the surprise, she took me on a very necessary trip to the grocery store, where I bought the essential neophyte vegetarian item: the veggie burger.

They're quick, convenient, and tasty, plus they provide an easy meatless form of protein. While I no longer eat them with the same regularity as my initial days of vegetarianism, I still keep a box (or two) on hand for those times when I simply haven't the motivation nor the time to prepare an elaborate vegetarian feast. Boca was my first brand of choice, but since then I have broadened my horizons. Yes, since my early days as a veg, I have graduated to brands such Sunshine Burger, Health Is Wealth, and, of course, the mistress of veggie burger expertise, Amy.

Sunshine Burger
This past year, in the midst of summer barbecues and grill-out sessions, I was on the hunt for a new variety of veggie burger, specifically one that was both meat- and soy-free. I of course ventured to Whole Foods for the answer to my burger-prayers. After a quick jaunt down the frozen foods aisle, I found these: Sunshine burgers. Made simply with raw ground sunflower seeds, whole grains, vegetables, and a dash of sea salt, Sunshine burgers are the epitome of an all-natural burger. I love that these burgers are completely free of unnecessary ingredients.

Sunshine burgers are available in 4 varieties: Garden Herb, Original, Barbecue, and Southwest. Nutritional stats vary accordingly, but most are between 200-259 kcalories with a moderate (6-8 grams) of protein, and 12-13 grams of fat. Most varieties also provide an impressive amount of vitamin A, ranging from 50-90% of your daily RDA.

While these burgers are tasty any way you eat 'em, I recommend the old fashioned way, in a whole grain bun with your favorite toppings, such as salsa or avocado.

Feel free to eat them sans bun, as well; I regularly enjoy them this way as a fish substitute when my family is having a seafood-centered meal.

Finally, if you'd rather use your creativity, consider slicing one up as a salad component. I especially like them in combination with my homemade sweet dill dressing.

Health Is Wealth Chicken-Free Patties
As a girl raised (mostly) in the South, I've enjoyed a few Chick Fil A sandwiches in my day, and I do occasionally get a craving for a deliciously breaded patty (couldn't care less about the chicken part!). Fortunately, there is a relatively healthful alternative. While many breaded "chik" patties exist on the market today, many still contain high amounts of fat and a few questionable ingredients. Health Is Wealth, however, produces a chicken-free patty that is low in fat (1.5 grams) and breaded with whole grain bread crumbs. Plus, they're vegan--no egg whites are used to provide that breaded crust.
These can be difficult to find, although Whole Foods carries the brand; only large stores carry this particular product. Look for it at health food stores as well. If you can't find the patties, the chicken-free nuggets are just as good!

These patties also lend themselves well to the traditional whole grain bun route. My condiments of choice are a mixture of vegan mayo and mustard, even better if it's agave-mustard! For Chick-fil-A authenticity, you could throw a few pickles on top:)

Try using these in place of chicken in your favorite Chicken Parmigiana recipe. Yum.

These patties can also easily be sliced and used as a salad topper or wrap stuffing. The possibilities are endless!

Amy's Bistro Burger
If you've taken a look at the frozen food aisle lately, you've probably noticed a proliferation of products emblazoned with the notorious "Amy's Kitchen" label. Aside from her delicious burritos, pizzas, and breakfast items, Amy also produces a wide variety of burgers, made from whole grains, veggies, and soy. This particular item caught my eye due to its relatively low sodium content for a frozen food (14% RDA) and abundance of vegetables in its ingredients list.

Each patty contains 90 kcalories, 2.5 grams of fat, and a slightly disappointing 5 grams of protein. I would hope for more protein in a meat alternative. Nonetheless, these burgers provide a satisfying alternative to your regular beef burger. As a bonus, they are made from 93% organic ingredients--score!

Warning: if you do not like mushrooms, you may not like these burgers. The shroom' flavah is strong, which is just fine by my tastebuds, but others may be overwhelmed by its presence.

I like mine best with mashed avocado...

But they're pretty awesome with organic K + M as well.

Just as good in a wrap!

The Amy's website also recommends adding BBQ sauce...perhaps we should try the humbecue combo as well?

Amy's Texas Burger
Speaking of barbecue, these burgers are specifically designed to have that distinctive smoky flavor.

This variety is decidedly less 'shroom-ey and more tomato-ey. There's also some bell peppers and a kick of molasses. Tasty.

Each patty contains 120 kcalories, 2.5 grams of fat, and a respectable 12 grams of protein.

I like mine with lots of spicy salsa!
They're also pretty tasty as a salad-topper...especially with Woodstock dressing to play up that tomato goodness. Best served with some sweet potato fries!
These few burgers represent just a selection of my veggie burger samplings and an even smaller portion of those available on the market. What are your favorite meatless patties? What do you look for in a veggie burger? Let me know...I'm always searching for a new favorite:)

Rush, Rush, Rush

Today has been all about rushing--I awoke at 4AM to catch my flight to Raleigh-Durham, ran through baggage claim, bolted into a taxi, then scrambled to get back to my apartment and change before I headed to "recruitment" activities for my sorority (a.k.a. rush). After several hours of chatting with the rushees and catching up with my friends, I am starting to slow down. What better way to wind down the day than with a blog post?

Here's a glance at how I spent my last weekend of winter break:

Friday
As I mentioned in my last post, strawberries, PB, and chocolate make an excellent combination--so I made a repeat shake on Friday, except I used chocolate hemp rather than chocolate Spirutein. Just as delicious:)
Saturday
By the time breakfast rolled around on Saturday, I was far too famished for anything labor-intensive. Thus, Van's freezer waffles came to the rescue! I topped mine with some Friendship cottage cheese (not whipped, sadly), blackberries, almonds, and cinnamon.
Afterward, I headed to the mall with my Mom...where I found another bargain that I couldn't refuse: black-leopard pumps for 75% off! Oh, sexy pumps, how I love thee! I also hit up White House Black Market, where I scored this dressy top and silky pencil skirt for a mere $60. I think it's a good thing that I am back at school--this way I won't shop away my entire savings!
Anyway, I refueled with a simple tofu-guacamole sandwich with salsa, plus a salad and the last of the clementines. The peppers and citrus provide a major vitamin C boost--no winter sniffles for me.
For dinner, I headed out to a local Mexican joint with my sister and a few friends. This made for an exciting outing because I got carded for the first time since my 21st birthday. Margs all around! I ordered the vegetarian fajitas--I cleared my plate save for the rice, beans, and sour cream.
Afterward, we headed out to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Excellent flick--it's lengthy, but well worth the runtime. Extra bonus: Brad Pitt gets better looking with each scene. While there I snacked on some Twizzlers. When I came back, I made a luscious banana-cappuccino shake with chocolate syrup.
Sunday
I made a speedy breakfast before heading out for church: GoLean with almond milk, wheat germ, blackberries, walnuts, and dried cranberries. Quite the deluxe breakfast bowl.
I wasn't much in the mood for cooking yesterday (gasp!), so I just heated up a frozen vegan chik'n patty. I sandwiched it between whole grain bread with an agave mustard sauce I made, plus plenty of crunchy lettuce. I also had a salad and apple with almond butter.
For my dinner, I made another hummus wrap, this time with my fave superstar veggie (broccoli!), and a Laughing Cow wedge. I used to have a minor obsession with LC cheese a few years ago--now I remember why I like them so much! Creamy, portable, tasty. I also had a salad and peaches with cashews and cinnamon.
Monday
Before heading to bed last night I packed a snacky breakfast for the airport: Kashi Heart to Heart (from Sarah), almonds, and an apple.
I also packed a lunch to eat while at recruitment activities: cinnamon-raisin PB sammie, soynuts with dried cherries, and a couple clementines.
My friends and I hit up the salad bar for dinner tonight. I didn't take a picture, but it was similar to the one featured in this post.

I am pretty pooped, but I want to ask you a question before I go: what's your "power song?" What do you listen to when you're lagging in your workout or just having a bad day? Although I am digging The Killers' "Human" lately, I am always in search of fresh tunes for Nestor the Nano.

Nighty-night.

PS Sorry for not posting my weekly Sunday feature yesterday. I opted to spend my last few hours at home with my family instead:)

Chop, Chop!

Vegetables are not the only thing I've been chopping lately...I cut off 10+ inches of hair today! I typically go through hairstyle cycles of long-short-long-short...so this is my third time to donate to Locks of Love. I'm sure someone else will appreciate my hair much more than I did. Check out the new 'do:
I have lots to share with you today, so I'll just dive right in.

Wednesday
As promised, I tried a new protein powder on Wednesday evening: Nutiva Berry Pomegranate HempShake. I have tried Nutiva's chocolate variety before and loved it, so I was pretty pumped to try this flavor, plus it includes a popular superfood: pomegranate. I am happy to report that this flavor was a hit--I'll be using it again in the future.
Thursday
For a quick breakfast yesterday, I whipped up a pineapple smoothie in the MB. The smoothie was good, but I think my beloved Bullet is dying a slow death...good thing I have a spare! On the side I nibbled on some honey roasted peanuts and Kashi Cinnamon Harvest cereal.
My packed lunch included a Health is Wealth vegan Chik Patty on whole wheat (with Nayonaise and mustard), broccoli slaw (with red wine vinegar), and a tropical trail mix I made from raw cashews and diced dried papaya. I think this was a tasty lunch, but I can't really say--it started to raining (er, pour) as I was eating it (outside), so I stuffed everything in my mouth and ran! I was soggy for the entirety of my anatomy lab. Boo.
For dinner, I inadvertently cooked up a meal consisting entirely of vegetables: steamed squash, salad, a baked potato, and spinach/beans cooked in Annie's BBQ sauce and cumin. I highly recommend cooking your veggies in BBQ sauce. Oh, and my prankster dad snuck that teal M&M into the picture without my realizing it. Yum, candy-coated squash.
The shake of the evening included another Nutiva HempShake flavor: Amazon Acai. I was psyched about this one too for its inclusion of acai, another uber-trendy superfood. Maybe it was just the combination of ingredients, but this flavor tasted a little too "hempy" to me. I still ate it (of course), but the amazing Amazaon acai wasn't so amazing in my opinion.
Friday
Today I woke up refreshed and ready for the weekend...so I had another breakfast parfait! I can't really make these during the week because it's a more labor intensive dish than, say, oatmeal or cereal. Displayed in my new $2 parfait glass is two crumbled bran muffins, vanilla soy yogurt, and sliced peaches. Yum!! Allison from Sweets by Alli requested a recipe for the muffins, so here it is (adapted from Clean Eating Magazine):

Agave Wheat Bran Muffins
1 c wheat bran
3/4 c soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
2/3 c whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 T flax + 1 1/2 T water
1/2 c vanilla soy yogurt
1/3 c agave nectar
1 t vanilla
1/4 c pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 375*.
In medium bowl, combine wheat bran with soymilk and let stand for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients in another bowl.
In the bowl with the wheat bran mixture, add flax + water, soy yogurt, agave, and vanilla.
Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ones.
Spoon batter into lined or greased muffin cups and bake for 15-18 minutes.
Eat:)
My lunch today was incredible. I still can't get over how tasty it was (yet so simple!). I decided on a "cookout" theme (because I'm cool like that), and here's what I came up with: broccoli slaw (with Nayonaise, rice wine vinegar, and stevia), baked beans (ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and minced onions), BBQ Soy Crisps (purchased for $1.79!!), and fresh strawberries. In all honesty, I baked the beans for only 15-20 minutes--no time for that slow-cooked nonsense.
For dinner I made a dish from V-con: Israeli couscous with pistachios and dried apricots. I didn't have any dried apricots, so I used dried pluots (plum/apricot hybrid). I really like the texture of this Israeli couscous--it's not whole grain, but it's more fun to eat. Steamed zucchini, spinach salad, and an Stonyfield organic blueberry yogurt also joined the party.
Check out what came in the mail today...my Amazon order! Living Harvest Vanilla Spice Hemp Protein, new ear buds for running, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. I just finished The Poisonwood Bible and really liked it, so I thought I'd read another book by Barb. Plus, her daughter just graduated from Duke:)
OK, I apologize for this excessively long post. Happy 7-11 Day--celebrate with a healthy homemade slurpee!