Thursday, August 25, 2016

Eat Better With Garden Veggie Patties

By Jennifer Martin


Eating the right foods regularly should not be chore and certainly, no one has to deprive themselves of meals that taste good. On the other hand, people tend to feel intimidated by so call healthy foods that require a lot of time in the kitchen. Garden veggie patties have many of the nutrients needed to get through the day, preparation is easy and they are very tasty.

In recent, vegetable entrees are becoming more popular as people are coming up with new ways to make satisfying meals for people who do not eat meat. Some of these are designed for the busy person who may feel that eating out is the best solution. While it may be one of the fastest ways to get a substantial meal, it should not become a habit.

Vegetarian burger patties come in many varieties for anyone seeking a meatless substitute. While soy is a main ingredient, other brands many use beans or grains as a dairy free binder. Some patties are brown rice based but may use protein to create a texture that is tasty and makes a nice substitute for meat.

Vegan and others may want to have more vegetables like zucchini, eggplant and colorful potatoes as their binding agents. The advantage of using mostly veggies is there is little guesswork about their content and it can be easy to gauge things like protein and sodium intake. These also are versatile when it comes to choosing spices. Popular flavors of recent include spicy southwest, smoky grilled and Mediterranean.

Preparation is just placing patty into heated pan with a little cooking oil. Using medium heat, cook on each side for no more than five minutes total. If cooking in an over, use a grill pan or coat surface with oil to prevent sogginess. Most veggie patties should not be cooked in the microwave, as they may not retain their form.

For some who are looking to make the conversion into vegetarianism, making a burger like this has its advantages. One is that cooking meat of any kind takes longer than a veggie patty. Secondly, cleanup is much easier as there is no raw meat residue that may cause contamination during preparation.

Anyone looking for the gourmet burger can still enjoy themselves with a number of exciting toppings. Healthy options include onion jam, jalapeno spread or any of the dairy free cheese selections that taste like they came from the cow. Fancy condiments like red pepper spread, hummus, and sriracha mayo are good choices for foodies who like their veggies.

And side dishes can offer just as many choices. Roasted potato strings, fried onion blossom, or zucchini chips are alternates that provide more nutritional value than deep fried potatoes loaded with salt. Or a person can cut down on cooking time with a side of chilled vegetable sticks.

Every day people are coming up with awesome flavors and varieties of vegetarian burger patties. Most of these are a great improvement over early versions, as they have less oil and fillers that can contradict the purpose of healthy eating. As these become available, more people are getting on board with good eating that has a purpose.




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