Dr. G’s Sweet Potato and White Bean Burgers
I don’t know about you, but I am holding on to the last little bits of summer as I watch the sunset earlier and earlier everyday. The New England summer never seems quite long enough though, right? It’s not the summer weather that I love necessarily, I’m a fall girl myself (pumpkin spiced everything), but it is the sunshine and length of the days that I love. I really like to be outside playing catch or going for a walk in the late evening…and I am child? Whatever. Anyway, these awesome sweet potato burgers should help you hang on to summer for just a little longer. They are quick and easy to make and freeze well for a meal later. They are full of fiber, the right amount of protein, iron, healthy fats, and vitamins…they put beef burgers to shame. Oh, and they won’t clog your arteries either 🙂 Win! Check it out:
You may have noticed that I said the “right amount of protein” above.
Here is a fact…are you ready for it? Americans eat too much protein and it is dangerous.
Since the 1970’s we have known that humans only need 0.8g/kg of lean body mass/day of protein or about 6-10% of daily calories. Most Americans are eating twice that amount! However, for some reason the food industry is still pushing protein, as if protein deficiency is something that we are even seeing in America (or really any developed country…and most developing countries for that matter). We were taught since childhood that we need protein for strong muscles, so more must be better, right? Wrong. It turns out that high protein diets increase our risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and cancer to name a few. Check out my previous post to learn more about protein (Dropping Some Knowledge About Protein) and some of these videos from Dr. Greger to learn more.
Ok, back to the food.
BTW, I have never actually tried to grill these, they just seem too soft, but I wonder if I were to bake them first if they could be thrown on the grill (??). If you try that, let me know. These burgers are pretty versatile and will go well with almost any toppings, but honey mustard (or agave mustard if you want to keep it truly vegan) is my favorite topping with these. Lucky for you, I included a honey mustard recipe in this post too.
One last thing, people who don’t eat veggie burgers ask me all the time if they taste like “regular” burgers. Umm…no, guys, really they don’t. They taste like vegetables. These taste like sweet potatoes and beans, in case that wasn’t obvious. But, they are still delicious, so you should try them.
Happy eating and best health,
Dr. G
Ingredients
Burgers:
- 1 sweet potato, cooked and peeled - either bake in the oven (350 degrees F for 45 mins) or microwave for 5-7 minutes until fork tender
- 1 can low sodium canellini beans (aka white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 Tbsp tahini (use 2 Tbsp here and skip the almond butter)
- 1 Tbsp almond butter (use 2 Tbsp here and skip the tahini)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 handfuls of spinach or kale, chopped
- toppings of your choice and buns
Honey Mustard:
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp vegan mayo
- 1 tsp honey (can sub with agave to make it vegan)
Instructions
Burgers:
- Preheat your oven for 350 degrees F
- In a large bowl mash the sweet potato and beans together until they form a thick paste.
- Add in onion, tahini, almond butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, vinegar, and chopped greens and mix well to combine.
- Form into equal sized patties - about 6
- In a skillet over medium heat add a small amount of cooking spray and then the burgers, cook to brown on both sides.
- Remove the burgers from the skillet and place them on a baking sheet.
- Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes to heat the patties through
Honey Mustard:
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth
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