Yes, we are obsessed with our veggies (this month its fennel and turnips for Lyssie, red bell peppers for Tammy), and although if you read our book The Nutrition Twins’ Veggie Cure, you’ll realize that while our veggie obsession du jour changes, we’ve always got at least one in our back pocket (aka fridge ;)) that’s keeping us lean, fit, energized and constipation-free! 🙂
However, you may not know that there was a time in our lives, soon after we became registered dietitians that we were obsessed with black beans. We were served some at a Spanish restaurant with some fish and rice—and we couldn’t get over the fact that as bean –loving as our mom was ;), she rarely served these little yumsters. Plenty of garbanzos and kidney beans, but black beans were few and far between. And we started hunting them out everywhere and shortly after had an affair with black bean burgers. Yup, we ate one every day for lunch—we explored all of the different brands and made a few of our own—it didn’t matter to us, as long as we were chomping on a black bean burger. Hey, they are satisfying, delicious and nutrient-packed. (We know, by now you’re probably thinking this is a bit strange—and we hear ya! And trust us; it’s not the only thing that makes us a little odd.)
So when Tammy gushed about the black bean veggie burger she ate at the nearby diner the other day, we had an urge to take it to the next level and make a guilt-free satisfying comfort food by combining it with a lightened up mac & cheese. By now you probably know that we love to experiment and lighten up comfort foods (have you tried our Skinny Mac & Cheese or our Skinny Fried Rice or our lightened- up Apple Pie.
If you’re avoiding meat but want mouthwatering flavor and a dish that is sure to satisfy, you’ve gotta give this number a try! And even if you’re a meat lover, you’ll enjoy this dish! Yes, vegetarians and meat eaters, unite! That’s right, this dish will please non-vegetarians just as much plant –lovers. The mac & cheese is made with natural, simple ingredients– Greek yogurt, pasta, and cheese. That’s it! And it is amazingly creamy and tasty!
So being dietitians, what’s one of our favorite parts about this burger/ mac & cheese combo (aside from the amazing flavor)? It has 10g of fiber! If you are like most Americans, then you are probably consuming only 10 to 15 grams of fiber of the recommended 25-35 grams that you should be getting each day to move stool through your digestive tract and colon, and keep you constipation-free (and ridding the bloat that comes with it) and healthy. Fiber also helps reduce the incidence of heart disease, lowers cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation and helps to keep blood sugar levels stable. Fiber can even assist with weight loss by helping you to feel full and helping you to eat less.
Mac & Cheese Black Bean Burger
(Yields 2 burgers)
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup cooked whole wheat elbow pasta, warm
- 2 low sodium black bean patties (we used Morning Star)
- 2 whole wheat buns
- 1 small tomato, sliced
- 2 lettuce leaves
- salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
- Blend yogurt and cheese in a blender until smooth. Add to the cooked pasta, stir well, and set aside.
- Cook the black bean burger on a skillet for 7-10 minutes until heated through.
- Put the burgers together by placing each burger on a bun, adding lettuce, mac & cheese and tomatoand adding salt and pepper to taste.
Nutritional Information:
Per burger
Calories 330; Fat 10g; Saturated Fat 4g; Carbohydrates 42g; Protein 20g; Cholesterol 43mg; Sodium 413mg; Fiber 10g
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup cooked whole wheat elbow pasta, warm
- 2 black bean patties
- 2 whole wheat buns
- 1 small tomato, sliced
- 2 lettuce leaves
- salt & pepper to taste
- Blend yogurt and cheese in a blender until smooth. Add to the cooked pasta, stir well, and set aside.
- Cook the black bean burger on a skillet for 7-10 minutes until heated through.
- Put the burgers together by placing each burger on a bun, adding lettuce, mac & cheese and tomatoand adding salt and pepper to taste.
