Author:
Kevin Curry
Chicken Quinoa Burger Showdown: Hardgainer vs Lean Beach Body
Here’s a healthy burger recipe to jumpstart your summer or seasonal grilling. I enjoy finding ways to incorporate quinoa into recipes like burgers and even meatloaf because it is an easy way to boost the overall macronutrient content with quality food that is high in vitamins and minerals.
Have you ever tried a burger using just veggies? If not, let today be the day. Forgot the bread and try the lean (low-carb) portobello mushroom cap, or thick, muscle-building sweet potato.
If you never tried a burger made fully of veggies, just trust me and try it. Make your food funny.
Here are the main things for veggie burgers. You’ll need some lean ground chicken, quinoa, goat cheese, spinach, egg, red onions, garlic and bell peppers. For the lean version, you’re gonna find portabello mushroom caps. For the hard gainer version, you’re gonna find a large sweet potato.
Cook quinoa and set aside. Chop up your veggies, spinach, tomatoes, red onion, garlic and bell pepper.
For the hi carb version, slice the sweet potato into large pieces. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 405F.
To make a lean carb version, remove steams from the portabello mushroom caps. Clean insides with a spoon. Spray mushrooms with coconut oil and place them on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 7 minutes at 405F.
In a bowl, mix ground chicken, cooked quinoa, finely chopped onion, garlic, spinach, bell pepper, one egg, goat cheese and seasoning. Form patties to the desired size. Cook patties in a nonstick skillet or grill them.
When all is done, it’s time to build your quinoa burger. Load up the burger with fresh avocado slices, hearty greens, tomatoes, low sodium BBQ sauce and mustard.
Which burger are you? Are you a hardgainer, muscle-building burger, or lean, beach body vegan quinoa burger?
Chicken Quinoa Burger Showdown: Hardgainer vs Lean Beach Body
Ingredients
for a least 5 patties:
- 1 lb lean ground chicken
- 3/4 cup quinoa
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup goat cheese
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup red onions
- garlic clove
- 1/2 bell pepper
- seasonings: 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp paprika (optional), 1/2 tbsp sea salt, pepper
Remember to load up your burger with:
- fresh avocado slices
- lettuce or hearty greens
- tomatoes
- low sodium BBQ sauce
- mustard
Lean (low-carb) burger bun: 2 portobello mushroom caps
- Approximate macros for just burger & bun: 235 calories, 28g protein, 15g carbs, 7g fat
Hardgainer (hi-carb) burger bun: ~360g sweet potato (with 2 chicken quinoa patties)
- Approximate macros for just burger & bun: 695 calories, 51g protein, 108g carbs, 18g fat
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hey, I'm Kevin
My name is Kevin. My life changed when I realized that healthy living is a lifelong journey, mainly won by having a well-balanced diet and maintaining an active lifestyle.
By experimenting in the kitchen and sharing my meals on Tumblr, I learned healthy eating is not boring! By making a few adjustments to my favorite foods, I could design a diet that could help me achieve my wellness goals while satisfying my desire for BANGIN food! 😅 Now I try to help people around the world realize that same level of freedom in eating regardless of budget. Welcome, let's #DemocratizeWellness together!