Mindful ingredients: 2 beefy burgers

Having diabetes doesn't mean you need to give up burgers - it just needs you need to make your own and be mindful of your ingredients! Here are two delicious burger recipes to keep in mind.

PREP TIME: 5 minutes

COOK TIME: 10 minutes

SERVES 6

Getting it together 

• 1 kg (2 lb) extra-lean ground beef
• 75 ml (5 tbsp) ice-cold water
• 5 ml (1 tsp) low-sodium ketchup
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) kosher salt
• 1 ml (1/4 tsp) ground black pepper
• 6 whole wheat hamburger buns, split

Getting started

1. Heat a grill to medium-high heat.
2. With your hands, mix the beef, water, ketchup, salt and pepper in a bowl until well blended; do not over mix. Using a light touch, form into six patties no more than 2.5 centimetres (one inch) thick. Refrigerate the burgers until the grill is ready.
3. Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Put the burgers on the grill, cover and cook for seven minutes, turning after about four minutes for medium done (65°C/150°F, slightly pink). Add a minute per side for well-done (70°C/160°F).
4. To toast the buns, put them cut sides down directly over the fire for the last minute of cooking.
5. If serving the burgers directly from the grill, serve on the buns. If the burgers will sit, even for a few minutes, keep buns and burgers separate until just before eating.

PER SERVING: 289 cal, 8 g fat (2 g sat), 22 g carbs, 33 g protein, 3 g fibre, 80 mg chol, 486 mg sodium, 46 mg calcium

PREP TIME: 5 minutes

COOK TIME: 35 minutes

MAKES 6

What you'll need

• 340 g (12 oz) ground turkey breast
• 110 g (4 oz) extra-lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small red or green pepper, chopped
• 125 g (1/2 c) chopped mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) balsamic vinegar
• 1 can (793 g/28 oz) low-sodium crushed tomatoes
• 5 ml (1 tsp) dried oregano
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) sugar
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) ground black pepper
• 0.5 ml (1/8) tsp salt
• 6 thin, whole wheat rolls, toasted

What to do

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey and beef and cook until no longer pink, about five minutes, breaking up the meat with a spoon. Remove to a plate.
2. Add the onion and red or green pepper to the pan and cook until soft, about five minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms shrink down a bit, two to three minutes. Add the vinegar, swirling the pan until evenly distributed. Add the tomatoes, oregano, sugar, black pepper and salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thick enough to sit on a bun without running, about 20 minutes. Serve on the rolls.

PER SANDWICH: 251 cal, 4 g fat (1 g sat), 26 g carbs, 26 g protein, 8 g fibre, 33 mg chol, 448 mg sodium, 64 mg calcium

See, flavor is not necessarily something you need to sacrifice when making healthier choices. Enjoy!

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