Burgers sound like a greasy mess of food with low nutrition, but they don’t have to be deemed an unhealthy treat if we can tweak the way it’s typically made. With some simple modifications, burgers can serve up some healthy goodness too! :p
So one fine day, K and I decided to make these kids-friendly healthy burgers with the help of little V and baby L. We made some delish Egg-free Tofu Pork Patties for baby V back then, and it was a hit! This time round, our beef burger patties are as is, but you can feel free to jazz up the nutritional factor with kale and all!
Now that she’s older, our soon-to-be four year old enjoyed the preparation process and was eager to sink her teeth into the dish! Preparation was easy and having a toddler involved can be fun (or chaotic, since 1 other toddler was quite the rule breaker!). Have a go with your kids too – cooking together as a family was an interesting experience!
Homemade Healthy Burgers (makes 6 burgers)
Ingredients:
150g Minced beef (feel free to replace with chicken or pork as desired)
McCormick Italian Herbs
Salt, as desired
Pepper, as desired
Ground black pepper, as desired
8 Fresh shitake mushrooms, washed and sliced
Lettuce, washed and cut into desired sizes
Burger cheese slices (regular cheddar slices are great too!)
Fresh pineapple, cut into rings (canned pineapples are great too!)
2 Large tomatoes
1 Large yellow onion, washed and cut into rings
1 tbsp Minced garlic
Gardenia burger buns
For sides:
2 sticks of celery, washed and cut into desired length
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, washed and cut into strips
4 small potatoes, washed and cut into strips
Yogurt or mayonnaise
A sprinkle of Chia Seeds
To prepare beef patties:
– Set aside small portion of minced beef for kids. Season as desired with Italian Herbs and pepper.
– Season remaining portion of minced beef for adults – adjust spiciness with extra black pepper and salt as preferred.
– Place both portions of minced beef in separate bowls and cover with cling wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Method:
1) Shape minced beef into patties. Heat pan and warm up some olive oil. Place patties on pan and cook to desired done-ness for adults. Cook beef patties completely for kids’ portion. Remove and place on clean plate.
2) Add minced garlic, onion rings and sliced mushrooms. Sautée the ingredients and set aside.
3) Slice Gardenia Buns into half and butter both sides. Lightly warm up by heating insides of buns if desired. Stack ingredients accordingly to make your burgers!
As for the potatoes and sweet potatoes, they were air fried with the Mayer Air Fryer – yes, we have a new kitchen tool to play with! Healthier versions of French fries and sweet potato fries, yes? :P
And I definitely couldn’t do without vegetables, so we had some raw celery sticks with a dollop of yogurt and Chia Seeds on the sides too.
Voila! How’s that for some super easy, deliciously healthy burgers that score with toddlers and preschoolers too? :D
Watching Vera and Leroy devour those burgers was such a beaming moment! Thank you Daddy K for helping to cook those patties and stacking up those burgers! I had to whisk the baby away for a nursing session, so in reality, it takes a fair bit of coordination in between. Truth be told, it takes extra teamwork to put a meal together when you have two inquisitive kids, and hungry people to feed! #keepingitreal
And the baby was enjoying his own burger like a big boy! Where did all that time go???
Both kids ate them quite differently too – one had a deconstructed burger, while the other tried to wolf down that stack (and eventually decided to deconstruct it as well)! :P
Do give this healthy burger recipe a try, and let me know how your homemade burgers turn out! :P
Discover what we are up to on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and G+ too!
