Summer is on the horizon, which means more cook-outs and grilling!

Here are some of the reasons we love to grill!

1. The excess fat in foods is able to drip off, which means you consume less overall fat and calories in grilled foods compared to most other cooking methods.

2. With grilling, vegetables are able to retain more of their natural vitamins and minerals than boiling as nutrients aren’t lost in the cooking water.

3. Foods cooked on the grill take on a wonderful grill flavor so there’s no need for adding butter or oil and so calories are saved there too.

Next time you fire up your grill, try our homemade veggie burgers!

Homemade Veggie Burgers

Makes: 4 patties

Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• ¼ red bell pepper, cut into1 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
• ½ onion, cut into wedges
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin 2 tablespoons spicy salsa
• ½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1 lime

Directions

• Preheat grill for high heat, and use an oil mister to lightly spray a sheet of aluminum foil.
• In a medium bowl, mash black beans until thick and pasty or desired thickness
• Add bell pepper, mushrooms, onion, and garlic to a food processor and finely chop. Then mix into beans until well blended.
• In an another bowl, stir together egg and chili powder, cumin, salsa
• Mix the egg mixture into the bean mixture. Mix in bread crumbs. Divide mixture into four patties when the mixture is sticks together.
• Place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side.
• Serve with lime slices for garnish.

What’s your favorite recipe to cook on the grill?

Nutrition Facts: Serving Size: 1 burger: 200 calories, 3 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 34 g carbohydrate, 12 g protein, 2 g sugar, 9 g fiber, 189mg sodium