Not All Calories Are Created Equal
Bean and Oat Burger with Coleslaw, Mayonnaise and Chips
It's true that any calorie from any food supplies a set amount of energy, but once eaten, things become more complicated. Carrots and carrot cake are absorbed at completely different rates.
A study published in JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) found that people who obtained 25 per cent of their daily calories from protein burned 227 more calories a day than those who only ate five per cent of their calories from protein.
A new study offers proof that heavily processed foods might actually cause you to gain weight. Even though foods have the same number of calories, they can have vastly different effects on hunger, hormones and metabolic health.
Whole foods like beans and nuts require your body to work harder to digest them, and in turn burn off more calories to do so. Whole foods are also more filling than processed foods and provide more by way of nutrients.
This next dish will definitely fill you up as well as providing an abundance of fibre to keep your gut bacteria happy.
My veggie burger uses beans and oats as well as herbs and spices to provide a high protein, fibre rich meal. I’ve added coleslaw and mayonnaise together with a side portion of chips to complete the dish.
If you don't have time to make the burger, give the chips a go!
Bean and Oat Burger
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 cup (200g) dry beans or 2 cans of cooked beans (see note below)
1 cup oats (pulse in the processor until broken up)
1 medium carrot (grated)
1 onion (finely chopped)
4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mustard
1/2 cup chopped coriander
1 egg (beaten)
8 burger buns
Method
Add the cooked beans to a large bowl and pulse them in the food processor.
Sauté the onion and garlic until golden.
Add the carrot, chili and cumin and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Pulse the oats in a food processor until fine.
Mix the oats, beans, the carrot mixture, mustard, ketchup, soy sauce, beaten egg and chopped coriander together.
Shape the mixture into burgers and fry in a little oil until golden on each side.
Serve in a toasted bun.
Notes
You can use any beans you like for this recipe. I use dry pinto beans which I soak for a few hours, then rinse and drain. I cook them until they have a little bite still left in them. I get 3 cups of cooked beans from one cup of dry beans. If I’m pushed for time, I use canned beans (rinsed and drained).
Cashew Nut Mayonnaise & Coleslaw
Serves 8-10
Ingredients (Mayonnaise)
1 cup cashew nuts, 150g (soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and then drained)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of water
Method
Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor.
Pulse until creamy.
Ingredients (Coleslaw)
1 small head of cabbage (shredded)
1/2 cup of carrots (shredded)
Method
Add the cabbage and carrots to a bowl.
Add mayonnaise and mix well.
Note: the coleslaw and mayonnaise can be prepared in advance and stored separately until needed.
Chips with a twist
Serves 4
Ingredients
6 large white potatoes (about 1.5kg)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp paprika
I tbsp white vinegar
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°fan/Gas mark 6.
Peel the potatoes and cut into long chip shapes.
Place all the ingredients into a bowl.
Mix until the chips have been evenly coated.
Spread the chips on a large baking tray and roast for 45 minutes, turning occasionally until crispy on the outside.