Homemade Aussie Burgers

A healthy twist on a tasty Aussie classic, By Nutritionists from Daley Nutrition

When we think of Aussie Burgers, our brains go to a greasy back alley burger loaded with cheese, pickles, with a lot of tomato sauce. Then you spend the afternoon bloated out like a balloon and feeling yuck!  Below is a homemade twist on a Aussie classic burger, but using a more sustainable meat source and less saturated fat and sodium.  The key ingredients are kangaroo mince meat, weetbix (yes weebix), BBQ sauce, freshly cut salad veg, wholemeal bun (more fibre) and low-fat cheese.

How much red meat can I eat in a week?

This question we have been asked a lot in our cooking demonstrations. The research on red meat consumption has changed over the years, the current advice is to keep under 350g of red meat a week according to the Heart Foundation. That’s less than one pack of Coles lean beef mince a week per person. Higher amounts of red meat consumption have been linked to several cancers in particular colon cancer, the risk factors are even higher when you starting consuming processed red meats such as salami and sausage. However, it is good to enjoy a few serves of red meat a week as they contain a respectable amount of iron and vitamin B12 that helps to promote red blood cell production and aids in transporting nutrients around the body.

Are brown rolls better for you than white rolls?

Absolutely! This is a no brainer. Brown rolls contain more of the whole grain, which means it has a higher protein, fibre and B-Vitamin content. Protein and fibre help us to feel fuller for longer and b-vitamins help with energy metabolism in our cells, enabling us to have more energy throughout the day. In white rolls a lot of the natural nutrients have been removed during the processing of the flour such as the bran, which leads to a lower fibre & high glycaemic index of the food. If you are looking for a quirky burger bun try using a large grilled mushroom as a hat and bottom, then you’re ticking off a veggie serving also.

Top Tip for cooking our Aussie burgers:

1. Don’t use large patties as they can be broken easily, aim for a burger that fits the palm of your hand.
2. Never wash the meat before cooking as this can increase the spread of food borne pathogens.

Ingredients (serves 3 people)

For the Patty:

• 500g extra lean beef or kangaroo mince
• 1 medium very finely diced onion
• 2 very finely chopped garlic cloves
• 2 crushed weetbix
• 1 tbsp Worcester sauce
• 2 tsp of BBQ sauce
• 1 tsp of cracked pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to cook

The Bun

• 3 x Seeded wholemeal bun.

The Topping (per person)

• 2 lettuce leaves or a handful of spinach
• 2 slices of tomato
• 1 slice of low-fat cheese
• 1 tsps of tomato sauce

Method

1. Finely dice the onion and garlic
2. Crush the weetbix in a bowl and add the mince meat, onion, garlic, BBQ sauce and egg. Use your hands to mix and squish it together!
3. Shape the ingredients into medium patties a bit bigger than the palm of your hand (will shrink slightly when cooked)
4. Heat the pan with drizzle of oil and add the burgers
5. Turn when the burgers go brown (for a healthier cooking method pop them in the oven for 20mins on 180degrees.)
6. Test to see if they are cooked by slicing one in half.
7. Serve with toppings in a seeded wholemeal bun.

Also try serving with Sweet Potato Wedges (see our Fish and Chip recipe)

Aussie Burgers Nutrition (per person)

• 11g of fat
• 42 of protein
• 7g of sugar
• 374 mg of sodium
• 380 kcal per burger

Homemade Aussie Burgers
Posted by Daley Nutrition

A little about us….Daley Nutrition is a community nutrition team based in Melbourne Victoria, we run a range of nutrition based programs such as cooking demonstrations in Australia to raise people’s awareness of what they are eating and empower them to change certain eating habits. We work with not for profit organisations such as local councils, Diabetes Australia & Nutrition Australia to create a healthy eating environment for children and adults.

To find out more about our Nutrition Services below images