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Recipes

Build Better Burgers With Versatile Avocados

Posted: 6/10/2010

Terrific turkey burgers can be easy to make and fun to eat..

(NAPSI) - Here’s food for thought: There are a lot more tasty ways to add avocados to your diet than by making guacamole. The versatile fruit can enhance flavor and add a creamy texture to all sorts of dishes.

What’s more, when you add fresh avocado slices to sandwiches and salads or use them as a spread, you may reduce your intake of calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol.

Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins and minerals as well as mono- and polyunsaturated fats, the “good fats.” A one-ounce single serving—three slices or about onefifth of an avocado—has 50 calories. Cheryl Forberg, registered dietitian for NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” refers to avocados as a “superfood” and in addition to recommending “contestants consume a diet rich in whole grains, lean protein, fruit and vegetables,” she also emphasizes “the importance of choosing foods containing good fats, such as avocados, canola oil, nuts and seeds.”

For a quick lunch, she recommends jazzing up the traditional turkey burger by adding a Mexican twist.

Mexican Turkey Burger

Recipe makes 6 burgers

• 1 (20-ounce) package extralean
• ground turkey breast
• 1⁄4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1⁄4 cup diced red onion
• 1⁄4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1⁄3 cup diced fresh mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon Mexican seasoning or fajita seasoning
• 1⁄4 cup low-fat Mexican-blend cheese
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 6 whole grain buns
• 6 tablespoons salsa
• 1-1⁄2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
• 6 tablespoons fat-free Greek-style yogurt

In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, cilantro, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, seasoning, cheese and garlic. There will be about 24 ounces (11⁄2 pounds) of mixture, or 4 cups. Divide into 6 (4-ounce) patties. Grill the burgers for 3 minutes on each side, or until the inside is no longer pink. Serve on whole grain buns topped with salsa, avocado and yogurt (instead of sour cream). Whole grain buns kick up the fiber content.

Per serving (burger only): 120 calories, 23 g protein, 1 g carbohydrates (0 g sugars), 2 g fat (1 g saturated), 40 mg cholesterol, 0 g fiber, 30 mg sodium

Learn More
More creative recipes the whole family will enjoy and tips on how to buy and store avocados are at www.theamazingavocado.com.