A few more summer grilling days left so why not grill up a healthy soy-based veggie burger with some corn on the cob? Despite the bad rap soy has gotten in the press over the last few years, it is still a superfood in my book. Soy lowers cholesterol (albeit, modestly), is low in saturated fat and is a perfect ultra-lean source of protein that fits quite well into a heart-healthy diet, especially if it replaces fatty animal protein sources. Don’t forget to squeeze the burger into a 100% whole grain bun and spruce it up, nutrition-wise, by adding LOTS of dark leafy greens, tomato, avocado, grilled mushrooms and onions, etc. Look for natural sources of soy, like edamame, tempeh, soy milk or tofu. Just be sure to watch the amount of salt in your soy: some processed varieties like veggie burgers can contain lots of added sodium, which boosts blood pressure.

Grilled Veggie Burger with the Works

Yield: 1 serving

One vegetarian burger (I like the yummy Morningstar Farms “Grillers”)
1 light whole wheat hamburger bun (or whole wheat English muffin), toasted
½ cup spinach leaves
2 slices tomato
Grilled onions, garlic and mushrooms, optional
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, relish, sweet red peppers) as desired, optional

Preheat grill. Grill burger until cooked, according to package directions. Grill onions, garlic and mushrooms. (I like to slow cook the onions in a skillet for approximately 30 minutes so that they become caramelized.) Top burger with spinach, tomatoes, grilled onions, garlic and mushrooms and add condiments as desired.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 burger):
Calories: 317, Fat: 11 g, Cholesterol: 1 mg, Sodium: 594 mg,
Carbohydrate: 35 g, Dietary Fiber: 8 g, Sugars: 8 g, Protein: 23 g

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Recipe Source: An excerpt from the book Cholesterol Down. To learn more please visit CholesterolDownBook.com.