Australian Mountain Bike

Black Bean Burger

- WORDS AND PHOTO: DR KAREN HILL

One cause I am passionate about is the Nutrition Australia Try for 5 campaign that is run each year, encouragin­g Australian­s to eat more vegetables (only 4% of Australian­s eat 5 serves of veggies per day). This year there was an emphasis on small changes for big gains. This recipe is dedicated to eating more veggies and these burgers are also super quick to make and perfect to refuel after those long days riding in the high country.

W H AT ’ S G R E A T A B O U T T H E M ?

Black beans (or turtle beans) fall under the legume category and are inexpensiv­e to buy and often referred to as the ‘poor man’s food’. But what they lack in price point is made up for in nutrient value (who said eating healthy is expensive?). They are packed with protein, fibre, B-vitamins, iron, folate, magnesium, potassium, antioxidan­ts and phytonutri­ents. The coloured beans also contain the highest amount of polyphenol­s, of which the black beans are the darkest and therefore have a very high amount of polyphenol­s. Black beans are also one of the highest sources of plant fibre next to lentils. This high fibre content helps to lower cholestero­l and control blood sugar.

Team this burger patty with your favourite bread or bread roll and salad. Finish with some sweet potato chips or white potato (whatever takes your fancy) and you have the complete rainbow on your plate. The best part is everything can be cooked on the BBQ so less dishes to wash, you will be adding 2-3 serves of veggies to your day and having a meat free meal. That is winning all round in my books. Enjoy!

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