Power Foods Friday - Jalapeno Cheddar Turkey Burgers

When you think about a distance runner's diet, the thing that usually comes to mind is the base of the food pyramid.  You know, the tier with the breads, cereals, and grains.  It's all about the carbohydrates!  Right?  Wrong!

While proper intake of carbohydrates its a very important aspect of fueling any endurance athlete, an equally important (yet often ignored) aspect is the adequate consumption of protein!  Protein (found in meat, eggs, cheese, and beans to name a few) is the piece of the nutrition puzzle that re-builds muscle after a tough workout, so I've been making an extra effort to include it in my diet lately.

We received a huge response to Pam's Black Bean Burgers last week, so I decided to grill up another burger recipe that eliminates the carbs, cuts the fat, and focuses all on the protein!

INGREDIENTS:
-20 oz lean ground turkey
-3 jalapenos seeded and chopped (about 1/3 cup)
-3/4 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese
-1 tsp salt

-Lettuce
-Tomato
-Avocado

Remove the seeds and stems from 3 jalapenos and finely chopped the peppers.  In a large bowl combine the ground turkey, the chopped jalapenos, the shredded cheese, and the tsp of salt.  Use a wooden spoon to mix all of the ingredients until well combined, then form the mixture into 4 patties.

I cooked my burgers on a George Foreman grill for 6 minutes.  If you don't have a Foreman, cook them on an outdoor grill or the stove top for about 5 minutes per side.  Poke the center of the burger with a knife to check if the burgers are done.  The juices will run clear when they are cooked through.

I served these turkey burgers for lunch so I decided to keep things a little bit lighter.  Instead of sandwiching them on a buttery bun, I topped them with some mashed avocado and a slice of tomato, then wrapped them in a leaf of Romaine lettuce.

These bad boys are so packed with flavor, that I promise you won't miss the extra fat or carbs that often crank up the calorie count on a good burger.

Jalapeno Cheddar Burgers are the perfect way to power up after your next work out!

XOXO,
Tall and Small