This is a quick and easy one for weeknights. It is a classic bodybuilder meal prep type of thing, but the toppings turn it into something awesome.
Kickass Burger Bowl
Ingredients
- lean ground meat beef, turkey, etc.
- 1 small onion chopped
- salt
- pepper
- onion powder
- rice
- lettuce, chopped
- tomato, chopped
- thousand island salad dressing
- shredded cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, cabbage slaw, or any burger toppings that you like
Instructions
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- Brown ground meat in a pan with chopped onion, garlic, salt, pepper and onion powder. Adjust the seasonings to your taste. Drain off any fat.
- Serve the ground meat over the rice. Top with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and whatever other burger toppings you like. Drizzle with Thousand Island.
Notes
Nutrition examples with various meat/ rice combinations:
6oz cooked 93/7 lean ground turkey
253 calories – 14 fat – 0 carbs – 30 protein
6oz cooked 90/10 lean ground beef
296 calories – 16 fat – 0 carbs – 37 protein
100g white rice
129 calories – 0 fat- 28 carbs – 3 protein
100g brown rice
112 calories – .5 fat – 24 carbs – 3 protein
Thousand Island (per tablespoon)
55 calories – 6 fat – 4 carbs – 0 protein
If you don’t have a rice cooker, they are pretty inexpensive now that everyone wants an instant pot. The rice turns out perfectly, every time.
That little bit of Thousand Island dressing really makes this. I would not attempt to pull off a burger bowl without it (though just some ketchup and mustard might be ok, too). If you want to make your own, it is a simple mix of mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, and onion.
The bottled versions also work just fine.
You don’t need to use a lot of dressing to give this a lot of flavor. In the photo above, I used just a tablespoon and it was just perfect.
If you are trying to shave off a few calories, a burger salad is just as good.
Is Brown Rice Healthier Than White Rice?
People have been told to eat unprocessed food because it is a simple, easy guideline that is usually beneficial. For this reason, some people mistakenly believe that brown rice is the ‘healthier’ choice for everyone, and that white rice is just empty calories.
Here is a side-by-side comparison:
Macronutrients and Fiber
Brown Rice is slightly higher in fiber (2g). The calories are typically equal to white rice, give or take a few grams. Some varieties have slightly more protein.
White Rice has slightly less fat (1g). The carbs are typically the same, or white can be slightly higher (2-3g).
The differences there are not significant.
Vitamins and Minerals
Brown Rice is richer in micronutrients including magnesium, selenium, calcium, and niacin.
However it also contains antinutrients, known as phytates. Phytates block the body from absorbing minerals like iron, and zinc, and calcium, and can actually leach nutrients from the body. This can spell severe bloating and digestive distress for some. Research has shown that it can also reduce protein digestibility and nitrogen balance.
That said, the general population and sedentary folk are often recommended to opt for brown rice.
White Rice is very easily digested. It replenishes glycogen stores quickly for athletes and makes readily available fuel for training. Enriched rice is replenished with many of the minerals that it lost during processing.
White rice might be a better fit if brown rice causes digestive issues, if you are an athlete, or if you just prefer it.
What About the Glycemic Index?
So in a nutshell – eat whichever you prefer and makes you feel the best.
Sources
Impact of phytic acid on nutrient bioaccessibility and antioxidant properties of dehusked rice
High variability suggests glycemic index is unreliable indicator of blood sugar response