Over the last few years the foods that are considered healthy have changed a bit. Opinions go back and forth about how good certain foods are for you. Many times carbs are seen as the enemy but carbs give you energy, so you still need them in your life. There are times when you may want to cut down on some simple carbs and how I do this is via Alternative Burger Buns. I love to eat burgers but I don’t always want the huge bun that comes with it. Instead of giving up burgers I wanted to see how else I could get the bun effect.
The majority of the time when I make burgers I use mushroom buns. I bake large mushrooms in the oven at 180C for 20 minutes and that is all you need to do. The mushrooms hold together nicely but they can hold quite a bit of moisture, however this does add to the messy burger experience.
If you love tomato in your burger why not try tomato slices as your bun. I like to use the top and bottom of a big beef tomato and even though it can be harder to bite through than a mushroom bun it can another layer of texture and keep the burger even lighter. Using any slices of the tomato can be done but I find it’s just too messy to deal with.
If you can find a big enough sweet potato you can slice it up horizontally and create delicous potato buns. You can add any seasoning you like to the sweet potatoes but a good base is just to drizzle it with a bit of oil and a sprinkle of salt. Even though the sweet potato is less like a bun than other options the sweetness creates an additional flavour that goes will with beef and does give the softness of a bun. The tatse can be quite overwhelming so it is a good option only if you love sweet potatoes.
As a final idea lets go for a warp instead of a bun and the best non carb version of a wrap is lettuce. One leaf of lettuce can create the perfect holder for all your ingredients.The iceberg is great for a big burger however if you want more of an asian twist cut up the meat and use little gem lettuce to create some bulgogi wraps. I find the bulgogi method great for a light lunch or even a starter.
What ever you choose I hope you like your next burger.