Start with this basic burger mixture and try some variations listed below:

Basic Lean Beef Burgers

Makes 4 burgers

1 lb extra-lean ground beef (also called 95/5 or 5%)
¼ c Meijer Italian or plain bread crumbs
1 Meijer egg white
¼ t salt
⅛ t black pepper
4 whole wheat hamburger buns, split
Toppings: lettuce leaves, tomato slices

1. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg white, salt, and pepper in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Lightly shape into four ½ -inch thick patties.
2. Place patties on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 11 to 13 minutes to medium (160°F) doneness (until no longer pink in center and juices show no pink color), turning occasionally.
3. Line bottom of each bun with lettuce and tomato, if desired; top with burger. Close sandwiches.

Per serving: 270 calories; 8 g fat (3 g saturated fat; 3 g monounsaturated fat), 24 g carbohydrate; 3.6 g fiber

Adapted from The Healthy Beef Cookbook, Wiley, 2006

Burger Variations:

Salsa Burgers : Add 2 T Meijer salsa into burger mixture. Top burgers with salsa and guacamole.

Rueben Burgers : Serve burgers on Meijer rye bread and top burgers with sauerkraut, sauteed onion, reduced fat 2% milk Swiss cheese and Meijer Fat Free Thousand Island dressing.

Onion Burgers: Add ½ envelope Meijer dry onion-soup mix and 1 T chopped garlic to burger mixture in place of salt and pepper. Serve on toasted Meijer Bakery French Bread and top with sautéed onions and reduced fat 2% milk Monterey Jack cheese slices.

Pineapple Burgers: Add ½ c Meijer barbecue sauce to burger mixture and baste with Meijer teriyaki sauce while grilling. Top burgers with Meijer sliced pineapple.

Asian Burgers: Add in 2 T Meijer soy sauce and 1 t minced fresh gingerroot. Serve with shredded Napa cabbage, bell pepper strips, and bean sprouts.

Mushroom Burgers: Add 1 c chopped mushrooms, ½ c reduced fat 2% milk mozzarella cheese, ¼ c fresh chopped basil, and 1 t fresh thyme. Serve on Meijer Bakery Focaccia bread and sprinkle with reduced fat 2% milk cheddar cheese.

Creole Burgers: Add 2 t Cajun seasoning to the burger mixture. In a small bowl, blend

⅓ c chopped onion, ⅓ c chopped green pepper, and ⅓ c reduced fat 2% milk shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Spoon 1/4 cup of cheese mixture into the centers of patties.

Grilled Angel Food Cake with Fresh Summer Fruit Salad

Serves 8

1 Meijer Bakery angel food cake

1 c chopped cantaloupe or honeydew melon

1 c chopped strawberries

½ c blueberries

1 c raspberries

¼ c Meijer sugar or Splenda

2 T lime juice

1 T chopped fresh mint

1. In a medium bowl, combine fruit, sugar, lime juice, and mint. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours before serving.
2. P reheat grill to medium heat. Slice cake in half horizontally and place, cut side down, on grill 6" from heat.
3. Grill for 30-60 seconds or until light golden brown. Carefully turn cake and grill on second side for 30-60 seconds until light golden brown. Cut cake into 8 pieces and top with fruit salsa.

Grilled Corn Salad

Serves 12

4 fresh ears of corn

½ c Meijer fat free Italian salad dressing

2 c fresh spinach, shredded

1 c orange bell pepper, chopped

2 c grape tomatoes, halved

2 t fresh basil, chopped

2 T Meijer grated reduced fat Parmesan cheese

1. Remove husks and silks from corn. Brush with some of the salad dressing. Grill on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender; turning often. (Or place in a shallow baking pan; bake in a 425 degree F oven for 30 minutes, turning once.) When corn is cool enough to handle, cut kernels from cobs (you should have about 2 cups kernels).
2. In a large bowl, combine corn kernels, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, and basil. Add remaining salad dressing; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Question: I have celiac disease and am allergic to wheat, rye, barley and possibly oats. Do you have food and recipes for me?

Answer: You have come to the right place! We have a variety of resources to help you.

On the main page of our Meijer Healthy Living website at www.meijerhealthyliving.com, we have a list of national brand items that are gluten free, a list of Meijer brand items that are gluten free and a list of resources to help you. Once you are on the main page of our website, scroll down and look on the left-hand side for the heading “Allergen Information”. The lists and resources are underneath this heading. The Meijer Brand Allergen List contains a list of Meijer brand items that are gluten free and contains other allergen information on Meijer brand products. The “GF Products” link takes you to the list of national brand products that are available in our stores that are gluten free. The “GF Resources” link takes you to a variety of resources including books, cookbooks, websites and organizations. These resources can provide you with gluten free recipes.

Question: What is acai? Is it good for you?

Answer: The acai berry has gained a lot of attention lately because it is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, oleic acid and potassium. Some people refer to it as the “power berry” because of its nutritional contents. This dark purple grape-size fruit grows on the acai palm and is native to the tropical areas of Central and South America.

This berry is only available in juice form because the pulp of the acai berry is extremely delicate. Juice from the acai berry can count as a serving of fruit, however, keep in mind that the Dietary Guidelines recommend getting most of your fruit servings from whole fruit rather than fruit juice to get fiber.

Source: American Dietetic Association