Black Bean Burgers For Dinner

OK, I have to announce I am officially down 17 pounds 8 ounces as of this morning. This is a huge deal because when I first had little guy, my weight plummeted down pretty well. I wasn't eating anything just sleeping all the time in pj's and I had tons of work to do to get the breastfeeding on track . . . . round the clock. It was a very dark time in my life to say in the least. Anywho, I was told by the LC's, my mother, and my doctors that if I wanted my body to produce the milk that was needed to feed this baby I had to eat and eat well. That was normally not a problem but with a new baby and a strict lactation program it wasn't easy. I ate and I ate well and I actually got back up within 11 pounds of my full pregnancy weight, but on the bright side the milk was a flowin'!! I graduated from the lactation department's program last year on this date. So I was going to bake a pan of brownies for the LC's, Beth was my saviour but all the LC's were top notch.

On with my story. The weight that I plummeted to was 28 pounds below my full pregnancy weight (I put on 54 total . . . . oink). So today I am actually 29 pounds below my full pregnancy weight. I only have 25 to go to be back at my weight at conception. When I conceived I was still higher than I am happy to be at but I will take it if this whole eating thing continues to go well.

Tonight for dinner I made Morningstar's Black Bean Burgers. I have been researching that soy is not very good for you unless it's fermented so I have been trying my darndest to not each too much of the unfermented stuff. These burgers do have soy in them but I would love dearly to make my own black bean patties one day soon. Until then I thought I'd give the store-bought ones a whirl. They have black beans, corn, and I saw a few pieces of barley in the crumbles on my plate. These are a little salty but have a southwestern flavor. They are high in protein, fiber and potassium. They are low in calories, fat, cholesterol, carbs, & sugar. I would buy them again but my only dislike is that they were a little too salty. I actually cut one in half and ate in a wheat pita leftover from the falafel. I then added fresh onions, tomatoes, & lettuce and a smidgen of ranch dressing. Yes it is a "burger" but with the southwestern flavor I thought it would taste better than ketchup, etc. I also figured that eating it in a wheat pita I would avoid bleached flours and as many carbs as a hamburger bun. On the box front they serve with a bit of salsa and cheese, lettuce & onions on a regular bun. Maybe I'll try that next time. They tout 74% less fat than ground beef and 12 grams of protein on the front of the box. I would recommend them but not for an all the time thing because of the saltiness.

I just checked out some vegetarian and vegan cookbooks from the library. I get really tired of salads and "low fat" recipes. Many of the dish's I find in these cookbooks are low fat naturally, I'd rather cook that way. I plan on purchasing a food processor and a juicer too in the next few weeks. I am finding more and more things to make with a food processor these days with my new healthy eating/diet regimen. I plan to post some new healthy recipes in the near future. I am looking for a cookbook that specializes in bean and lentil cooking. If anyone out there knows of one please leave me a comment. As always, if you find or try a great & healthy recipe of any kind please e-mail me or paste into a comment box. Thanks!