burning more than calories

I'm usually not one to count calories, but this past week I've been using the My Plate App on my phone to log all the food I eat (and all the exercise I do) to calculate my net caloric intake each day, with a breakdown by meal and by nutrients in my diet. By writing down everything I eat, that in itself deters me from snacking extra and eating one more of this/one more of that. It has made me a little more conscious of serving sizes and how many calories certain foods really have.

On top of this, in my AP Psych class this week we've started learning about motivation and emotion, and one major topic in the chapter is eating and hunger. For this week (coincidentally the same week I started logging my food for myself), our homework assignment is to document what we eat (not as focused on how much and what ingredients) and when, where, why, and how we eat it. From our data, we will asses whether or not we demonstrate the facts of psychology of eating and social norms of our culture when it comes to food.

We have yet to rip apart our eating habits in class, but for my own benefit I've looked at what I eat and most of my "why" responses are that I'm hungry, rather than just because I'm bored, sad, distracted, etc. It's something important to think about when eating.. Why are you eating? If it's not because you're hungry, maybe you can hold off for a bit. And just a fun fact: not only does an empty stomach make us hungry, but a hormone called ghrelin, produced in the gut, acts as a hunger hormone that sends hunger signals to the brain which makes you hungry.

This afternoon when both my stomach and brain were in sync and signalling hunger to me, I decided to make my own type of veggie burger. Although I'm not a vegetarian, veggie burgers are one of my favorite meals. With pita for flat bread, I always seem to pile my burger high with salsa, avocado, Sriracha, greens, cheese, etc. It becomes really filling and packed with seemingly endless nutrients.

My chipotle black bean burger was a perfect lunch that left me feeling full but not bloated, and really mimicked an actual burger in its texture. Spicy and bursting with a Mexican flavor, the burgers made my house smell like Mexico while providing me with plenty of protein to keep me full all afternoon (and keep me from munching on snacks that I know I don't need).

The only thing missing... was a side of sweet potatoes. Beans and sweet potatoes go great together, and I had been heating up half a sweet potato for myself. Turns out I got so caught up in the burger making though, that the sweet potato burned and my kitchen filled with smoke a smell of burnt food. Unfortunately, the smell overpowered the smell of Mexico, but I'm glad I caught the sweet potato before it turned to disaster.

Here's what you'll need:
yields 4 burgers
1-15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup chunky salsa
2 baby red peppers
3/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (I used Chipotle flavored)
1 egg white

1. In a food processor, add half the black beans, onion, garlic, and cumin. Pulse until smooth.

2. Chop peppers into small 1cm cubes. Remove mixture and add to a bowl with remaining beans, salsa, peppers, bread crumbs, and egg white. Mix well until all of the contents are wet and "glued" together by the egg.

3. Heat skillet and drizzle with oil. Shape a fourth of the bean mixture into a patty and cook each patty for 3-4 minutes on each size, or until firm and golden brown. (I was still experimenting and left my for a little too long, so one side got a bit burnt - goes along with today's theme I suppose).

4. [Optional!] Add your favorite burger toppings to a piece of whole wheat bread and enjoy! I toasted half a Pepperidge Farm Whole Wheat Deli Flat, smeared a bit of whole grain mustard on the toast, added a bed of spinach, and topped with avocado and Sriracha for a perfect open-faced burger!