After making my first batch of these Mega-protein turkey burgers, I immediately took one to my colleague and to a mate for "taste testing." They were freaking out! My colleague said, "NO WAY!" There's no way these are your low-fat diet -- they taste too good!" My friend had a similar reaction: "Mmmmm, too good… feels like I'm cheating..."

Well guess what… these are not cheat foods - these are Ben Kelly Approved! The idea that healthy fat-burning, muscle-building foods have to taste bad or bland is totally false, so put that out of your mind. If you really want to have some fun with your friends and family, when you serve them some of these "TNT burgers," tell them that the "secret ingredient" is Jack Daniels!

I'll explain about the "secret ingredient" in just a minute. First you start out with a pound (454 grams) of ground turkey. Lean ground turkey is a very overlooked, underutilized protein source. If you select the 99% lean variety, it's extremely high in protein and almost fat free. All too often, dieters and bodybuilders complain about eating nothing but tuna, chicken and egg whites for protein, while there are so many delicious ground turkey recipes! I can give this recipe a highly respectable B+ Burn The Fat grade, but I give these mega protein turkey burgers an A+ for flavor. I'm not kidding -- these are delicious!

"Each one of these burgers packs a whopping 32.5 grams of protein..."

Many burger recipes, whether tuna, salmon, beef or ground turkey, call for bread crumbs in order to make a tastier, more solid burger. After shopping in numerous supermarkets and health food stores, I couldn't find any bread crumbs that were 100% whole grain. Most commercial bread crumbs are made from white flour, or enriched (not whole) wheat, and or they contain other calorie-containing ingredients or flavorings (like oil or Italian seasonings, etc). One brand I found said it was "all natural" wheat. However, if you read the ingredients list carefully, it did not say 100% whole grain, it said whole wheat flour. This is not whole grain. Whole grain foods contain all parts of the grain kernel including the bran, the germ and the endosperm.

The only way you can be 100% certain you're getting a whole grain is if the label says, 100% whole grain! It's not the end of the world should you ever eat wheat products and they're not 100% whole grain, but the whole grain is the better choice. So what are you supposed to do for bread crumbs? Simple, do what Tom does: toast some 100% whole grain bread and crumble it! Or, in this case, if you need finer particles, use crumbled shredded wheat -- it works great -- and it's 100% whole wheat.

A cup (40g) of shredded wheat, contains 140 calories, 31 grams of natural carbs, 5 grams of fiber and only 1 gram of fat. There's your perfect alternative to packaged bread crumbs. By the way, burgers can also be made with oatmeal instead of bread crumbs, but they tend to come out a littler drier, and one of the things that's so nice about these TNT burgers is the way they come out so moist, tender and juicy.

The celery adds a really nice crunch -- definitely a must use ingredient. You can puree your celery and onion with a food processor, (but just until it's finely chopped, don't liquefy), or you can dice them very finely with a sharp knife. For spices, add garlic powder, parsley flakes, pepper and a little pinch of salt.

By the way, salt is a controversial subject in health and nutrition. According to health lecturer Paul Chek, salt comes in two forms -- refined and natural -- and he says, "There is a big difference between typical refined white table salt sold at the grocery store and unrefined sea salt." Refined salts, according to Chek, may undergo processing and may contain aluminum based anti-caking agents, so he recommends natural sea salt (like Celtic or New Zealand), if you use salt.

Also keep in mind, 10% of the population is sodium sensitive and this can lead to an increase in blood pressure with high sodium consumption. If you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure and told by your doctor to limit salt, then take a pass on the shaker, and also pass on the soy sauce too, which is extremely high in sodium. On that note, a natural alternative to regular soy sauce is "Braggs liquid amino acids." Sounds like a protein supplement, but it's not -- it's an all purpose seasoning almost the same as soy sauce, not low in sodium by any means, but the difference is, this product does not contain artificial ingredients and does not use genetically modified (GM) soybeans.

Last but not least… the secret ingredient… Jack Daniels! Jack Daniels brand Horseradish mustard, that is. Two tablespoons and you're golden. Any spicy mustard would probably work here if you can't find J.D. but trust me, you don't want to leave out "the secret ingredient."

I like to cook my burgers on a George Foreman Grill (a must-own appliance for every fat-burning and muscle building kitchen). Just 4-5 minutes and they're ready to eat!

Each one of these burgers packs a whopping 32.5 grams of protein and only 11.5 grams of carbs. With only 189 calories per patty, you could easily have two of these for a mega-high protein (65 g), low carb meal.

Or, if you need more carbs, serve one burger on a whole grain bun or between 2 slices of whole grain bread and top it with lettuce and tomato. Bodybuilders -- two burgers with whole wheat buns will have you "gaining mass" in no time.

Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Author, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle
www.burnthefat.com

"eatclean-staylean" - BK

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If you've never tried a garbanzo bean salad, then you don't know what you're missing. Also known as "chickpeas", garbanzo beans are heart-healthy legumes that pack a whopping 12.5 grams of fiber per cup. The rest of the salad is loaded with nutrient-rich "super foods" ideal for muscle-building and fat-burning diets. When you factor in the quick prep time, the nutritional value and the incredible flavor, we give this "Burn The Fat Recipe" our highest nutrition grade possible: A+

Garbanzo Beans - A Super Food

Garbanzo beans, also known as "chickpeas," belong to a class of starchy carbohydrates known as legumes. Other well-known legumes include beans, peas and lentils, although garbanzo beans are the most widely consumed legume in the world. Not only do garbanzo beans make for some great salads, they are also heart-healthy and they pack a whopping 12.5 grams of fiber per cup.

With this much going for them, garbanzo beans could easily qualify as a "super food" and if you're not including them in your nutrition program, you're definitely missing out (especially once you learn how to make this salad).

There are more variations on garbanzo bean salads than you can count, but out of all the traditional recipes I looked at and tested, this one is my favorite. One reason, of course, is because it tastes so good, another is because it's easy to make and doesn't require cooking, but another is because this recipe is loaded with numerous superfoods.

Although this salad could easily be made with any type of lettuce or salad greens, I was surprised to see that hardly any cookbooks suggest garbanzo bean salad with spinach. Spinach is a nutritional powerhouse -- another bona fide superfood -- low in calories and loaded with vitamins and phytochemicals such as lutein.

But why stop there? Add tomatoes (yet another superfood) and the cancer-fighting members of the allium family -- garlic and onions -- and you have a multiple-superfood bonanza!

You could easily leave out the tuna and enjoy this recipe as a side salad (with a lean protein in your main course), but by adding the tuna into this salad as a lean protein source, you create a full-fledged muscle-building, fat-burning meal unto itself.

Adding spinach makes this a "multi-superfood salad!"

Albacore Tuna has unfortunately, been flagged as a fish to eat in limited quantities due to potential mercury contamination, which is a real shame. However, recent advisories have suggested that the chunk light variety contains 1/3 the amount of mercury as albacore and it's still ok to eat tuna provided you stay informed of FDA and EPA guidelines for consumption (especially for pregnant and nursing women and infants/young children).

Alternately, this salad would probably work just as well with canned salmon -- or you could even try it with chicken or turkey breast. Tuna is simply the most natural fit with these ingredients.

Keep in mind that while this is one of the most nutritionally rich salads you could ever eat, it is not a low calorie meal as compared to salads that contain only fibrous carbs, so keep your portion sizes in check. Garbanzo beans are a starchy carbohydrate, so the caloric density is relatively high (420 calories in one 15-ounce can; the standard size). Also keep in mind that while olive oil is a healthy monounsaturated oil, rich in healthy phenol antioxidants, all oil is calorie dense, with 120 calories per tablespoon. (By the way, be sure to go with the "extra virgin olive oil" because that's the type that has not been processed with heat and chemical solvents)

The amount of ingredients listed above makes three servings with just under 400 calories per serving. Share with family or friends, or put the leftovers in the refrigerator and serve later -- it's delicious chilled. The best part is this recipe requires no cooking and is about as easy as it gets to prepare. If you use canned garbanzo beans, it takes about 15 minutes to make. You could certainly use dried, uncooked garbanzos, but then your prep time will be much longer (for soaking and cooking the beans).

Although there are quite a few ingredients, we still give this one our super simple seal of approval and without a doubt it gets our highest nutrition grade possible: A+

BK's Recipe Rating

Burn The Fat Grade:	A+
Portable Food:	No
Cooking Difficulty Level:	Easy
Time required:	15 minutes Prep, 0 minutes Cooking
BK Fatburner Approval:	Check!
Kitchen Dummy Seal of Approval:	Check!

Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Author, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle
www.burnthefat.com

"eatclean-staylean" - BK

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Who Doesn't Love a Good Hamburger? Well, vegetarians of course, but even vegetarians eat Veggie burgers! This recipe, however, is all about the real beef, done the lean and healthy way. Learn how to make this authentic Greek burger with lean Feta cheese. Enjoy this muscle building meal that requires minimal preparation and cooking!

"eatclean-staylean" - BK

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Did you eat a great breakfast today that has left you feeling like a mill all day? Or did you eat the typical donuts, refined flour bagels, and coffee of the average person? Or worse yet, did you not eat any breakfast at all?

I just have a quickie meal idea that I thought I'd share that has worked wonders for me and some of my clients in the past.

If you've ever noticed, the most common breakfasts for a lot of fitness models, bodybuilders, and athletes many times revolve around some form of oatmeal and some form of eggs. I have no problem with either as both are great nutrient-rich foods and I consume both at breaky:

• 0.5 cup oatmeal,
• 0.5 cup Ezekiel,
• 12 egg whites,
• cinnamon and stevia)

But I have a quick way to make that oatmeal 10X richer in nutrition with more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber than just your regular bowl of oatmeal. Here's how I improve upon it, and make “BK’s Super Oatmeal”...

There you go... simple, and a killer breakfast to start the day off right with high nutrient density, a good macronutrient balance, tons of antioxidants... you'll be on your way to a high energy and fat burning day!

Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Author, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle
www.burnthefat.com

"eatclean-staylean" - BK

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Salmon is one of the best sources for healthy omega-3 fatty acids in Mother Nature’s kitchen and these “quick and easy salmon burgers” are a phenomenal combination of flavour and healthy eating. With an impressive nutritional profile and multiple “super foods” in this recipe, you’ll be preparing these tasty burgers often.

FYI: These burgers contain 10 grams of fat per burger, so anyone who is still “fat phobic” might shy away at first. But remember, the fat in salmon is the good kind. If you compare brands of canned salmon you will see that many contain 15-20 grams of fat per can, while others contain only 2-3 grams per can. Although the calories are a little higher, you definitely want to go for the higher fat variety because salmon happens to be one of the best sources of the epa and dha omega 3-fatty acids. The list of benefits for these omega 3-fats could go on for pages, but lest suffice to say that it’s good healthy stuff. Get on it!

Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Author, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle
www.burnthefat.com

"eatclean-staylean" - BK

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Here is a special edition of an American classic that clocks in at a preparation speed of five minutes or less!

Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Author, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle
www.burnthefat.com

"eatclean-staylean" - BK

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