How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

Chopping up meat and cooking it for dinner is an ancient idea that spans many cultures: kebabs [Jordan], Pojarski cutlets [Russia], rissoles [France], Frikadelle [Germany] — to name a few. In the USA, as early as 1844, a beef patty was called a Hamburger Steak, after the German city of Hamburg whence came good quality beef. In 1885, Charlie Nagreen was selling what he called ‘hamburgers’ at the Outagamie County [Wisconsin] Fair.  Frank and Charles Menches of Ohio also claimed to have invented and named the hamburger in 1885, at the Erie County Fair in Hamburg, New York. They had been selling pork patties between slices of bread, but substituted beef when they ran out of pork. The family of Oscar Weber Bilby claims that he began serving beef burgers on his wife’s yeasted buns in 1891, near Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1921, the White Castle hamburger chain was opened, the first of its kind. Today of course, burgers on a bun are the most ubiquitous fast food, with McDonald’s selling almost 6.5 million burgers every single day around the world. As veganism became popular, and people worried about beef cattle affecting the environment, beef was replaced by the bean burger, and lately, the soy-based ‘Impossible’ burgers. Hamburgers can be made of a variety of meats, from beef to venison to bison. Hamburgers can be poor in nutrition or good for you, depending on the quality of the meat and the preparation. It is Summer, and burgers are probably on your grill. Eat wisely.

Burgers can be enjoyed at dinner, or lunch, or at breakfast. For several months in the 1960s, my father ate a lean hamburger patty for breakfast everyday. I can’t remember if he was trying to loose weight or lower his cholesterol… I think it didn’t work. Do not bother trying it. But do try these yummy burgers at your next opportunity.

Black Bean Burger Breakfast: 252 calories… 7.6 g fat… 9 g fiber… 14 g protein… 36 g carbs… 331 mg Calcium… NB: the food values given are for the plated items only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Bean burgers have long been the province of vegans, and they were the poor cousin of real burgers. Try these and see if you change your mind. Black beans are very healthy, but don’t let that put you off. These burgers will star at dinner with a bun and toppings, or at breakfast with fresh fruit. Mark Bittman is the source of this recipe, and it is a winner.

++1 Black Bean Burger** ++++ 1/4 cup raspberries ++++ 1/2 c plain, low-fat yogurt++++ Optional:  5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++

Cook the burger in a heavy pan with cooking spray, 4 minutes on a side, and plate with the fruited yogurt.  TIP: prepare a batch of the burgers and freeze them uncooked for use at a future dinner or breakfast.

**Black Bean Burgers
13.3 oz by weight = 2 cups = 16 oz by volume	eight ¼-c burgers; four ½-c burgers; six 1/3-c burgers
¼ cup dried, stemless porcini mushrooms	Soak mushrooms in hot water 5-10 mins; roughly chop, put in food processor.
2 c cooked or 15 oz canned black beans++++2 cloves roughly chopped garlic++++2 tsp smoked paprika or chili powder+++++1 tsp ground cumin+++++1 T soy sauce+++++Salt and black pepper	Rinse and drain beans. Put all these in a food processor with the mushrooms, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Pulse until mixture is combined, not puréed.
¾ c rolled oats, or more if needed+++++++ Bean-cooking liquid or porcini soaking liquid	Add oats, and pulse to combine. If too thick, add liquid to thin to density of cookie dough.
¼ cup chopped cilantro/parsley/chives	Stir in cilantro, and let sit 5 mins.
	Form into patties [I made 6], chill in ‘frige.
Spritz the saute pan with olive oil	Spread oil across skillet set over med-low. Cook the number you need until crisp on one side, ~3 mins.
	Flip, cook until burgers are crisp, 3 mins.

Burger Bun Dinner: 305 calories…  8 g fat… 4 g fiber…  36.5 g protein… 22 g carbs… 143 mg Calcium…  PB The correct ingredients make it possible to have a hamburger in a bun and still be Fasting! Think Summer! 

++ one 4-oz bison burger ++++ ½ oz mushrooms ++++ 1 tsp curried catsup OR thin slice of fresh tomato   TIP: Slice the tomato 30 mins beforehand and salt it] ++++ one whole wheat slider bun [100 calories] – our favorite are Martin’s Potato Buns from Chambersburg, Pa, if you are lucky enough to find them ++++ ½ cup coleslaw 

In a cast iron or other heavy, non-stick skillet, put a healthy sprinkle of Kosher salt. Heat the pan over medium-low burner and add the bison burger. Cook 3-5 mins on one side, then the other. [You could grill it, but note that slow cooking is the key to tenderness. When red juices no longer come out, it is done. Center the burger on the slider bun, top with tomato/catsup and mushrooms. Plate with coleslaw.

<<<<<<<< Ingredients for next week >>>>>>>>> Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg + reduced fat ricotta cheese
white whole wheat flour + honey	Next week I will offer tips for beginning the Fasting
deglet noor date + Pear	Lifestyle. Look through the archives for your new
chicken breast meat + pine nuts	favorite breakfast.
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday:………………………….. single portion for Thursday:

6 felafel patties + lettuce
tomato ++ carrot	Next week I will offer tips for beginning the Fasting
beet + feta cheese	Lifestyle. Look through the archives for your new
olive oil + white wine vinegar	favorite dinner.
Sparkling water	Sparkling water