With the summer heat on full blast, I've been avoiding the oven. Enter these BBQ Burgers & Pasta Salad! You can grill the burgers and enjoy chilled pasta salad as a yummy side. Best of all, this meal is macro-friendly, dairy-free and gluten-free! Serve with juicy watermelon or corn on the cob for the ultimate summer dinner.
Did you know? Grass fed beef has a 2:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, compared to 8:1 for conventional beef (source). This means that grass fed beef has a better anti-inflammatory ratio than conventional beef. This study acknowledges that "they typical American diet tends to contain 11 to 30 times more omega -6 fatty acids than omega -3, a phenomenon that has been hypothesized as a significant factor in the rising rate of inflammatory disorders in the United States." Yikes!
Choosing the best beef
Besides choosing grass-fed, I also look for organic and animal-welfare approved if I can find it. The organic label certifies that the beef were fed organic feed, had access to forage, and were not administered growth hormones or antibiotics. Animal-welfare approved means that the cattle were raised with pasture access their entire lives with humane transport and slaughter practices. Grass-fed is the minimum, though!
I also look for lean ground beef (90% or less) to keep my intake of total fat and saturated fat under the recommended amounts.
Choosing the best pasta
This recipe does rely on the pasta for some added protein. In order to accomplish this, you can use Barilla Protein Plus elbows (recommended), Banza elbows (can get mushy after a couple days), or your favorite gluten-free pasta.
Of course, if you don't need gluten-free any macaroni pasta will work!
Creamy pasta salad
The pasta salad does call for light mayo, but you can use Paleo, organic, or olive oil mayonnaise if you prefer. One thing I do look for is expeller-pressed canola oil with olive oil or avocado oil for more omega-3's. Expeller-pressed means the oil was not extracted using hexane or other chemicals.
As far as the veggies go, you can use whatever you like! I went with broccoli, peppers, red onion and olives for a colorful blend that keeps well.
I hope you enjoy these BBQ Burgers & Pasta Salad as much as we did! Please rate and comment below if you try it :)
This post contains affiliate links and recipe was developed in collaboration with Metabolic Nutrition.
These BBQ Burgers & Pasta Salad are perfect for summer meal prep. You can grill the burgers and enjoy chilled pasta salad as a yummy side. Best of all, this meal is macro-friendly, dairy-free and gluten-free!
8 oz. gluten-free macaroni (like Barilla protein plus)
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced olives
1/2 cup light mayonnaise (I used Hellman's)
1 tbsp. white vinegar (or cider vinegar)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1 tsp. sweetener (or sugar)
Directions
Start boiling water for the pasta.
Boil pasta for 7-9 minutes until al dente. Add broccoli florets in the last minute of cooking. Quickly drain pasta and broccoli then rinse with cold water.
Add chopped pepper, red onion, and olives to pasta.
Combine mayo, vinegar, black pepper, salt, and sweetener then toss with pasta and vegetables. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the burgers. Form into 6 patties.
Place patties on a hot grill or in a hot skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 5-6 minutes on the first side, and 5-6 minutes on the second side until medium-well. Brush with a little more BBQ sauce (about 1 tsp. per burger) while they finish cooking. Set aside on a plate.
Divide chilled pasta and burgers between six meal prep containers.
Sealed containers will keep in the fridge up to one week. If reheating, reheat the burger separately then serve with cold salad.
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