No one will miss the meat when you serve The Incredible Veggie Burger from No Meat Athlete by Matt Frazier. Don’t have all of the ingredients on hand? No worries! There’s a formula that will help you make substitutions.
No Meat Athlete
Although I do exercise every day, I’m pretty far from being an athlete. I do sometimes work with runners and workout enthusiast in my health coaching business, though. So, I like to keep myself knowledgeable when it comes to nutrition for people who are very active. And fortunately, I have Matt Frazier’s book No Meat Athlete to help me with that.
Matt Frazier originally wrote No Meat Athlete in 2013 with some help from Matthew Ruscigno. A lot can change in five years, so they’ve recently revised and expanded it. This new edition includes new recipes, advice, and an all-new 12-week strength training plan designed to improve your overall fitness.
No Meat Athlete is many books in one
No Meat Athlete is helpful on many levels. The book starts with plant-based nutrition for athletes, including the philosophy behind eating plant-based and how to get started eating this way. Useful tips for creating healthy habits that will stick are included for those who might find this new way of eating to be challenging.
There’s also an in-depth guide to plant-based nutrition for sports, which explains macronutrients, micronutrients, and what the best foods for fuel are. That pesky protein question is also answered, and there’s a handy plant-based protein chart.
Because food is the most important component to being a no meat athlete, there’s a quick-start guide to cooking delicious and nutritious meals that the whole family will love. And of course, recipes are included.
The second section of the book is devoted entirely to running. Matt explains how you learn to love running and how to make it a habit. Training techniques are included along with tips on how to prepare for a race and a 12-week strength plan.
If you’re active and are concerned about getting enough nutrients on a vegan diet, or if you want to start exercising and aren’t sure how to start, No Meat Athlete is the book for you!
- 2 tablespoons (28 ml) plus 2 teaspoons oil, divided
- ½ cup (80 g) chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups diced veggies
- 1 can (15½ ounces, 440 g) or 1½ cups cooked beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) liquid flavor
- 4 teaspoons spice
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt (omit or reduce if liquid or spices contain salt)
- 1 cup dry base ingredient
- ½ cup texture ingredient
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, and veggies until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a food processor and pulse with the beans, liquid flavor, spice(s), and salt until combined but still chunky. Pulse in the dry base and texture ingredients. Form into golf ball size balls and flatten into patties.
- Heat 2 tablespoons (28 ml) oil over medium-high heat in a large pan. Sauté the patties in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side until browned and heated through.
Suggestions to Create Your Own Veggie Burger
For each component of The Incredible Veggie Burger Formula on the previous page, choose one or a combination of suggested ingredients below (or try one we haven’t thought of!).
Recommended oils or alternatives (2 tablespoons [28 ml] plus 2 teaspoons)
- Olive
- Grapeseed
- Coconut
- Vegetable broth or water
Recommended diced veggies (2 cups)
- Carrots (260 g)
- Celery (200 g)
- Mushrooms (140 g)
- Chopped spinach (60 g)
- Chopped kale (134 g)
- Corn (300 g)
- Chopped canned artichokes (600 g)
- Zucchini (240 g)
- Yellow squash (240 g)
Recommended beans (15 1/2 ounces, or 440 g can or 1 1/2 cups cooked)
- White beans (269 g)
- Black beans (258 g)
- Pinto beans (257 g)
- Chickpeas (246 g)
- Adzuki beans (345 g)
- Lentils (396 g)
Recommended liquid flavor ingredients (3 tablespoons total; a combination is usually best)
- Mustard (33 g)
- Ketchup (45 g)
- Soy sauce (45 ml)
- Teriyaki sauce (45 ml)
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce (45 ml)
- Vegan buffalo sauce (48 g)
- Balsamic vinegar (45 ml)
- Salsa (49 g)
- Pasta sauce (46 g)
- Water (45 ml)
- Liquid smoke (45 ml)
Recommended spices (4 teaspoons total; a combination is usually best)
- Smoked paprika (10 g)
- Cumin (10 g)
- Chili powder (10.4 g)
- Italian seasoning (8 g)
- Poultry seasoning (6 g)
- Montreal (steak) seasoning (8.3 g)
- Black pepper (8 g)
- Cayenne pepper (7.2 g)
- Fennel seeds (8 g)
- Oregano, fresh (5.2 g) or dried (4 g)
- Curry powder (8 g)
Recommended dry base ingredients (1 cup)
- Buckwheat flour (120 g)
- Unsweetened protein powder (128 g)
- Bread crumbs (115 g)
- Cornmeal (140 g)
- Oatmeal (80 g)
Recommended texture ingredients (1/2 cup)
- Finely chopped walnuts (60 g)
- Chopped olives (50 g)
- Avocado cubes (73 g)
- Sundried tomatoes (not oil-packed) (28 g)
- Leftover cooked rice, quinoa, or other grain or pseudograin (165 to 185 g)
- Fresh parsley, cilantro, or basil (20 to 30 g)
Example: classic sliders
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 1/2 ounces, or 440 g) or 1 1/2 cups (258 g) cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup (80 g) chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup (70 g) mushrooms, rough-chopped
- 1/2 cup (50 g) celery, rough-chopped
- 1/2 cup (75 g) green pepper, rough-chopped
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) ketchup
- 1 tablespoon (11 g) mustard
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce or vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 3 teaspoons (6 g) Montreal steak seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup (115 g) panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup (60 g) walnuts, finely chopped
Follow recipe directions for The Incredible Veggie Burger Formula above using these ingredients.
Yield: about 18 small patties (5–6 dinner-sized servings)
