Burger, almost.

One of the most challenging things about eating healthy is being on the go. I'm lucky enough to work in a restaurant so I have access to a stove and a grill and an oven, but it still involves a lot of foresight to eat well. The dressings at the restaurant are made with canola oil (a big no no), so even having a salad at work involves some home prep. They're generous enough to give us a free meal after every shift, but free doesn't usually mean healthy and what's more important? I'm all for the occasional night out eating what is delicious and brings you joy, but when you are there every night eating french fries and fried chicken, the nutrient deficit and inflammation really add up! Most 20-somethings don't care about that stuff, because to them the free part is hella cool, but when you start noticing patches of weird skin on your body and getting a little soggy around the midsection, it's harder to ignore.

I love burgers! It's not always the case that you can count on places you go out to source ethically raised meat, so be mindful of this. Knowing about the dangers of commercially-raised meats has made me pay way more attention to the quality of the meat I purchase and eat, so for this version of a paleo "burger", I brought my own (grassfed organic) beef to the restaurant and cooked it on the grill. Eating food that's been grilled isn't ideal if you're doing it regularly because that cooking method creates carcinogens, but man, there's no flavor like it and once in awhile I think it's okay.

So where do you come in, you ask? Well, though I have all the kitchen gadgets at my disposal at work, this meal is totally doable for anyone! Want to have this for lunch at work? Everything can be pre-prepped at home (bring your salad dressing in its own little container, greens in another, and your pre-cooked burger patty and sweet potato fries) and just pop the things meant to be served warm in the microwave for a minute or two. I am definitely not a huge fan of microwaves, but I say this food that you put real effort into procuring good ingredients for and put together to bring for lunch is way better than whatever commercial bullshit is available for sale at a convenience store or restaurant. If the only heating apparatus available is a microwave, so be it. It couldn't do more harm than eating that stuff that passes for "food"!

Want a "real" burger (as in, with the bread) and still want to be healthy? Check out this post from June of 2016. It's really good, if I do say so myself :)

Here's an easy to follow recipe for the burger you see in today's photo!

For the burger patty:

4 oz ground beef
salt and pepper

Heat a cast iron skillet until hot. Form the meat into a patty using your hands, and salt/pepper one side. Place the salted side down in the hot pan, and salt/pepper the other side. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on how pink you like your burgers. Transfer to a plate or cutting board and allow to rest while you assemble your salad!

For the salad dressing:

1 Tbsp paleo mayo
2 Tbsp lemon juice

For the salad:

1 cup (ish) organic mixed greens
1/2 ripe avocado
1 roma tomato, chopped

Put all salad ingredients in a bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together the mayo and lemon juice. Pour over salad and mix well.

For the sweet potato fries:

1 small sweet potato, cut into "fry" shape
butter or beef tallow
salt and pepper

Turn oven to 400. Melt beef tallow or butter. Place fries on a sheet pan and pour the fat all over them. Season. Place in the oven for 10 minutes or so, depending on your desired level of doneness.