Kate Lyman Nutrition

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MACRO-FRIENDLY BURGER AND SWEET POTATO FRIES WITH COOKING TIPS

Jilda Lamb

Fulfilling a craving for a burger and fries while staying goal-aligned on any old day can be a tall order, and while we fully believe in the occasional untracked meal out, why not have the best of both worlds at home? Our tips to make your lean beef burgers juicy and sweet potato fries crispy are sure to impress you and your family!

AIR FRYER SWEET POTATO FRIES

PREP TIME: 45 minutes || COOK TIME:  12 minutes || MAKES: 3 servings

WHAT YOU NEED:

  • 500g sweet potatoes, peeled

  • 8g cornstarch or arrowroot starch (1-½ tbsp if measured)

  • 14g cooking oil of choice

  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper

  • ¼ tsp paprika

  • Salt to taste

NOTES:

  • I know this looks like more ingredients and steps than usual, but that’s the key to these crispy, delicious non-fried fries! Be VERY thorough in your following of this recipe! The less aligned your process, the less crispy your fries will be. These are by no means going to compare to a restaurant’s deep-fried counterpart, but are certainly an upgrade from basic roasting!

WHAT TO DO:

  1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into long, roughly ¼-inch thick spears (ideally evenly sized for a consistent air fry).

  2. Fill a large mixing bowl with cold tap water and ice. Add the raw sweet potato spears and allow them to soak for 30-60 minutes. The longer they soak, the more starch will rinse off of them, which lends itself to a crispier fry!

  3. Once done soaking, drain the sweet potato spears and dry extremely well.

  4. Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees.

  5. In a large bowl, toss the dry sweet potato spears with cornstarch or arrowroot starch, pepper, and paprika until evenly coated and you cannot see the cornstarch any longer. Note: DO NOT add the salt at this time! Salt will pull moisture from the sweet potatoes and result in a less crispy fry.

  6. Evenly space out sweet potato spears in your air fryer basket, ensuring that none are touching (or else they will steam). You will likely need to cook in 2-3 batches depending on the size of your air fryer.

  7. Air fry for 12 minutes, flipping each fry halfway through. You are looking for a golden brown hue. Cooking times may vary depending on your air fryer, so watch closely towards the end.

  8. When the fries are done cooking, transfer them from the air fryer basket to a wire cooling rack with tongs, spacing them evenly once more to continue crisping. Wait 5 minutes, salt to taste, then wait another 5 minutes before serving.

GIVE IT A TRY:

  • Feel free to incorporate other seasonings and garnishes as you desire! 

MACROS PER 80g SERVING: 3.5P/5F/39C

You can find the recipe in the MyFitnessPal database by searching “KLN Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries ”. 

JUICY BACON CHEESEBURGER PATTIES

PREP TIME:  10 minutes || COOK TIME: 20 minutes || Makes 3 servings


WHAT YOU NEED:

  • 1lb 96/4 ground beef

  • 150g yellow onion, minced or grated

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • ½ tbsp salt

  • 1 tsp black pepper

  • ½ tbsp garlic powder

  • 3 slices center cut bacon

  • 3 slices low-fat cheddar cheese

NOTES:

  • Putting a thumbprint divet in the middle of your burger patties will keep them from puffing up a ton like burgers can!

  • Due to the baking soda, you’ll notice that the burgers brown differently than you may be used to. Don’t worry! They’ll taste great! Baking soda is key to keeping the beef from drying out, allowing a juicy and more flavorful burger even with a leaner ground beef!

WHAT TO DO:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, minced onion, and baking soda. Mix well.

  2. Form 3 evenly weighted patties with the mixture.

  3. Preheat grill to medium-high. Once preheated, place patties on the grill and cook until desired doneness, roughly 18-20 minutes, flipping regularly.

  4. At the very end, place 1 slice of cheese on each patty, turn off heat, and close the top of the grill to melt. Plate and set aside to rest.

  5. While burgers rest, pan fry bacon until desired doneness, roughly 5-8 minutes, flipping regularly.

  6. Add 1 slice of bacon to each cheeseburger patty on the bun or wrap of choice.

MACROS PER SERVING: 39P/11F/7C

You can find the recipe in the MyFitnessPal database by searching “KLN Juicy Lean Bacon Cheeseburger Patties”.

Find more macro-friendly recipes here or grab our free cookbook Everyday Macros here for simple and streamlined meal prep recipes and ideas.