Simple Eats – Healthier Loco Moco

Ingredients:

Serving size: 3

• 1/2 cup zucchini, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder or 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• Black pepper to taste
• 1 packet low sodium gravy
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups brown (or hapa) rice, cooked
• 3 cups of vegetables, such as salad or cooked vegetables
• Green onions, sliced (optional garnish)

Directions:

1. Prepare the first three ingredients (zucchini, onion, garlic). Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring every so often.
3. Add the zucchini and garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute or two, until zucchini begins to soften. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. Once the cooked onion and zucchini are cooled, mix with ground beef in a bowl. Add black pepper, if desired.
5. Form mixture into 3 patties and refrigerate for about 1 hour. You can skip this step if you are pressed for time, but cooling the patty helps it stay together better when cooking)
6. In the meantime, prepare a salad or cook a melody of vegetables to serve on the side.
7. Prepare gravy by following instructions on packet.
8. Once patties are cool to touch, heat a pan with oil and cook patties (about 4-5 minutes on each side).
9. Cook eggs, sunny side up or over easy.
10. Assemble plates with a bed of rice, a patty and an egg, topped off with gravy. Garnish with green onions, if desired. Serve with a side of vegetables.

Doesn’t that sound delicious?! Give it a try and let us know what you think.

The American Heart Association even provided us with the nutrition information per serving for this dish. Check it out:

• Calories 480
• Total Fat 14.0g
• Saturated Fat 4.0g
• Trans fat 0.0g
• Cholesterol 235mg
• Sodium 550mg
• Carbohydrates 58g
• Fiber 4g
• Total Sugars 2g
• Protein 29g