Turkey Burger Lettuce Wraps

CHEESEBURGERS OCCUPY 99% OF MY THOUGHTS. All day long. I’m at work…cheeseburgers. I’m teaching a class and someone mentions lunch…cheeseburgers. Someone mentions the color yellow…cheese…cheeseburgers. Someone mentions reading…cheeseburgers. It does not have to be remotely relevant, but somehow my mind finds a way to get to cheeseburger.

Thank you, little human growing in my belly, for forcing me to crave cheeseburgers every second of the day. And I’m not talking like gourmet, nice, fancy cheeseburgers. I’m talking greasy, cheap, fast-food burgers. All day erryday. THE STRUGGLE…it’s real. It’s reeaaallll.

In my desire to resist my fast food cravings and fuel my body with healthy food for me and the baby, this recipe was created. It has a different feel than a fast food cheeseburger (obvi), but it still soothes my cheeseburger-needing soul. And, if my brain will think logically for three minutes, it tastes better, too. The lettuce is crisp and fresh, the burger is juicy and flavorful, the onions are sharp, and the avocado is creamy and rich. A squeeze of lime juice over the top for an extra layer of flavor is the perfect ending to the perfect recipe.

So if you are craving a greasy, fast food cheeseburger (MY LIFFEEE), resist and make this instead. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll feel AW-esome.

SO – burger lettuce wraps. It’s a relatively popular idea which has been tried and tested by many, including myself. But there are always a few consistent issues: 1. the lettuce gets a little bit limp and soggy under the hot patty, and 2. (the larger issue) the burger is round, the lettuce leaf is thin and long. The result? The burger only covers a small portion of the lettuce leaf, and then what do you do with the rest? I’ve tried folding it around the patty, I’ve tried breaking the leaf in half and using it as a “bun” of sorts, but nothing seems to work perfectly, and it’s always slightly awkward to eat.

NEVER FEAR. I have two solutions to give you the most perfect burger lettuce wraps that you’ll ever lay your lovely eyes upon, friends.

1. Use two lettuce leaves instead of one. Not only does this fix the “limp lettuce” issue (because it amps up the heartiness), it also gives you a wider area to work with. Two lettuce leaves are a must, people. Not to mention you are getting more crunchy, fresh, lettuc-y goodness, which is always a win.
2. Cut the patty into slices before adding it to the burger. Tastes the exact same, but works SO much better, is WAY less of a mess and WAY easier to eat, and it looks neater too 😉. This way you can layer the slices down the leaf instead of just sticking the whole burger right at the front.

Those tips will make your lettuce burger life awesome, yo. Embrace the cheeseburger life and go hard, but go hard with this healthy version instead! Your body will thank you for it 👍.

Want to know what happened to me the other day?!

I felt the baby kick for the first time 😀😬👏!!!! I have been waiting for this to happen for about a week now because my app alerted me that week 17 is sometimes the week that women feel their babies move for the first time. It’s definitely not the “WAM” kicks you get later, but they call it “quickening,” and it’s really subtle.

Because of how subtle I knew it would be, every tiny little thing and feeling made me stop…”Wait, was that a kick? Was it??”

But I was never sure. And now that I actually felt it, I know those little crampy feelings that I was wondering about before weren’t actually anything (other than my stomach trying to urge me to eat another cheeseburger). This definitely wasn’t a little cramp that made me wonder; this one was very clear! The best way for me to describe it is that it felt like a little popcorn kernel popping. But it wasn’t quite as…poppy…? Words and me today aren’t friends.

It felt like popcorn popping, but more subtle and more of a push. Like a pocorn kernel popped a little less suddenly and just lightly pushed against the inside of my stomach. Again…apologies for the awful description. But it was definitely there! And I felt it several times. And have felt it a few times since. Still very, very subtle and easy to miss, but if I focus on it I can feel it every now and then.

Seriously so cool!

For my 21 Day Fix people, here are your container amounts (per serving):

• 1 green (lettuce and onions)
• 1 red (ground turkey)
• 1 blue (avocado)
• 1 teaspoon (olive oil or coconut oil)

*The spices and lime juice are “free”*

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Nutrition info is for one turkey burger lettuce wrap.

If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries!

In the mood for more burger recipes? Check these out:

Southwest Burgerdilla

Guacamole Turkey Burgers [21 Day Fix]

Salmon Burgers with Dill Caper Yogurt sauce