5 Favorite Veggie Burgers for Lunch

You don't have to be a vegetarian to eat veggie burgers. These easy, healthy, low-fat and low-calorie freezer essentials are filled with protein. Although making your own fresh veggie burgers would be the best alternative, time is so precious that often a woman may need a quick lunch that takes a minute or two to grab, rather than 30 minutes or more to prepare. That's where the veggie burger comes in.

I've heard people complain about the taste or texture of veggie burgers, and in my opinion they often just haven't found the right one for their tastes. There are so many different varieties today you don't have to settle for a tasteless, tough soy disk. 

I personally love veggie burgers, and find they can be used in many ways, from the traditional burger style to topping a salad to thrown in a tortilla shell.

Here are 5 favorite veggie burgers to try:

1. Morning Star Farms Black Bean: This slightly spicy, protein rich veg burger has Mexican-inspired flavors, making it delicious on toasted bread with cheddar cheese and tomato, crumbled in a taco salad, or used for tacos.

2. Morning Star Farms Tomato Basil: This faux burger has a pizza-ype flavor - perfect with mozzarella cheese. 

3. Morning Star Farms Garden Veggie: This is perfect substitute for a traditional burger, top with lots of veggies and serve on light bread for a filling, healthy lunch. 

4. Boca Essentials Breakfast Scramble: This doesn't have to be for breakfast. A hearty veggie burger with just a bit of zip in the flavoring. 

5. Gardenburger Portabella: If you like mushrooms, you'll love this flavorful veggie burger choice. 

5. Season's Choice Veggie Burger (available at Aldi's): I love this one because it has a fresh taste, and unlike some veggie burgers, doesn't try to 'hide' the veggies. You'll see chunks of broccoli and peas that make it obvious this a a veggie lover's burger. Perfect with whole grain bread and light mayo.

Quick and Easy Chicken Sandwich

This is a simple, delicious lunch recipe that is also very quick to make. The trick to this is that it uses leftover chicken. I typically use chicken from an Italian chicken (Chicken breasts baked in homemade Italian dressing)  or Ranch-Rosemary chicken recipe (I use this Allrecipes Ranch-Rosemary Chicken Kebobs recipe, but just reduce the sugar and bake with chicken breasts in the oven) that I've made for dinner the night before.

Ingredients:

1. Two slices light whole grain bread
2. About a tablespoon of Hellmann's low-fat olive oil  mayo
3. About 3/4 of a chicken breast
4. Lettuce, tomato, spinach, or other condiments as desired

For the sandwich:
1. Toast the bread  -- lightly -- then spread the mayo and add condiments. The toasted bread may not sound like a big deal, but it makes a huge difference in the taste of the sandwich.
2.Slice the chicken breast.
3. If you're packing the chicken in advance, place it on cold, or heat it up in the microwave for about 20 seconds if you prefer and it's an option at lunch time. Enjoy!
4. Have with fresh veggies and a yummy, healthy dip like Bolthouse Farms Avacodo Cilantro dressing.