Buffalo Chickpea Burgers

Buffalo Chickpea Burgers are loaded with sautéed veggies, chickpeas and spicy buffalo flavor for a healthy but hearty meal!

This post was sponsored by Boston Scientific as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

I've always been a fan of veggie burgers and we eat them often in my household. I love experimenting with different kinds of homemade veggie burgers and came up with these Buffalo Chickpea Veggie Burgers that are super delicious and easy to make. A couple of years ago, I started loving anything buffalo flavored and this is no exception. They are filling, protein packed, vegetarian and delicious.

This heart-healthy recipe swaps chickpeas for meat for a burger that is lower in saturated fat and calories. As always, I used a whole-grain bun instead of a white bun for extra fiber and nutrients. I used whole-grain oats in the burgers instead of bread crumbs which are heart-healthy. I used low-sodium chickpeas for the recipe and didn't add any salt to the recipe (aside from the buffalo sauce) to keep things low in sodium. I also added some extra veggies in the burgers as well as topping the burger off with green leaf lettuce and juicy tomato slices.

I teamed up with the Cooking Cardiologist to share some information with you about Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). As a dietitian, I have worked with many patients with CAD both in my internship in the hospitals and for the last 6 years as a long-term care dietitian. The most common nutrition recommendations for those with CAD is reducing the amount of sodium and saturated fat in their diets.

Along with regular exercise and eating a healthy diet, you may be able to reduce your risk of CAD. Risk factors for CAD include older age, being a male, having a family history of CAD, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, physical inactivity and having high stress levels. CAD is the most common type of heart disease and the leading cause of death in the US for men and women. CAD occurs when blood vessels of the heart become narrow making it hard for blood to flow to the heart.

If you have CAD, it may be managed with lifestyle changes, medications and other treatment options. I love making heart-healthy swaps to my family's diet for heart disease prevention. To learn more about CAD and healthy cooking options, visit HeartHealthyBeats.com, a resource by Boston Scientific.

Check out this awesome recipe for a Flourless Chocolate Torte made with black beans and avocado and for more info about CAD from the Cooking Cardiologist: