Rustlers Burger Hacking Challenge!

I have looked in the shops at the Rustlers burgers before and never actually bought them, I like burgers but I like proper meat in my burger and not just the rubbish cuts.  Rustlers state that they use 'quality chicken' so I thought I would give this challenge a go.  We were challenged to add to the burger to make a balanced meal that is also fun and creative.

I found a great website that had some recipes listed for healthier sides (http://www.eatthis.com/healthy-side-dishes) so I used a couple but I also made them my own:

Mediterranean Salsa

This was so easy to do and had some healthy pulses and veg in there too.  I used a small can of chick peas, black olives, tomatoes, red onion, basil, feta and tossed it all in a swig of olive oil and lemon juice.  This went really well with the sweet potato fries.

Veggie Kebabs

My daughter loves these, because they are on a stick it somehow is really exciting!  She enjoyed helping me put the veggies on the stick and also eating them!  Another great way to make veggies fun and you can use anything you want.  We had courgettes, tomatoes, mushrooms and aubergines, sprayed them with some Fry Light and into the oven at 220degrees C for 15 minutes.  Really tasty and went really well with the burger.

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower

Again an easy dish and because hubby doesn’t normally like cauliflower I have to try and make it tasty!  Split out some florets, put them in a baking tray, spray them with some fry light and crush some garlic over them with grated parmesan.  Into the oven with the veggie kebabs.  Super tasty!

Finally we put some carrots, parsnips and sweet potatoes in the Actifry instead of chips, I am actually not that fussed over chips and my daughter is the same but she enjoyed all of these.

I think we created a really balanced meal as most of it was veggies and they had only had a small coating of oil, it also created a bit of fun with the kebabs which can be tailored to suit any taste. 

Rustlers Southern Fried Chicken Burger

The burgers were quick and easy, taking just 90 seconds in the microwave.   They are £2.50 for a Twin Pack, each burger is only small (140g) – about the same as a Mayo Chicken from McDonalds.  As I thought about this I thought I would compare how much ‘healthier’ the Rustlers burger was to a McDonalds as I expected it to be a healthier option.  I was surprised to find that the Rustler burger had 100 more calories, a gram more sugar, nearly a gram more salt, 0.6g more saturated fat but it did have a couple of grams more protein.  There is also nowhere on the Rustlers burger that states what type of chicken is used, the texture of the burger is quite lumpy and rubbery, they market the product as being quality chicken but it doesn’t actually state chicken breast anywhere and usually if it is it will be detailed as such, my idea of quality chicken is chicken breast.  McDonalds state their burger is Chicken Breast Meat and it has a lot better texture.   The burger coating on the Rustler doesn’t crisp up as it is only heated up in the microwave.  The taste of the southern fried chicken is good as some coatings can be a bit spicy and my daughter doesn't like that.  

We are a busy family yes however by the time you have done accompaniments to make the burger a balanced meal then it is not any quicker than cooking perhaps a chicken burger from frozen which will taste better, be crispy and you can find something made from 100% chicken breast.  These burgers are more for people like my husband who throws them in the microwave for a quick lunch at work.  I wouldn’t choose to feed them to my children again, they also work out expensive, if I buy two twin packs it is £5.  I could buy 4 (100% chicken breast) burgers from Tesco for £1.50 and 4 buns for 70p so a saving of £2.30 – which mounts up if you do that every week!  Our challenge stated ‘Rustlers provides a quick, convenient and affordable meal when mums need it most’ but I really can’t see that myself, it’s a quick, convenient ‘snack’ not a meal. 

This was a fun challenge it made me think about making mealtimes more fun, my daughter loves her veg so I don’t have to be that creative and this challenge made me be more creative and made dinner time fun.  I did want to love the burger but I just can’t see its place in a family meal, it still remains to me as a quick snack type lunch for someone at work or college.  Hubby has enjoyed taking the remaining burger to work for his lunch!  

Why don't you have a go at the Rustlers Burger Hacking Challenge, make yourself a quick meal! #RustlersHack

This post is an entry for BritMums Rustlers Burger Hacking Challenge, sponsored by Rustlers http://rustlersonline.com/