May 13 is National Hummus Day. I celebrated last weekend with my Spicy Vegan Hummus Cornbread. I’m continuing the celebration this weekend thanks to Sabra Hummus company’s never-ending abundance of flavors!

(I bought some more. I don’t want the hummus celebration to end!)

These Greek-Style Turkey Patties are an homage to the many countries that consume hummus. These Mediterranean countries share an even greater common eating pattern, and it’s become a nutritional trend worldwide. This Mediterranean Diet is a composite diet of the 16+ countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Their diets are high in healthy fats, low in red meats, and focused on fruits, vegetables, and healthy grains. The Mediterranean diet is special because its health benefits focus on the entire eating pattern, rather than one specific nutrient.

Some of the key factors of the Mediterranean Diet include:

• Eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains with every meal
• Consuming beans, nuts, seeds, and legumes
• Using herbs and spices to flavor foods, lowering the need for salt
• Having the majority of your fats as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive oil and hummus
• Having fish as your main source of protein, with rare consumption of red meats, and casual consumption of lean proteins like poultry
• Eating dairy products in moderate amounts, such as cheese and yogurt
• Eliminating most sweets besides fruits
• Drinking wine daily
• Consuming water as the main beverage
• Eating in moderation, and conducting physical activity daily

When I think of a proper diet, most of those factors come to mind anyway. In fact, many of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans mimic this eating style. The Mediterranean Diet has been studied for its beneficial effects of lowering cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer rates in humans. This is associated with a high intake of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, healthy fats, and lean proteins. Hummus is a wonderful plant-based protein made from chick peas that’s rich in all these nutritional requirements, and therefore fits perfectly into this eating pattern.

Associate this recipe to a healthier you. Take the lessons learned from this blog post, and put them in your cooking. You may be surprised how nutrient-rich your diet becomes. Happy National Hummus Day!

Greek-Style Turkey Patties

• Servings: 9
• Time: 45mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• 1 pound 99% lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup ground old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/3 cup Sabra’s Roasted Garlic Hummus
• 1 Tbsp fresh oregano
• 1 Tbsp fresh dill
• 1/2 tsp fresh mint
• 1/2 tsp dried cumin
• black pepper as desired
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• Whole grain pita and olives (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. In a food processor, blend the oats into a fine texture, like breadcrumbs. Pour them into a large bowl.
3. Place the onions, oregano, dill, and mint. Make sure it is only pulsed until they’re diced. Add them to the large bowl.
4. Add the ground turkey, Roasted Garlic Hummus, cumin, salt, pepper, and feta cheese to the bowl.
5. Mix all the ingredients until they are just combined.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape the mixture into 9 patties.
7. Place the burgers in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until cooked through.
8. Serve with whole grain pita, extra Sabra Hummus, and enjoy!