Healthy, Meatless, Kosher

  Dr. Praeger's California Veggie Burger

With the new year, there is usually a promise we make to ourselves to get fit, to change our eating habits – at least for awhile – and adopt a more healthful approach to the foods we eat and the life we live. Fortunately, there are several very good eating choices available, and one product line that we especially like is Dr. Praeger's.

And "Yes Virginia...there really is a Dr. Praeger." Cardiac Surgeon Peter Praeger is the Dr. Praeger of  Dr. Praeger's products.  Along with his medical partner, Dr. Eric Somberg, they founded Dr. Praeger's Sensible Foods. The company is located in Elmwood, New Jersey and  produces an assortment of healthful, all natural products including soy based items such as meatless burgers, chickenless patties, veggie burgers and vegetable pancakes.

Dr. Praeger believes that a balanced life style, which includes exercise and eating sensibly, are key elements to staying healthy. His involvement with the food industry started when he operated on an injured man. "As a Cardiac Surgeon, I am concerned that my patients maintain sensible diet habits as part of their ongoing cardiac care. Working with the family of a former patient in the food business, I set out to create great foods that are both low in cholesterol and saturated fats, and are free of preservatives and artificial ingredients."

Dr. Praeger's products are certified OU parve and kosher. They are easy to prepare – just pop into the oven or under the broiler, and in minutes you have a healthy, guilt–free meal.

We will admit it – one of our favorites are the Chickenless Patties. They are very good and taste almost like the real thing. We made a Chickenless Parmigiana by broiling the frozen patties for five minutes on each side,  placing the broiled patties into a small baking dish, covering the tops with prepared spaghetti sauce, some grated mozzarella cheese, and baking it at 350 degrees until the cheese melted and the sauce was hot (about 15 minutes).

We also like the California Veggie Burgers - a combination of eleven different vegetables and spices to remind you just how tasty your daily veggies can be. A great choice for lunch or dinner.

Be good to yourself – eat healthfully all year long. A good start is to keep a supply of Dr. Praeger's in your freezer – we try!

Take a look at the following two recipes that use Dr. Praeger's Chickenless Patties and California Veggie Burgers; hard to believe they are healthy and do not contain meat:
•  Chickenless Parmigiana Panini’s 
•  Broiled Red Snapper with Lemon-Asparagus Veggie Toss

The newest Dr. Praeger's product is Potato Crusted Tilapia Fillets. They  won the award for Best New Meat, Seafood or Poultry Product at Kosherfest 2010.  We haven't sampled them yet but look forward to trying them.

Dr. Praeger has a blog, Sensible Dish, that features sensible lifestyle ideas in an effort to educate readers and inspire them to improve their overall health and well–being. It also addresses specific needs one might have, whether it’s eating kosher, eating a diet to address a certain disease or looking for new ways to put a nutritious meal on the table.

For additional product information or where to purchase, please visit DrPraegers.com.

January 9, 2011