Turkey and avocado burgers

Turkey mince is versatile and a lighter alternative to beef

I made burgers last week, which I hadn’t done for a long time. I’m sure they’ll be on the menu a lot this summer – they’re perfect for prepping in advance, great for feeding a crowd and mince is easily one of the best-value ways to include meat in our diets. As with all meat, I aim to buy the best quality mince I can afford. I usually go for leaner options to avoid too much saturated fat in my diet.

What’s great about mince is that it is so versatile. You’ve got a choice of pretty much all meats, and I’ve noticed that a lot of supermarkets now stock chicken mince, which is brilliant for a lighter summer burger (you could happily swap it for turkey in the recipe here). Then you can add all sorts of extras for completely different flavour profiles. Bulk it

Mince is one of the best-value ways to include meat in our diets

out with a can of lentils (great with beef) or cooked quinoa (perfect with lamb). You can add grated vegetables such as carrot and courgette, or even grated apple, to boost your five a day, as well as all sorts of spices and herbs. It’s a great opportunity to make use of your store cupboard.

My useful tip if you are making burgers is to grate your onions on the coarse side of a box grater. You’ll find they incorporate much more easily into the mixture. Sometimes, too, if I’m entertaining, I fry off a little of the mixture before shaping it. It’s an extra bit of prep and washing up, but I think it’s worth it to get the seasoning just right.