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Bread Crumb Alternative / Binding Agent


NYC Adam

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Good morning all.  I've gotten into food processing all sorts of veggies and making burgers by adding a little egg and baking or frying them however they are not staying together in a patty because I am obviously not using breadcrumbs.  Any thoughts on what to add to keep them a little more firm?

Thank you in advance -

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1 hour ago, NYC Adam said:

Good morning all.  I've gotten into food processing all sorts of veggies and making burgers by adding a little egg and baking or frying them however they are not staying together in a patty because I am obviously not using breadcrumbs.  Any thoughts on what to add to keep them a little more firm?

Thank you in advance -

What do people use as an alternative to breadcrumbs in meatballs and meatloaves? 

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Nothing... I throw an egg in with the meat of any loaf/meatball/burger and use a bit of force to make the patty... altho granted, i don't bbq thhe burgers, I bake them in my oven so by the time it's time to move them, the egg has bound them.

This discussion has already been had multiple times on this forum, so try googling 'whole30 breadcrumb replacement' or other similar search terms and you should get a few threads with good info.

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I make meatballs and don't use any sort of binder, I don't think I even put egg in the last time. They have always stayed together for me so I am not sure what to tell you. You might try almond flour or maybe crushed pork rinds (not sure if this would be considered compliant or not). I also bake them so that might be the difference

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On 3/23/2017 at 11:47 AM, Babsie95 said:

I make meatballs and don't use any sort of binder, I don't think I even put egg in the last time. They have always stayed together for me so I am not sure what to tell you. You might try almond flour or maybe crushed pork rinds (not sure if this would be considered compliant or not). I also bake them so that might be the difference

Pork rinds, while a good idea (EPIC makes some really yummy ones for when you're not on a Whole30) they're deep fried, so that makes 'em a no-go. Good thinking outside the box, though!

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On 3/23/2017 at 9:52 AM, NYC Adam said:

Good morning all.  I've gotten into food processing all sorts of veggies and making burgers by adding a little egg and baking or frying them however they are not staying together in a patty because I am obviously not using breadcrumbs.  Any thoughts on what to add to keep them a little more firm?

Thank you in advance -

Sounds like you are making veggie burgers, yes?    Might want to add a little more egg, especially the whites.  If you make homemade mayo,  chances are you'll have some egg whites left over, the whites can be stored in the fridge for a few days or frozen.   

Flaxseed meal can be a binding agent as well.    But be wary.   The recommendation is to use nuts and seeds sparingly, and its easy to pour a not-so-sparing portion of flaxseed meal in to a recipe when trying to bind it up.   Also, flaxseed meal is often marketed as having amazing amounts of omega3's.  However, much ilke Chia seeds, they are full of the Omega3 acids that the body does not really use (ALA).    The Omega3s that are valuable to our diet are EPA and DHA. 

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How about arrowroot starch?  I made zucchini tortillas the other day (because I could not look at another bowl of cauliflower rice) and they called for a mix of arrowroot starch and coconut flour.

Be careful with it, though - it's a fine line between firm and rubber.

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38 minutes ago, Toralora said:

How about arrowroot starch?  I made zucchini tortillas the other day (because I could not look at another bowl of cauliflower rice) and they called for a mix of arrowroot starch and coconut flour.

Be careful with it, though - it's a fine line between firm and rubber.

Zucchini tortillas in the way you're describing them as something that you mix alternate flours with to make a compliant baked good are not compliant.

  • Do not consume baked goods, junk foods, or treats with “approved” ingredients. Recreating or buying sweets, treats, and foods-with-no-brakes (even if the ingredients are technically compliant) is totally missing the point of the Whole30, and will compromise your life-changing results. These are the same foods that got you into health-trouble in the first place—and a pancake is still a pancake, even if it’s made with coconut flour.

Some specific foods that fall under this rule include: pancakes, waffles, bread, tortillas, biscuits, muffins, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, pizza crust, cereal, or ice cream. No commercially-prepared chips (potato, tortilla, plantain, etc.) or French fries either. However, this list is not limited strictly to these items—there may be other foods that you find are not psychologically healthy for your Whole30. Use your best judgment with those foods that aren’t on this list, but that you suspect are not helping you change your habits or break those cravings. Our mantra: When in doubt, leave it out. It’s only 30 days.

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On 3/23/2017 at 9:52 AM, NYC Adam said:

Thank you ALL for your input - please keep it coming.  I have been shying away from carbs as much as possible too but might add a potato to the mix because it's a veggie carb and also will try a small amount of almond flour and report back!!!  keep the ideas coming and again, many thanks.

 

 

Good morning all.  I've gotten into food processing all sorts of veggies and making burgers by adding a little egg and baking or frying them however they are not staying together in a patty because I am obviously not using breadcrumbs.  Any thoughts on what to add to keep them a little more firm?

Thank you in advance -

What do people use as an alternative to breadcrumbs in meatballs and meatloaves? 

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1 minute ago, NYC Adam said:

What do people use as an alternative to breadcrumbs in meatballs and meatloaves? 

See @kirkor's post above. Egg is the binder. Any kind of crumb is just a filler. I've never used a breadcrumb alternative in meat loaves, burger patties or meat balls, even pre Whole30.

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I use coconut milk powder in items like this.  It's kinda expensive, about $40 bucks for a canister but it works well.  You could always add some some finely shredded white pototoes, too.  We like potato burgers/meatloaf. 

Ooo, those are nut-crusted chicken breasts in my avatar. 

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35 minutes ago, MeadowLily said:

I use coconut milk powder in items like this.  It's kinda expensive, about $40 bucks for a canister but it works well.  You could always add some some finely shredded white pototoes, too.  We like potato burgers/meatloaf. 

Ooo, those are nut-crusted chicken breasts in my avatar. 

I'm a newbie so forgive me but I thought we couldn't eat potatoes, just sweet potatoes?

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There are choices and consequences. Don't think of it as cheating. Read up on the rules and recommendations, proceed with whole foods mostly, it's the processed foods that mess folks up.  Restaurants and food chains where anyone can say anything about what's really going on back in the kitchen,:ph34r: tell you whatever you want to hear. ;) We know a local joint where the servers pride themselves on swirling their fingers around in your drinks, throwing the food on the floor and flopping it back on the plate. Secrets of the trade for asking waaay too many  questions. :P

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