{grass-fed} buffalo nuggets

wanna know what all the body-rockin’ fitness competitors eat when prepping for a show?  (btw, who says no to that?!?)  check out this healthy, low carb, high protein snack that anyone with tastebuds (except a vegetarian?) is sure to love!

mooooove over beef.  hellooooo bison!
my favorite red meat, hands down…
i mean, how can this lil guy not be your favorite!?!
(okay… now dissociate immediately or you might be ruined for life!)

these lil bison nuggets are easily my most-loved meal of the day while whippin’ my body into shape for bikini season… but i guess that’s not too difficult when you’re up against tilapia and asparagus! haha!

seriously though, bison meat is awesome.  i’ll give you a little inside scoop on why:

1. excellent source of iron, zinc, and b-vitamins, including vitamin b12 and niacin.
2. lower in fat than beef because of the natural muscle structure of bison.
3. treating bison with growth hormones is illegal… so no growth hormones or antibiotics in the meat!
4. bison are (mostly) grass-fed which creates a leaner meat with higher concentration of omega-3 fats! (there are exceptions to this, as with anything, so always check the label to be sure.)

these little nuggets are 2 oz each which is perfect for lots of reasons:

1. they’re snackable… some people have issues with thinking of a burger as a “snack”.  but i promise you’ll be getting so much more nutrition outta these than cheese and crackers!  two little 2 ounce “nuggets” just seem more manageable for some reason… i totally get that.  i actually love these as a bed-time snack… i know it sounds weird, but its the perfect amount of protein and healthy fat to keep your metabolism revved up all night long!  burgers before bed… try it!
2. they’re kid-friendly… have issues with feeding your children this?? (omgross)  yeah, i’ll take the bison.
3. no buns needed… it’s easy to go low-carb and skip out on a bun when they don’t even make burger buns in that size… that is, unless you’re making:
4. sliders!… fancy up the sliders at your next get-together/game-day party with some bison meat!  yummm!!
5. portion control… you decide how hungry you are and how many nuggets you want… don’t let an over-sized burger determine how much you eat for you.  (maybe it’s just me, but it’s hard to say no to the last few bites of a delicious burger when you’re already full!)
6. they cook quick!  you really don’t even need a grill… this little cast-iron grill pan works great!  prep a bunch for the whole week!
7. easy lunch…or dinner…or snack…or appetizer… the only thing i left out was breakfast.  bison & eggs?? who knows, try it out!

this last reason has nothing to do with the size… but they’re totally man-friendly too… i used to think a burger was a burger.  haha!  when i found out my good friend’s husband was completely appalled at the idea of eating burger made out of poultry, i was determined to change his mind. (…and i did, once he tried these yummy turkey burgers!)  i guarantee any manly-man will be all over some bison meat though!  no convincing required… it just sounds tough. :)

speaking of tough… when making burgers with lean bison meat, make sure not to overcook them!  bison cooks faster than beef because it’s not as high in fat… but if you cook it too long the low fat content can cause the meat to get a little tough.  medium rare is my favorite, but i don’t really recommend cooking these past medium.

i kept it easy-peesy and seasoned these with a little mccormick’s ‘grill mates’ worcestershire pub burger seasoning… it’s sooooo good!  but you could easily substitute it for some worcestershire sauce, fresh-cracked peppercorns, a little garlic and dried onion sprinkled on top each one!

i get my ground bison meat at costco (of course!) where it runs about $7.00/lb (ish).