For almost 30 years, the James Beard Foundations mission has been to educate, inspire, entertain and foster a deeper understanding of culinary culture. Together with the Mushroom Council, JBF has launched the Better Burger Project, a special menu promotion and nationwide contest and challenge going on through July 31st for restaurants to make a better burger by blending ground meat with finely chopped, cultivated mushrooms. By creating a healthier blended burger, they promote the addition of sustainable and plant-based items to menus allowing guests to enjoy the taste and flavor of the healthier burger.

Blending meat and mushrooms in a burger not only improves flavor, texture and juiciness, it also reduces calories, fat and sodium while adding necessary nutrients like vitamin D, potassium and B vitamins. Participants can add diced mushrooms at any ratio to their blend; even just a 25 to 50 percent addition has an incredible nutritional impact.

La Mar by Gaston Acurio

500 Brickell Key Drive, Miami, FL

La Mar by Gaston Acurio inside the Mandarin Oriental in Brickell Key delivered, and created a Quinoa Burger which sparred no flavor. Reading the ingredients which make up this vegetarian burger, one could easily mistake it for a nutritious salad. The burger is comprised of roasted squash, quinoa, beets, carrots, a special Peruvian pepper, confit onions, pickles, tomatoes, mushrooms, and topped with a rocotto aioli. With the burgers roster of wholesome ingredients, the richness of flavor may come as a rather shocking surprise. The patty itself remains remarkably intact, a feat managed by roasting the squash then drying it with quinoa (which has starch), holding it together. Chef Diego Oka adds mushrooms to the mix, creating less of a mushy feel and one which mimics the texture and feel of meat. The savory patty rests between two lightly toasted buns, adding the essential crunch needed to create the perfect burger. Okas inspiration for the burger was simple; noticing the trend in healthier eating, he sought to make a healthy burger which guests could enjoy guilt-free.

Read more about La Mar's Better Burger HERE.

Bulla Gastrobar

2500 Ponce De Leon Boulevard, Coral Gables, FL

Bullas better burger came in the form of three delicious sliders held within soft and fluffy homemade garlic herb bread. Oyster mushrooms are sautugarcanerawbargrill.com/" target="_blank">

Sugarcane's Better Burger is succulent and overflows with a concentrated and intense flavor driven by the house made Cremini mushroom and beef patty. Cremini mushrooms are similar to white mushrooms but with a firmer texture and deeper flavor, and are often referred to as baby bellas. The patty sits atop a bed of fresh bibb lettuce, sun dried tomato aioli and caramelized onions. This is topped with a lightly grilled bun with roasted rosemary. A side of crisp hot fries completes this delicious not-to-be-missed burger.