You want to eat healthier, but love your burgers and you think that burgers aren’t very healthy, therefore, you don’t eat them that often. Well, we want you to know how to make a healthy burger?
You can use leaner cuts of ground beef or choose chicken or turkey to make your healthy burger. You can also use alternatives for buns such as making a lettuce wrap or using portabella mushroom caps as your bun.
Use condiments lower in fat and sugar content. You can still maintain your calories and have a wonderful, juicy burger experience. Here is what you can do!
Choose the Right Meat
Most think of ground beef when thinking burgers. If you still want to go that route, you can use a higher lean to fat ratio than the traditional 80/20. You will have less fat, but maybe not as juicy a burger. How can you make a healthy burger? Well, there are things you can do to get that burger juicier:
- Add ingredients that will add moisture, such as tomato or barbeque sauce, mushrooms or onions. But not too much; you don’t want to end up with a meatloaf.
- You can also try using shredded carrots or zucchini for that added flavor and moisture. And bonus, you also get the increased healthiness factor from the veggies. Now that is a healthy burger!
- Be sure to mix the ingredients together lightly. You want to keep those air pockets in the meat fibers to keep from getting a dense burger.
Opt for using chicken or turkey as a leaner choice. These can also be a bit dry, but if cooked on a higher temperature at first and then lowering the temp and covering the skillet, you will get a juicier center.
Also, be sure to use the white meat rather than dark for both chicken and turkey so you keep the saturated fat and calories lower.
Think about the size of your burger patty. Don’t make a half-pound burger. A 4-ounce burger is plenty big enough especially if you are adding toppings.
Spice Up Your Burger
You can stay with seasoning your burger with salt and pepper, which you can never go wrong by doing so. But if you want to add some herbs or spices, go right ahead!
Try spices such as thyme or rosemary for a different taste to your meat. Try different spices according to the kinds of cuisine you like. For example, if you like Cajun cooking try Cajun seasoning or creole seasoning. If you like Italian, use basil or oregano. You get what we are saying. If there is a favorite spice when you cook your favorite cuisine, use it in or on your healthy burger.
What Healthy Toppings Can You Put on Your Burger?
Veggies, of course, are great additions to your burger of any kind of meat. Use traditional toppings such as tomatoes that are a source of antioxidants that help fight free radicals and they are also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin K.
Lettuce is a popular and healthy way to top your burger. Iceberg is the type that has the least amount of nutritional value, but varieties such as romaine and green leaf. Romaine is high in calcium, magnesium, and potassium, and is a good source of beta carotene that converts to Vitamin A that helps maintain the heart, kidneys, and helps the eyes.
Green leaf, also red leaf lettuce, is also a great source of Vitamin A.
Other healthy options are onions and peppers. To tone down their raw taste try sautéing them in a bit of extra virgin olive oil or roast them for that char-type flavor.
Are Condiments an Option for a Healthy Burger?
Condiments such as mustard, ketchup, and barbeque sauce can be choices for as they have a lower caloric content. But you have to be careful about the sugar content. Ketchup and BBQ sauce can be high in sugar so you may want to try something a bit lower in sugar.
Mustard, according to Healthline, has a history of being used for medicinal purposes. Mustard has helped in lowering blood sugar and is also a good source of nutrients. So check out the mustard – there are several varieties too!
Now if you like mayonnaise or mayo-based sauces you are going to get a higher caloric content and also high in fat.
Mayonnaise is loved because of its smooth, creamy texture. But as it is mostly oil, it is very high in fat and up to 100 calories in just a tablespoon. One thing it has going for it is that the fat is mostly unsaturated so you are at least getting the healthier fat.
Are There Healthy Cheese Options?
There are actually options for cheese on a burger that are healthy. Try Swiss cheese as it contains probiotic bacteria that are good for you. Goat cheese is another option as it is lower in calories than many other cheese choices.
Cheddar is another popular cheese used in making burgers. It is a good choice because it is low in lactose and a high calcium food.
You will also find that white cheese such as mozzarella and feta are those that are lower in saturated fat. We are rolling with these healthy burger options!
What About the Burger Bun?
We all want to have that great bun on our burgers – beef or poultry. But we know that using bread made of white flour is not good for you due to the processed flour and additives.
So what are the best types of buns or bread to use? You can give whole wheat a try with the higher fiber content. Sourdough is a nice choice as it has been shown to be easier to digest and has a low glycemic index. You can find out more information from Healthline here.
There are also completely different options for that burger “bun.” These are things like using lettuce as a bun. Make that burger a wrap by putting lettuce all around it – not just on the top!
Mushrooms anyone? Try using a portobello for your bun as they are large enough to cover the burger and are about the same size and thickness as a bun. With the added fiber you also get that fuller feeling.
If you don’t like the idea of using one of these different options, how about going just open face? Make your burger just as you would with a bun but lose the bun. There are many open-face sandwiches – why not an open-face burger?
Conclusion
You can enjoy a great burger any time in any fashion. If you are looking to go the route of less fat and lower sugars, then give some of these choices a try. Burgers are wonderful for family and friend get-togethers and you can serve any type of protein and topping choice. So you see, there are several methods as to how to make a healthy burger.
Let us know what you do to create your version of a healthy burger. We love to hear what you do!