Are Burgers Healthy or Not? Let’s Find Out!

By - Nabtahil Noor

A burger is the favorite fast food of hundreds of thousands (If not millions) of people around the globe. Due to its popularity, almost every fast food restaurant has it on its menu. But it is also such fast food that people question the most.

The question we often get are- Are burgers healthy?

The burgers you eat are definitely unhealthy for you. There are fats, Ketchup containing sugar, and buns that are not good for health as they can cause severe health complications like obesity, high cholesterol levels, and diabetes.

However, don’t be sad as we are also describing the ways to make the burgers more healthy. So, continue reading if you are a fan of burgers!

Are Burgers Healthy To Eat? 

Burgers are unhealthy to eat due to their content in them. But Why are burgers unhealthy? The reasons are:

• High Saturated Fat
• Calories
• Sodium content

Since there are various kinds of burgers available, we are describing the nutrition content and health status of the most famous ones. 

Is Beef Burger Healthy? 

No, it’s not. A Beef Burger contains the following nutrition:

Are Chicken Burgers Healthy?

No, and the reason is again the calories and fat. The Nutrition fact of a Chicken burger is:

Is Turkey Burger Healthy? 

People often ask, are turkey burgers unhealthy? Turkey burgers are healthier than chicken and beef burgers as the calories and fat content are less. However, it is not healthier if you consume a turkey burger twice or thrice a week. 

A Turkey burger has the following nutrition:

Is Salmon Burger Healthy?

Another question we get from burger lovers is, are salmon burgers healthy? Sadly No, it is not!

A salmon burger contains the following nutrition

Is Vegan Burger Healthy?

Vegans ask us, are veggie burgers healthy and the answer is good news this time. The low calories content and no saturated fats make vegan burgers healthy to eat. 

A vegetable Burger contains the following Nutrition:

But only veggies burgers are healthy, not the ones that add plant-based meat. There are three plant-based burgers that are famous, namely beyond burger, impossible burger, and black bean burger. 

Are Beyond Meat Burgers healthy? 

Beyond burgers are not healthy to eat. Although they are derived from Soy and are a great source of Vitamin B12, the saturated fat and high sodium levels make the burgers unhealthy. 

Now it is time to discuss- Are Impossible Burgers healthy?

Is Impossible Burger Healthy? 

Just like Beyond burgers, Impossible burgers are also high in saturated fat and sodium content. The main ingredient in an Impossible burger is peas which is a great source of vitamins, but the processing of this meatless burger patty increases the unhealthy content. 

Are Black Bean Burgers Healthy?

Black bean burgers are an excellent source of iron and zinc, but the calories and sodium content make them only partially healthy.  

People also ask us, are Boca burgers healthy? Well, the Boca burgers are also partially healthy (not completely). It is true that these burgers are low in fat and calories, but the ingredients used in making the burgers are corn oil and caramel color. Plus, the salt content is also high in the burgers which can cause some health problems. So, a Boca burger is only partially healthy. 

5 Harmful Effects of Burgers

Now it is time to discuss what are the harmful effects of eating burgers regularly. 

Health problems associated with eating fast foods (like burgers) are:

Increased Risks Of Heart Failure

Heart failure is perhaps the biggest concern regarding eating too many unhealthy burgers. Eating burgers can lead to the clogging of arteries with saturated fat. This can cause several cardiovascular problems like heart attacks and heart strokes. 

Obesity

The fat content and calories in the burger also lead to Obesity, which is a silent killer. The cheese, ketchup, fries, and soda you have with burgers are the main culprits that cause weight gain. They get stored around the belly and in the arteries, making obesity prominent.

High Cholesterol level

The saturated fats in the burger lead to high LDL (Bad cholesterol) levels. These high LDL levels invite different problems and heart attack is one of them.

Hypertension

The high sodium levels in a burger lead to high blood pressure, which can further lead to hypertension. Since the blood supply is also interrupted, the chances of a brain stroke are also higher. 

According to the FDA, a person should not consume more than 2300mg of sodium, while only a single burger contains more than 1000mg of sodium. So, you adding other meals and snacks will surely cross this sodium intake limit. 

Diabetes

The blood sugar level spikes up when you take the first bite of the burger. Due to this, insulin is released to control the spike. All of this leads to more hunger and cravings for snacks. Continuous eating of burgers will one day give victory to high blood sugar levels and you will end up with diabetes. 

However, if you make a burger right, then you can enjoy numerous health benefits. 

How To Make a Healthy Burger?

The answer to the question, Are homemade burgers healthy? may prove to be detrimental for fast food giants. Yes! You should make healthy burgers yourself at home with the right choices. 

Be Careful With Meat

The meat contains saturated fats which are responsible for high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and obesity. Hence, experts recommend adding less meat and more vegetables. 

Moreover, some chefs add binders like eggs to keep the burger patty intact. But this further increases the calories, leading to more harmful effects. We recommend you go for oats or chia seeds as binding agents. Both have high fiber content and chia seeds have Omega-3 that improves brain functioning. 

Another thing you can do is choose the lean beef patty or double patty to cut down the fat content in a burger. The lesser the meat content means the lower the fat in a burger. Moreover, you should choose turkey meat over beef as the former contains less saturated fat. But you have to be careful when cooking turkey meat as it can get dry too quickly. 

Go For Meat Alternatives

You should go for plant-based meat alternatives if you can. Some of you may say, choosing plant-based meat is for vegans only, however, if you want to make your burger healthy, we recommend you go for plant-based meat (like Tofu).

But adding plant-based meat will only make a burger partially healthy and not completely. A meatless burger patty is processed and due to this, sodium and fat content is increased in it.

If you want to make a completely healthy burger, you should go for such burger recipes that include legumes and mushrooms.

Choose Whole Grain Bun

Most people like white bread buns but this is not good for their health. Such buns contain high calories that shoot up the blood sugar level. So, choose a whole wheat bun that has a high fiber content.

Add More Vegetables

A simple way to increase the nutritional value and decrease the harmful content in a burger is to add more vegetables. You can add lettuce, zucchini, onions, and tomatoes to a burger to make it healthier. 

Choose Healthy Toppings

Even if you choose every other thing healthy, but select toppings like melted cheese or ketchup, then the burger will still remain unhealthy. Melted cheese contains saturated fat while ketchup contains fructose corn syrup that can lead to weight gain. 

We recommend you go for healthy toppings of vegetables. You can add avocados, lettuce, onion, mushroom, and peppers to make a burger delicious and wholesome. 

Have Healthy Sides

Generally, people eat burgers with fries, coleslaw, and soda. It would be better if you replace them with salads and fruit juice or water to enjoy a healthy meal. 

FAQs

Question: Are homemade burgers healthier than fast food?

Answer: Absolutely Yes, homemade burgers are healthier than fast food burgers. The reason is that you choose and add ingredients yourself. Burgers purchased from fast food have many problems like the burger patties are made by mixing different animal meat, unhealthy processing effects, and unhealthy ingredients like cheese, ketchup, and many other ingredients that may be hidden.

Question: Are burgers healthy without the bun?

Answer: Yes, burgers are healthy without buns. Some people like to wrap a burger in lettuce without any buns, which is perfectly fine. 

In fact, burgers without buns are healthier than the ones with buns. The reason is that the buns contain some calories while its replacement, lettuce, contains many vital nutrients, which improve the body’s functioning.

Question: Are burgers good for a diet?

Answer: Only vegan burgers with healthy toppings and sides are healthy for the diet. There should not be plant-based meat as well, just pure vegetables are needed to include the burgers for a diet. Plant-based meat contains high saturated fats and sodium content that proves to be harmful to health. 

Wrapping Up

All in all, burgers are one of the most popular fast foods all around the world. But are burgers healthy to eat? Well, the burgers you are eating at a restaurant or buying from one are not healthy at all. It contains high saturated fats, sodium, and calories that make health worse. 

If you really want to enjoy eating burgers and good health, we recommend you make burgers at home with the best possible ingredients. Just follow the tips we described above to make a healthy burger and live a healthy lifestyle!