If we lived in a perfect world, hamburgers would taste like dirt so we wouldn’t have to crave them or have our thighs pay the consequences for chowing one down. But unfortunately, burgers are near and dear to all of our hearts (excluding vegetarians of course) and it seems we just can’t stay away from them, according to statistics, which reveal that the average person consumes around 150 hamburgers per year. It may seem like a lot, but it makes complete sense… we eat them all the time! Whether you’re on the go on a long road trip or at a friend’s birthday BBQ party, hamburgers satisfy the I-need-food-quick and the mouth-drooling-deliciousness most Americans strive for. And especially being Labor Day, today will be an excuse for most people to inhale as many burgers as they possibly can.
For the most part, burgers are irresistible and impossible to avoid, so when you gotta eat it, eat it. But here’s a few tips to make your burger experience a slightly more healthier one.
Take off the bun!
Hamburger buns are loaded with fats, carbs and sodium. Taking off just one bun can cut half the calories coming from the bread, and I promise you, the burger tastes just as scrumptious. And if you’re up for it, take off both and make it a bunless burger! The less carbs, the better.
Hamburger-bun calories range from 90-300 calories.
And it doesn’t just have to be hamburgers, I do it with sandwiches too.
Ask for no cheese!
Cheese, too, is packed with fats and sodium that just aren’t beneficial to our health or bellies. Instead of adding cheese to your burger, add the nutritional stuff like onions, tomatoes, and lettuce.
Stay away from sauces!
Sauces like mayo, mustard, and ketchup are sneaky little weight-gain ingredients that do more damage to our bodies than we even realize. Whether it’s a burger or sandwich, don’t let a squirt of sauce destroy the nutritional value of your meal. Below are a list of condiments to avoid and which ones you should use if you choose to use a sauce:
Bad: These are really high in sugars and fats
- Ketchup
- Regular mayonnaise
- Barbecue sauce
- Teriyaki sauce
- Honey mustard
- Regular jelly and jam
Good: These sauces have no sugar, no fat, or contains healthy fat.
- Regular yellow mustard
- Spicy mustard
- Hot sauce
- Vinegar
- Extra-virgin olive oil
So have a healthy hamburger this Labor Day! And don’t forget… it’s always best to choose wheat buns over white and turkey burgers over beef!
Enjoy!
