{"id":2611,"date":"2025-02-18T10:02:06","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T10:02:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/discover-how-to-create-a-healthier-version.html"},"modified":"2025-02-18T10:02:06","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T10:02:06","slug":"discover-how-to-create-a-healthier-version","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/health\/discover-how-to-create-a-healthier-version.html","title":{"rendered":"Discover How to Create a Healthier Version"},"content":{"rendered":"

Burgers loaded with special sauce and layers of cheese sandwiched between a giant bun isn\u2019t exactly the model for a wholesome, nutritious meal \u2014 especially when it comes from a fast-food chain.<\/p>\n

But, burgers don\u2019t have to be completely off-limits when you\u2019re trying to eat right. I<\/p>\n

n fact, when incorporated into a healthy, varied diet, research shows red meat can be a great source of high-quality protein and essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12.<\/p>\n

And poultry, including chicken and turkey, can be an excellent source of highly-digestible proteins, B vitamins, iron, zinc, and copper.<\/p>\n

So where does it all go wrong? The bun, toppings, and size of the patty, for starters.<\/p>\n

While burgers are a fast-food staple usually limited to cheat days, homemade versions can be healthy and delicious.<\/p>\n

Check out these hacks to craft tasty, healthy burgers.<\/p>\n

1. Trim the Fat, but Keep It Juicy<\/h2>\n

Choosing lean meat, whether that\u2019s ground beef, turkey, or chicken, is an easy way to reduce saturated fat content.<\/p>\n

According to the USDA the term \u201clean\u201d is used to describe food that has less than 10 grams of fat and four and a half grams of saturated fat per 100 grams.<\/p>\n

\u201cExtra lean\u201d means there is less than five grams of fat and two grams of saturated fat per 100 grams.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re shopping for meat, a quick way to sort through the options is by looking for meat that\u2019s between 90 and 95 percent lean.<\/p>\n

Just keep in mind that while leaner options cut fat and calories, they can also dry the heck out of your burger.<\/p>\n

To keep it as juicy as it can be, handle the meat as little as possible when forming the patties.<\/p>\n

Once the burgers are on the grill or in the skillet, avoid pressing them with a spatula, which can release even more juice.<\/p>\n

2. Cut the Meat<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

While lean meat isn\u2019t unhealthy in the right portions, homemade burgers are a great opportunity to sneak in tons of veggies, even if it\u2019s not a vegetarian burger.<\/p>\n

Chopped mushrooms, greens, and onions, or grated sweet potatoes, carrots, and zucchini offer delightful flavors, and they add some extra juices back into the burger, too!<\/p>\n

Grains, beans, and pulses can also make an appearance; try black beans, lentils, quinoa, or rice.<\/p>\n

Add these ingredients to the raw meat mixture before shaping the patties, then cook like usual.<\/p>\n

3. Spice It Up<\/h2>\n

Spices and herbs not only add tons of flavor to burgers, but also contain antioxidant compounds, like polyphenols.<\/p>\n

Oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, and saffron have some of the highest levels, especially in their dried form.<\/p>\n

Add a few shakes of these dried spices into the meat or veggie mixture before you cook the patties.<\/p>\n

Then, before you serve up the dish, add fresh or chopped herbs on top of your burger before eating for an extra bit of seasoning.<\/p>\n

4. Size It Right<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Have you ever ordered a burger at a restaurant that\u2019s nearly as big as your face?<\/p>\n

It might seem like a tempting challenge to eat it all, but chances are you\u2019ll be left in a massive food coma if you do.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re making burgers at home, you can control the patty size to something more reasonable and healthy.<\/p>\n

One serving size of protein is about a 4-ounce patty (think the the size of a deck of cards), which should shrink to about three ounces during the cooking process.<\/p>\n

5. Choose Your Toppings Wisely<\/h2>\n

A thick layer of salt-, sugar-, and fat-laden toppings is the quickest way to sabotage a healthy burger.<\/p>\n

Swap out sugary ketchup for salsa, or try making your own homemade ketchup.<\/p>\n

And for a little creaminess, opt for guacamole instead of mayo.<\/p>\n

Use the real estate on top of the burger as an opportunity to pack on fresh or grilled veggies, such as tomato, peppers, onion, greens, and mushrooms.<\/p>\n

With all the flavor and texture that this provides, you won\u2019t miss that mysterious special sauce concoction.<\/p>\n

6. Think Outside the Bun<\/h2>\n

\"All<\/p>\n

While going naked (no bun at all) is always one option, there are other healthy alternatives to the traditional white bun that provide a more authentic burger-eating experience.<\/p>\n

Try a low-carb option, like cloud bread. It\u2019s easy to make, and two slices only has 94 calories and nine grams of protein.<\/p>\n

Or, sandwich your burger between large portobello mushroom caps, rounds of veggies like eggplant or sweet potato, or lettuce leaves.<\/p>\n

\"healthy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Burgers loaded with special sauce and layers of cheese sandwiched between a giant bun isn\u2019t exactly the model for a wholesome, nutritious meal \u2014 especially when it comes from a fast-food chain. But, burgers don\u2019t have to be completely off-limits when you\u2019re trying to eat right. I n fact, when incorporated into a healthy, varied […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2612,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2611"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2611\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}