Upgrade Your Bun
You can do a lot better than a low-fiber, white-flour hamburger bun. For example, there are 160 calories and less than a gram of fiber in an Arnold/Oroweat Potato Bun. The same brands’ 100% Whole Wheat Buns have 150 calories and 3 grams of fiber each. The fiber helps fill you up and adds other nutrients to your meal.
If you want to cut back on carbs, try wrapping your burger in sturdy leafy greens, such as collards, suggests Jackie Newgent, a registered dietitian nutritionist and a classically trained chef based in New York City. “You can use them raw—just trim the thick stem and center ribs.”
Blend Your Ground Beef
When you’re shopping for ground beef, you’ll see packages labeled with the ratio of lean to fat in the meat—80/20 or 90/10, for instance. Typically, ground beef with 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat makes the juiciest burgers; a four-ounce patty has 306 calories and 8 grams of saturated fat. Using 90 percent lean/10 percent fat ground beef can save you calories and fat; four ounces has 245 calories and 5 grams of saturated fat.
But lean ground beef dries out easily. To add back some juiciness without upping the calories or saturated fat, replace up to one-third of the meat with a purée of sautéed or roasted mushrooms and onions, says Todd Seyfarth, MS, RD, a culinary nutritionist and associate professor at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI.
Another option: Replace 20 percent of the meat with cooked cracked bulgur wheat. It has a similar texture to ground beef and doesn’t impart any dramatic flavors, Seyfarth says. “Making the burgers ahead of time and refrigerating them overnight will make them a little easier to cook,” he says.
Grill Safely
High-temperature cooking methods, such as grilling, can cause the formation of heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, compounds that might increase cancer risk, according to the National Cancer Institute.
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To prevent these substances from forming, keep the flame low, and flip the hamburgers frequently. Another strategy: Fire up the flames on one side of the grill, but do most of the cooking on the other side and finish the burger over high heat. Mixing thyme, black pepper, ginger, garlic, or rosemary extract into your patties may also inhibit the development of these compounds, some studies suggest.And clean the grill every time you use it to reduce your exposure to chemicals from previous meals.
Invest in a good meat thermometer, too. You can’t tell if a burger is done just by the color of the meat. For ground beef, 160°F is the minimum internal temperature to destroy bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Turkey and chicken burgers should be cooked to 165°F. And be sure to use a fresh plate for cooked burgers. The tray you used to bring the raw patties out to the grill could be contaminated with bacteria that could make you sick.
Pile on the Plants
Use the space between your burger and bun to add in a full serving of produce. Swap limp iceberg lettuce and pale tomatoes for microgreens and a thick slice of heirloom tomato; the trade will add nutrients and culinary intrigue, Newgent says. For the more adventurous, a slice of grilled pineapple adds flavor; a heaping spoonful of kimchi or sauerkraut provides healthy probiotics and a burst of flavor. Instead of cheese, try avocado. “Its buttery mouthfeel is why it works so well,” Newgent says.
Try a Veggie Burger
A good health move is to make some of your burgers meatless. It can be as simple as grilling a large portobello mushroom cap, which has a meaty taste. For more ideas, check out CR’s guide to plant-based meats.
You can also make your own, such as this quinoa and black bean burger: Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a nonstick skillet on medium. Sauté ¼ cup each finely chopped onion and red pepper and 1 clove minced garlic until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Combine with 1¼ cups cooked quinoa, ½ cup panko, 1 egg, ½ cup grated sharp cheddar, and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Add ½ cup black beans, ½ cup corn, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, and ½ tsp. chili powder. With wet hands, gently form six patties. Refrigerate, uncovered, 30 minutes to 4 hours. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in nonstick skillet on medium. Cook burgers until browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip; cook about 5 minutes more. Top with salsa and avocado.
Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the August 2019 issue of Consumer Reports On Health.
Rachel Meltzer Warren
Rachel Meltzer Warren, MS, RD, is a freelance writer based in the New York area who contributes to Consumer Reports on food and nutrition topics.
