Homemade burgers have become an extremely popular meal to make at home. There are many apparent health benefits to making your own burgers rather than buying fast food burgers. However, just because a burger is homemade does not necessarily make it a healthy option. There are many factors that determine whether a homemade burger is truly good for you or not. In this article, we will explore the pros and cons of making homemade burgers and give tips on how to maximize the nutritional value of your burgers.
Pros of Homemade Burgers
Here are some of the main benefits of making burgers at home:
You Control the Ingredients
When you make your own burgers, you get to choose exactly what goes into them. You can control the fat content by selecting lean cuts of meat and minimizing high-fat ingredients like cheese and mayonnaise. You can also pack in extra nutrients by adding veggies like spinach, avocado, mushrooms, or carrots. Store-bought burgers often contain preservatives, flavors, colors, and other artificial ingredients you won’t find in a homemade burger.
Avoid Trans Fats
Most fast food burger joints use oils with trans fats to cook their burgers. Trans fats are extremely unhealthy and have been shown to raise bad cholesterol levels and lower good cholesterol. When you cook burgers at home, you can avoid dangerous trans fat by using heart-healthy oils like avocado oil or olive oil.
More Protein
Fast food burgers tend to be quite low in protein, with a typical burger containing around 13 grams. When you make burgers yourself, you can pack in the protein by using 85% or 90% lean ground beef. Going for grass-fed beef can also boost the protein content versus conventional beef. The higher protein will help you feel fuller for longer after eating your burger.
Lower Sodium
Salt is used liberally in fast food burgers to boost the flavor. A single restaurant burger can contain over 1,000 mg of sodium, which is nearly half of the daily recommended limit. By preparing burgers at home, you can control the amount of salt you add. Use fresh herbs and spices like garlic, basil, oregano, and pepper to add lots of flavor without excess sodium.
More Fiber
Fiber is super important for digestive and heart health. Fast food burgers provide little to no fiber. Homemade burgers allow you to add in high-fiber ingredients like whole grain buns, avocado, beans, or vegetables. This increases the fiber content significantly so you feel satisfied after eating.
It Can Be Cheaper
Buying a fast food burger meal can costs $5-10 per person. Making burgers at home allows you to buy ingredients in bulk so the cost per burger is much lower, especially if you use cheaper cuts of meat like chuck roast. Grinding your own meat saves even more money. With the right planning, homemade burgers can cost just a dollar or two per serving.
Cons of Homemade Burgers
While homemade burgers provide more control over ingredients, there are a few potential downsides:
More Calories Possible
It’s easy to go overboard on ingredient portions when making your own burgers. A 1/4 pound homemade burger patty can end up having more calories than a standard fast food burger if you are not careful with sizing. Likewise, it’s tempting to add lots of high-calorie cheeses and condiments on a homemade burger. Pay attention to serving sizes to avoid consuming excess calories.
Food Safety Concerns
Improper storage and cooking of ground beef at home does carry a higher risk of foodborne illness compared to eating a burger at a restaurant. To minimize risk, only buy fresh beef and store it correctly, cook burgers to an internal temperature of 160°F, and don’t leave them sitting out for long periods before serving. Also wash hands, utensils, and surfaces when working with raw meat.
More Effort Required
Obviously, making your own burgers from scratch requires a lot more work compared to ordering a burger to-go. From grocery shopping to forming patties to grilling the burgers, homemade burgers may not always fit into your busy schedule. However, with practice, you can streamline the process and whip up burgers quickly any night of the week.
You May Miss Out on Flavor Enhancers
Fast food burgers get their crave-worthy taste from extra sugar, salt, and savoriness enhancers like MSG added during processing. When you make a burger at home, you’ll miss out on those flavor boosters unless you add them yourself (which negatively impacts the health profile). The trade-off is that you’ll taste the true flavor of fresh beef and toppings.
How to Maximize the Nutrition in Homemade Burgers
Here are some tips to get the most nutrition out of your homemade burgers:
Choose Lean Ground Beef
Select 90-95% lean ground beef to minimize saturated fat and calories while maximizing protein. Grass-fed beef has more omega-3s than conventional beef. Limit portion size to 4-5 ounces of uncooked beef per burger.
Add Nutrient-Packed Ingredients
Mix in chopped mushrooms, spinach, kale, beans, avocado, onions, tomatoes, and other veggies to add fiber. Swap out some of the ground beef for lentils, quinoa, or brown rice for whole grains.
Use Whole Grain Buns
Choose whole wheat, sprouted grain, or other whole grain buns to increase fiber and nutrients. Look for options with at least 2-3g of fiber per serving.
Limit High-Fat Cheese
Use just a slice or a sprinkle of strongly-flavored cheese like crumbled feta or Parmesan rather than loading up with American or cheddar cheese.
Go Easy on Condiments
Minimize condiments like ketchup, mayo, and bacon that can add a lot of sugar, fat, and calories. Swap in avocado, hummus, mustard, or Greek yogurt instead.
Bake or Grill Instead of Frying
Avoid the added calories from frying your burgers in oil. Cook in a pan or grill the burgers so excess fat drips off while cooking.
Use Healthy Oil for Cooking
Brush the pan or grill with olive, avocado, or canola oil before cooking your burgers. Avoid butter and hydrogenated oils high in trans fats.
Avoid Processed Meat
Skip the bacon, ham, and sausage on your burger to limit sodium and nitrates from processed meats that are linked to certain cancers.
Nutritional Comparison of Different Homemade Burgers
To demonstrate how nutritional values can vary based on burger ingredients, here is a comparison of three different common types of homemade burgers:
| Burger Type | Calories | Total Fat | Carbs | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Bun + 80% Lean Beef Patty | 545 | 32g | 31g | 25g | 730mg |
| Whole Grain Bun + Veggie-Packed 90% Lean Beef Patty | 410 | 15g | 37g | 28g | 500mg |
| Lettuce Wrap + 95% Lean Grass-Fed Beef Patty | 325 | 12g | 7g | 34g | 370mg |
This table illustrates how choosing leaner beef, using more nutritious buns, and loading up on veggies allows you to make much healthier homemade burgers. Just switching from 80% to 95% lean beef cuts the calories, fat, and sodium roughly in half.
Healthiest Homemade Burger Recipe
Here is a recipe for an incredibly nutritious homemade burger:
Ingredients
- 1 whole wheat bun
- 1⁄4 lb 95% lean grass-fed ground beef
- 1⁄4 cup chopped mushrooms
- 1⁄4 cup spinach
- 2 tomato slices
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 thin slice red onion
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Mix ground beef with mushrooms, spinach, mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Form into a loosely packed patty.
- Brush a pan with olive oil and cook burger over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes per side. Top with onion slice for last 2 minutes of cooking.
- Assemble burger on whole wheat bun with tomato slices, mustard, and balsamic vinegar drizzled over the top.
This burger maximizes nutrition by using extra lean grass-fed beef, squeezing in spinach and mushrooms, and opting for lots of fresh toppings over sugary condiments. Enjoy this guilt-free homemade burger recipe for a healthy dinner option!
Conclusion
Homemade burgers can certainly be a nutritious choice when made with whole food ingredients like lean beef, whole grain buns, and plenty of fresh vegetables. The key is choosing high quality lean beef, controlling portion sizes, minimizing high-fat and high-sodium toppings, and avoiding cooking methods like frying that add extra calories. With the right recipe and cooking techniques, homemade burgers can be just as healthy, if not healthier, than a restaurant burger. Just be mindful of which ingredients you use and enjoy your burgers in moderation as part of an overall balanced diet.