For those who are on a diet, greasy food like burgers is a no no. However, you won’t have to give up burgers for good.
What you need to avoid are fast food burgers since they are fatty and loaded with salt. In addition, when you order burgers in a restaurant, it is easy to get carried away with the sides.
Next thing you know, you have finished a couple of servings of french fries and have downed a tall glass of chocolate smoothie along with your hamburger.
If you want to have a burger but are on a strict diet, you can make some at home every once in a while. A homemade burger can be made healthier by making good choices when it comes to what you made it with and what you put in it.
No matter how you choose to make your burgers at home, chances are they will still be better than anything a fast food joint can serve you.
It all starts with the patty.
The patty is the core of the burger and it can affect just how diet friendly your meal will be.
There are plenty of choices when it comes to the ground meat that you use. To make it more waistline friendly, choose less fatty meat like lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey. You can even combine meats for a customized burger.
Also, you can decrease the portion of meat on your patty by adding onions, mushroom, or even tofu as an extender if you want it more filling but less sinful.
Also instead of frying, choose to grill the burger patty. The smokiness caused by the grill fire will add more flavor. Plus, you won’t need to use a lot of oil to cook the patty. This can help you save on calories.
Another way to make your burger fit your diet is to replace all the meat for the patty with another protein such as shrimp, fish, tofu, mushrooms or beans. So even if you’re a vegetarian or are avoiding meat, you can still have a good old burger.
Be wise about the bun.
A good burger cannot be without a bun, but if you are watching the carbs, then simply ditch the bread and only have the patty, cheese, and the toppings.
That way you can still enjoy the flavor and taste of burger without too many calories. You can even experiment with non-bread buns like in the case of rice burgers.
If you can’t give up the bread, then opt for whole grain choices such as a whole wheat bun or a rye bread bun.
Go veggie crazy.
Fill your burger with lettuce, cucumber, onions, and tomatoes to make it more filling yet guilt free.
Say no to sinful add-ons.
Bacon, sour cream, extra mayo, cheese—-you can do without these and still have a great burger.
Opt for less-calorie condiments like mustard, ketchup, nori, coleslaw, and pickles.
Careful about the cheese.
Even without cheese, you can still enjoy a yummy burger. But if you can’t give it up, just use less of it.
