06/14/2007

PDF / Photos / Audio / Video chowburgers.pdf (78 Kb)

Chow Line: Beef up the nutrition in your burgers

Writer:

Martha Filipic
filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu
(614) 292-9833

Source:

Joyce McDowell, OSU Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences

I love grilling burgers during the summer. How can I make them more healthful?

Well, first of all, don't feel guilty every time you enjoy a hamburger. Beef is a great source of nutrients, including protein, zinc, iron, vitamin B-12, niacin, phosphorus and selenium. A healthful diet is both balanced and varied, and most certainly can include the occasional grilled burger.

But if burgers are more of a staple of your summer cuisine than an occasional treat, by all means take some steps to beef up the nutrition. Here are some ideas:

• If you haven't already, experiment with the leanest burger you can find. Some stores sell 95 percent or even 97 percent lean ground beef. Choosing leaner ground beef can make a huge difference in calories and fat in your final burger: According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database, 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) of 80 percent-lean broiled burger has 270 calories, with 160 calories from fat. That's a whopping 59 percent calories from fat. In contrast, a broiled burger the same size made from 95 percent lean ground beef has just 170 calories, with 63 calories, or 37 percent, calories from fat.

  To keep leaner burgers from drying out too much, cook them slowly at lower temperatures. But, as always, be sure the innermost part of the burger reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent E. coli O157:H7 or other pathogens from causing food-borne illness. Some cooks add egg white and breadcrumbs to lean ground beef to help the burger hold together, and seasonings for additional flavor. Everyone's palate is different -- try different variations until you find what works for you.

• Watch your portion sizes. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, women need only 5 to 5.5 ounces from the meat and bean group daily; men need just 5.5 to 6.5 ounces. Many burgers top those ranges in one sitting. Weigh a few of your average burgers to determine how much you usually consume. If a bigger burger is the only thing that will satisfy you, reduce your intake from the meat and beans group during the rest of the day. To see what's included in that group, go to http://mypyramid.gov and click on "Inside the Pyramid."
• -- Pile on the healthful toppings. Use lower- or non-fat and reduced-sugar condiments. Skip the cheese or choose lower- or non-fat versions. Be certain to include a crisp leaf of lettuce and a thick slice of tomato. And try different brands of whole-grain buns -- they often have just as many calories as regular buns, but offer a lot more nutrition. This can help you meet the Dietary Guidelines recommendation to make half of all the grains you eat whole grains.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu.

Editor: This column was reviewed by Joyce McDowell, leader of Community Nutrition Projects for Ohio State University Extension and associate professor of human nutrition in the College of Education and Human Ecology.