How To Make A Burger Healthier

Burgers are a great indulgence when you're not worried about eating healthy. Thankfully, burger recipes can be tweaked to lighten up this sometimes overly greasy and calorie-laden meal. Many health-conscious burger recipes call for swapping out beef for another meat, but we've found a way to lessen the caloric impact of ground beef without sacrificing the meaty flavor that we sometimes crave.

Click here to see the Healthy Burger Recipe

Lean ground beef (five to ten percent fat) can become dry and crumbly when it's cooked because it lacks the fat that holds protein together. To prevent this, adding chopped vegetables into the patties will enrich the flavor of the meat and retain the juiciness of the patties. In our recipe, we've incorporated finely chopped mushrooms and onions to the ground beef. Not only does this cut calories, but it also hikes up the nutritional value: mushrooms are a proven immune system booster. We've also opted to grill our patties to get that charred burger flavor that we all love without any extra oil or butter. If using an indoor grill, use a small amount of cooking oil like grapeseed or olive oil.

We've put another healthy spin on burgers with Greek-inspired toppings. A lot of vegetables and healthy ingredients are used in Mediterranean cuisine, so we decided to spice up the flavors with a feta spread and a Greek salsa topping. The feta spread combines feta cheese that's whipped with Greek yogurt, which cuts down the fat content and adds great texture to the burger. A Greek-inspired salsa includes a healthy mix of cucumbers, tomatoes, Kalamata olives and onion for extra flavor and crunchy-crisp texture. Instead of a greasy burger bun, we've replaced it with whole wheat to lessen the calorie count, while adding in some fiber and whole grains.

By going the Mediterranean-flavor route, we're bypassing the other unhealthy components of a classic burger like sugar-packed ketchup, mayonnaise, high-fat content beef, and sometimes bacon. With all of the flavors packed into this healthy beef burger, you'll be surprised at how flavorful and nutritious this recipe can be.