Does anyone have a healthy cheeseburger recipie?

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ahanson6
ahanson6 Posts: 102
in Recipes
Hey everyone,

I usually have a splurge meal once a week, so that I don't go crazy missing all my old favorites. I really want a cheeseburger this weekend, and I know that if I make it at home I can make it a little healthier. Does anyone have any favorite recipies or tricks for making the average cheeseburger a little healthier?
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Replies

  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
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    Turkey burgers are really, really good.

    You could also try using extra lean ground beef.

    We do the turkey burgers. You can add cheese, bacon, veggies, whatever and they taste so good!
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
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    Well, if it's a splurge meal, why not just go all the way and splurge on your favorite fast food or restaurant burger? I went to BK (first time in like 2 years) and had a whopper jr w/ cheese and fries on Sunday. Today I weighed in with a new low.

    But to answer your original question, you can start with lean beef, and use some sort of reduced fat cheese, and a whole wheat bun. But that may or may not satisfy your splurge.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    I use the leanest beef I can find and grill so most of the fat drips away. I have discovered that I actually like my burgers without a bun. I still put on my pickles onions etc but eat with a fork and it tastes so much better! The bun really hides alot of the flavor!
  • forty3fab
    forty3fab Posts: 148 Member
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    Bison burgers are also very good!
  • AngelaPowPowPOW
    AngelaPowPowPOW Posts: 293
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    Pepperidge Farms Deli Flats are an awesome bun substitute and my sons actually prefer them.
  • chauncyrenayCHANGED
    chauncyrenayCHANGED Posts: 788 Member
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    Earthgrain 100% Whole Wheat Thin Buns are amazing and are only 100 calories for both top and bottom bun combined.
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
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    half of the bun is a good option too
  • jmamahawk3
    jmamahawk3 Posts: 3
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    I use the leanest ground beef and add a packet of Lipton Onion soup mix. I top it with reduced fat cheese and a whole wheat low cal bun or no bun at all. My whole family likes them!
  • kianaik
    kianaik Posts: 48 Member
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    I use the leanest beef I can find and grill so most of the fat drips away. I have discovered that I actually like my burgers without a bun. I still put on my pickles onions etc but eat with a fork and it tastes so much better! The bun really hides alot of the flavor!

    What she said! This is how I do it anyways. :happy:
  • Jade_Butterfly
    Jade_Butterfly Posts: 2,963 Member
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    Turkey is good, so are bocas! :bigsmile:
  • menchi
    menchi Posts: 297 Member
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    It really depends on what part of the cheeseburger makes it a cheeseburger to you. For example, my bf must have a real burger bun and not the sandwich thins. I don't like the big fluffy bun much so I replace it with orowheat sandwich thins (100 Cal each). Leaner beef patty is a great place to cut calories in fat (save those fat cals for things like nuts and avocado!). I skip the ketchup and mayo entirely and go for mustard. If you cook some onions (rings, slices or diced up to you) with the patty (assuming you do this on the stove), squirt on some mustard as the onions start to brown and pile it all on the patty. I love mustard that way. For cheese, choose a low fat cheese. I'm partial to swiss and provolone for the drier and saltier flavor, but you might prefer the creamier taste of american. With these modifications, we (bf is the burger cooker, I just make sure he doesn't burn down the apartment) managed to convert a fully loaded cheese burger from 700 Cal down to about 4-500 Cal and I still find it tasty.
  • Dnsnyder
    Dnsnyder Posts: 263 Member
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    I ALWAYS use extra lean ground beef (130 cal / 4.5 g fat per 0.25lb). It's actually lower in fat and calories than most ground turkey (unless you can find extra lean ground turkey), but I prefer beef anyway. Some brands make light hamburger buns, and I prefer wheat. I like to season my burgers pretty well (garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, pepper, sometimes a little tobasco sauce). Some of my common burger toppings: 1 slice microwavable bacon, fresh tomato, fresh lettuce (boston, bibb, or romaine), pickles, fresh onion, reduced fat mayonnaise (not light....reduced fat has less calories and fat than light), mustard, kethcup or barbecue sauce. With regards to cheese, you can use a fat free or reduced fat cheese...Kraft makes some fat free singles in different flavors that aren't bad. Sometimes I'll just use regular sharp cheddar or reduced-fat baby swiss.

    Also, have a healthy, filling veggie with your burger like cooked broccoli or a fresh salad...this might help fill you up.
  • monkeybelle83
    monkeybelle83 Posts: 141 Member
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    I have started using the Orowheat Sandwich thins in multi-grain. I also use ground turkey instead of beef. We add a bit of garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce and the lipton onion soup mix. High in sodium, but I think if I only use half the pouch of soup mix that will help that.
  • therobinator
    therobinator Posts: 832 Member
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    Earthgrain 100% Whole Wheat Thin Buns are amazing and are only 100 calories for both top and bottom bun combined.
    Pepperidge Farms Deli Flats are an awesome bun substitute and my sons actually prefer them.

    I agree with both of these. I find that regular burger buns are just too much bread for my taste anyways. Personally, I use the Arnold brand Sandwich Thins, and with bison(buffalo) meat instead of beef. Bison is as good if not better for you than chicken, but tastes almost 100% the same as beef.

    On the other hand, though, if it is truly supposed to be a splurge, don't try to be healty. Just get a good old fashoiend greasy, cheesy burger....with bacon! :)
  • Scarletblue
    Scarletblue Posts: 255
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    Now I want a burger
  • ShakenWithJoy
    ShakenWithJoy Posts: 24
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    My favorite splurge is to make 4 small but thick burgers, fold a piece of Kraft Deluxe cheese into 4 pieces, a bit of mustard, and serve on pumpernickle cocktail squares used for hor'derves. Serve as a side to a salad made of my fav toppings: lettuce, tomato, chopped onion, guacomole (mix avacado with pico de gallo) .. Serves 2 people.

    Because the burgers are small, I can use ground chuck (freshest i can find) and regular cheese.
  • wondergirl1003
    wondergirl1003 Posts: 138 Member
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    I do veal burgers stuffed with mozzarella cheese (the log kind, not the shredded). All you need is 1 lb. of ground veal, mozzarella, whatever seasonings you prefer for a burger, some sort of bun and toppings of your choice.

    Mix the meat and seasoning in a bowl and divide into 4 balls. Divide each of the balls in half. Flatten each ball to form a patty and put the cheese on top of one patty. Place another patty on top of that and press the sides down to seal. Grill (I use my Foreman), assemble on a bun with your toppings and enjoy.

    I plugged it into the calculator on here, using a ciabatta roll and an ounce of mozzarella per burger, and it came out to something like 396 cals per burger. Of course if you use a different type of bread or cheese your count will vary. These are awesome though.
  • denyse24
    denyse24 Posts: 62
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    I myself like to use ground pork instead of beef not because I like it more but it is less fat and cost less as well. I mix in some good montreal steak spice and it comes out tasting just like a beef burger but one I can feel good aboit eating. You can also add other things such as harrissa , horseradish or even old fashionned mustard to spice things up a bit :)
  • ahanson6
    ahanson6 Posts: 102
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    Thanks for all of these amazing ideas! Now I won't feel so guilty when I have my cheeseburger this weekend!
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
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    Bison burgers are also very good!

    This is what I was about to say. Another good one, if you have an exotic meat butcher, is ostrich. You actually have to add something to it, like fat or... egg whites, to hold it in a burger shape because the meat is so low fat.

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