Homemade hamburger is tasty and not harmful! Health Are burgers harmful?

We have already heard more than once that fast food is harmful. This statement is accepted as an axiom and has become a rule of good culinary manners when criticizing McDonald's and other fast food chains. They say that the food there is high in calories and there is a lot of cholesterol there. Americans with obesity problems are given as an example of the harm of hamburgers. They say, you see, Americans eat hamburgers and fried potatoes, so they got fat.

But, in reality, is a hamburger so harmful? Let's figure it out. What does a hamburger consist of:

The bun is quite small;

Beef cutlet fried without oil - hmm, in principle, dietary;

Pickled cucumber - there are few calories;

Lettuce leaves – vitamins without calories;

Ketchup, onions and other seasonings.

So what's so scary about that? The bun, you tell me, is not healthy. Yes, but the body needs carbohydrates. And who forces you to eat two or three buns - one hamburger is enough.

How many calories does one average hamburger contain? A regular hamburger has only 255 kcal. Meanwhile, the daily requirement of an adult man in a big city is about 2600 kcal. That is, if there are only hamburgers, then in order to satisfy the body’s need for energy, we need to eat 10 of them.

In a person’s diet, food should be balanced – fat should not be more than 20-30 percent, carbohydrates should not be more than 50%.

Okay, let's look at the composition of the hamburger:

Fats – less than 10%

Carbohydrates – about 30%

Proteins – about 12%

The hamburger contains 45% water.

In addition, the hamburger contains vitamins B, C PP, as well as microelements - iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper and manganese.

If you were not told that this is a terrible hamburger, but were presented only with its composition, then you would say that this is a completely acceptable diet, almost a healthy diet.

Now about how to prepare. The cutlet is made from minced beef, without soy, starch and other goodies, which are abundant in our sausage, frankfurters and other conventional meat products. The cutlet is fried over a fire without oil and our chefs’ favorite vegetable fat, that is, palm fat.

You can blame them for using frozen food and terrible ketchup, but this is ridiculous. Freezing does not affect the calorie content, and all microelements and vitamins will remain frozen and are partially destroyed during heat treatment. But fresh meat also has this. By the way, deep freezing is an additional protection against certain types of microbes and all sorts of nasty things.

But what's the matter, it's a fact that Americans are overweight. Yes, it’s a fact, but the problem is not in fast food, but in the diet structure and lifestyle.

A city dweller needs 2600 calories per day. But this despite the fact that he moves at least a little. And if you travel from home to the office by car and your walking route is the path from the door of the house to the garage - 5 steps and from the parking lot to the elevator to the office another 5 steps, and a trip to McDonald's is another 20 meters, then the number of calories , you need can be reduced. This is the first. Secondly, a hamburger is good as a small snack, well, maybe it can replace lunch if you add it to a salad. Then this is a completely acceptable food, but what if you eat a couple of Big Macs at a time and so 3 times a day?

That is, what I want to say is that the problem is not in fast food, but in the amount of food consumed. After all, even if you eat only healthy, from the point of view of nutritionists, food, but in an amount exceeding the norm by 1.5 - 2 times, the result will be the same as when consuming a couple of dozen hamburgers.

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Why hamburgers are harmful or how the “Western” eating style is harmful to your health

Developing countries are experiencing rapid urbanization, with more than half the world's population now living in cities. This number is expected to rise to 70% by 2050. Along with this process comes an urban lifestyle - often involving less physical activity and the “Western” way of eating.

All over the world, eating habits are changing, which cannot but affect the health of the population. Most people around the world are choosing to add more calories and more meat to their menus as their income increases. Unfortunately, these changes are not always beneficial, they can have potentially negative health consequences and increase the risk of chronic diseases.

Currently, there are entire groups of people who are poorly nourished, not because they eat food of poor quality and in insufficient quantity, but because they eat foods that have little beneficial properties and containing many artificial additives and colorings. This trend contradicts more traditional causes of malnutrition. As incomes rise, people have access to “processed foods” and their consumption increases.

“Processed foods” are of little benefit and contain “empty” calories. A menu poor in fruits and vegetables has a strong negative impact on health. Therefore, the modern so-called “Western” menu, containing a lot of processed foods, is rich in calories, but provides little benefit to the body. According to the latest data, the World Health Organization associates frequent consumption of industrial meat products (sausages, sausages, ham, etc.) with an increased risk of cancer.

What is a "Western" menu?

“The main feature of the “Western menu” is the excessive consumption of refined sugar, highly refined and saturated fats, animal protein and a reduction in consumption plant fibers. This means a menu high in fat, red meat, salt and sugar, and low in vegetables and fruits. Such a menu is characterized by too many calories and a small amount of nutrients, especially this trend is inherent in the fast food culture.

How can this menu affect your health?

Increased risk of infectious diseases

Highly processed and refined foods, common in Western dishes, are not pleasing to the body. They adversely affect our immune system. The main culprits are foods containing fructose and palmitic acid, ingredients commonly found in candy bars that can trigger an immune reaction.

Palmitic acid is found in palm oil, which Russian food manufacturers use very widely. You can find it in candies, confectionery, chips, French fries, ice cream, cream, sour cream, butter, cheese and other products

According to scientists, our body may confuse palmitic acid with a bacterium like E. Coli, and then launch an immune attack on the suspected bacterium, resulting in mild inflammation and weakened immunity. If the immune system is disoriented in this way, its cells will not be ready to fight an actual infection. Palmitic acid slows down our body's response to infections and by the time the immune system is ready to respond, it will be more difficult for it to cope with the spread of the infection.

However, the effect is reversible. Changing the diet to eliminate exposure to these dietary components may restore immune activity back to its normal state. These mild inflammations will disappear.

Palmitic acid also has a number of other harmful effects on the body. Its excess in the body contributes to the development of diseases of nerve tissue and has a harmful effect on liver health.

Disturbance of intestinal flora

Our gut bacteria play an important role not only in the health and well-being of our gastrointestinal tract, but also in our entire body.

Each person has about a kilogram of microbes living inside them. Our gut bacteria are closely related to the functioning of the immune system, which in turn controls inflammation in the body.

The predominance of processed foods in the diet and the lack of fiber can lead to the fact that beneficial bacteria will be forced out of the intestines, and in their place pathogenic microorganisms will colonize, producing harmful toxins and poisoning the body.

Obesity and diabetes

The worldwide spread of menus rich in saturated fats and calories is leading to an observed increase in the number of people suffering from obesity and diabetes around the world. In 2014, more than 600 million adults worldwide were obese and nearly 2 billion adults were overweight, according to the World Health Organization.

Obesity causes a predisposition to the development of various diseases. People who are obese experience increased inflammation in the body and an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and joint diseases such as arthritis. Increasing levels of obesity are thought to contribute to the rise in joint problems and the need for joint repair or replacement, due to high blood pressure on joints and their wear. People suffering from obesity have to face the need for hip and knee replacements much earlier in their lives.

Another disease associated with obesity is also rapidly increasing worldwide. This is diabetes, affecting 374 million people in 2014. Type 2 diabetes is linked to diet and the number of people suffering from it is growing in every country, according to the International Diabetes Federation's Diabetes Atlas.

Cancer risk

Recent studies link Western diets to an increased risk of colon and prostate cancer. Men eating a mostly Western diet were found to have a 2.5 times higher risk of dying from prostate cancer, while the risks associated with colon cancer were also linked to inflammation and changes in gut bacteria.

In people suffering from obesity, various microbial compounds are found that produce toxins that can affect the development of cancer, according to American researchers studying the risks of colon cancer. In their study, they compared the effects of diet on groups of African South Africans and African Americans, and found that African Americans had a 50 times greater risk of developing colon cancer. According to scientists, this is due to their commitment to the “Western” menu.

Increased level inflammatory processes may also damage cells in affected areas such as the colon, causing cells to turn over more frequently. The more cells reproduce, the higher the chances that a mutation may occur in the genes they contain - which also increases the risk of cancer.

Cancer penetrates cells with relatively high turnover more easily, but it is not a common disease. Hundreds of genes are involved in the process, and bacteria are part of it, but not the cause as a whole.

Alternatives

Apparently, eating style plays a big role in a population's health, and when it comes to improving a person's health, nutritionists emphasize the need to pay more attention to what they eat.

The choice of diet is voluntary, and if previously it was difficult to find out about the dangers of certain foods, now such information appears in abundance every day. For example, the World Health Organization recommended avoiding consumption of palm oil back in 2005, but due to its low cost and long shelf life, it is still a favorite among food manufacturers. Maybe we, consumers, should worry about ourselves, stop buying harmful products and thus influence manufacturers.

Healthy diets and healthy food are gradually gaining popularity in the world, there are more strict and less strict principles of healthy eating.

Basic principles of healthy eating

The basic principles are to eat as little "processed" foods as possible and add more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes to your meals. You shouldn’t eat monotonous food; by expanding your diet, eating more different foods, we will get more nutrients and reduce bad influence any pesticides or harmful substances contained in a particular product.

You should avoid white bread, regular pasta and confectionery containing refined carbohydrates, lacking dietary fiber and nutrients. Read food labels and look for palm oil in the ingredient list. You should also limit foods with added sugar, such as soda and candy. These are sources of empty calories that contribute to weight gain. Many sweet foods contain large amounts of fat, which makes them even more calorie-dense.

Hamburgers, as the main dish of fast food restaurants, are a closed sandwich with an enclosed filling. At first glance, a piece of meat covered with a bun on both sides does not make a bad impression. Moreover, people are assured of the usefulness of this simple dish.

Fast food and hamburgers in particular are dangerous because they give a deceptive impression of usefulness. Behind the salad protruding abundantly from the edges of the bun lies a heavy dose of calories, fast carbohydrates and unhealthy fats.

Why is Burger King delicious or why additives are harmful?

All the ingredients that make up fast food dishes are familiar and accessible to us. However, no one has the same love for chicken, tomatoes, cheese, lettuce and buns that they have for hamburgers. It's not a matter of combining these products, but of additives that make food more appetizing and tasty.

The meat is generously flavored with additives such as monosodium glutamate, artificial flavors and stabilizers. As a result, the food acquires an enhanced taste, causing addiction to this type of food.

Despite the fact that taste enhancers are allowed for use, they are harmful to the body.

Why do burgers make you fat?

Hamburgers, rolls and meat dishes are far from the most dangerous foods in terms of calorie content. The most calories are found in desserts and drinks in the form of sugar, the main supplier of heavy doses of fast carbohydrates.

Even if some dish you choose is within the calorie limits allowed for you, you risk significantly exceeding these same limits by ordering a carbonated drink or juice with it. The combination of high-calorie foods causes overeating.

Harm to children

The harm of hamburgers for adults is obvious, and the harm of fast food for children cannot even be compared with the risk that adult consumers of “food on the go” expose themselves to. A growing child's body is especially susceptible to the harmful components of such food. The abundance of sugar and salt in fast food disrupts the water-salt balance in the body, leading to an excess of calories.

Children especially need macro and micronutrients to grow, so it is important to provide them with all the vitamins and minerals they need. If one of the child’s main meals is replaced by a trip to Burger King, the child’s body does not receive enough of the necessary components for growth.

It is also dangerous that fast food chains lure children with attractive bright pictures, gifts and toys. All this develops in children a strong association “Burger King = tasty food", which is difficult to refute. They begin to refuse regular, “tasteless” food.

Burger King dishes with minimal harm to health

It happens that there is no other way to eat during the day other than in fast food restaurants. Fortunately, the caloric content of the Burger King menu is not uniformly high. If you study the offer of this restaurant in detail, you will be able to find those items that may be suitable for fitness enthusiasts. These include “King Nuggets” (265 kcal) and “Mini Whopper” (320 kcal)

Salads are also harmless, but there are some nuances.

Firstly, it is not advisable to add the proposed dressing to the salad, since it contains most of the calories of the finished dish.

Secondly, the taste of vegetables in a salad, for unknown reasons, is much less pronounced than in those that we are used to eating.

Calorie table for Burger King main courses:

Name	Portion weight	Calorie content	Squirrels	Fats	Carbohydrates
French fries	75	205	3,5	9,8	25
Whopper	280	578	25	34	44
King nuggets	100	265	6,5	27	43
Hamburger	110	220	8,5	28,5	5,6
Cheeseburger	125	247	11	9	30
Big king	200	430	17	30	27
Whopper Mini	154	320	14	17	30
Salad mix	80	18	1	0	3

Style Summary

By following our tips, you can always have a healthy lunch at Burger King.

Burgers, which previously belonged exclusively to the fast food category, are becoming a real field for experimentation with quality products, the result of which is amazing taste and unusual combinations. Despite this juicy cutlets Many myths continue to surround the delicious buns. Let's figure out what's true and what's not.

Deep frying, carcinogens VS grilling

Burger patties are fried in large quantities oils Due to the flow of people in fast food, it rarely changes. Carcinogens that accumulate in frying fats get into the cutlets, causing irreparable harm to the body.

The number of growing gourmets and supporters of proper and healthy food dictate their terms. Burger patties have not been fried in large amounts of oil for a long time. A grill is used for this. It allows you to properly fry the cutlet, making it as juicy as possible.

High calorie content = blow to the figure

Burgers are high-calorie foods. By consuming them constantly, you risk gaining dozens of extra pounds.

The essential components of any burger are a meat patty and a bun. Depending on the recipe, they can be supplemented with fresh and pickled vegetables, cheese, bacon, and eggs. This is indeed a high-calorie dish, but if prepared correctly and using high-quality products, while maintaining an active lifestyle, it can replace a regular lunch a couple of times a week, and will not affect the body in the form of excess deposits.

Those who approach the issue with pedantic scrupulousness should try the offerings from modern burger and steak bars. The menu includes burgers with whole grain buns instead of regular buns. There are offers for girls, when the same burger is served on a plate, but without a bun. Leaves play its role different varieties lettuce in which the remaining ingredients are wrapped.

Spices and flavor enhancers VS salt and pepper

Good old McDonald's hamburgers and cheeseburgers have a special flavor that you just can't get at home. Burger cutlets are regularly supplemented with flavor enhancers and numerous spices.

A cutlet in a modern burger shop is a piece of excellent pulp with a small amount of fat, chopped into small pieces with a sharp knife. Spices: salt, pepper. Proper frying and grilling bring the formed cutlet to perfection, making it tasty, juicy, aromatic and with an appetizing crust. No flavor enhancers or aroma clogs good meat spices are not used.

Preservatives and frozen cutlets VS fresh meat

Fast food burgers can be stored for years without spoiling.

Our burgers are not stored for years - they are eaten immediately. And these are no longer the packaged and frozen cutlets that global chains offered. These are quality dishes made from freshly baked buns, farm vegetables and excellent fresh, not frozen meat, which is often chopped right before preparing the dish.

Mayonnaise and ketchup VS signature sauce

Burgers are always served with ready-made sauces, which are prepared on the basis of powders, as well as fatty oil and mayonnaise.

The approach to sauces, as well as to the preparation of burgers in general, has undergone enormous changes. Restaurants that love their guests always offer fresh homemade sauces. This is not just ketchup squeezed onto a cutlet - it is a separately prepared component of the dish that gives it a piquant flavor and gives your receptors a real paradise of flavors and mouth-watering aromas.