Perhaps, today no one will dare to argue with the fact that burgers are delicious. No wonder they have long ceased to be exclusively fast food, and now they can be found even in the menu of gourmet restaurants.
The first to radically change the attitude towards burgers was proposed by chef Yannick Alléno, the owner of a Michelin star, in 2010 he included them in the menu of his Parisian restaurant, opened at the Le Meurice hotel. Today, different types of burgers can be ordered even in the restaurants of the most famous French chef Alain Ducasse, and it is he who is considered one of the main ideologists of modern gastronomy. But can burgers be not only tasty, but also healthy? Yes, if you take into account some of the features that we will talk about today.
It's no secret that a burger patty can be made from minced meat made from premium meat, as well as from offal, tinted and stuffed with flavor enhancers. Actually, it is meat that largely determines the benefits of a burger. So, for example, in the recently opened Gucci osteria in Florence, whose cuisine is managed by the owner of three Michelin stars, the Italian chef Massimo Bottura, miniburgers are one of the hits on the menu. Cutlets for them are made from chianina - the delicacy meat of two-meter white cows, which is most often used to cook the famous bistecca fiorentina - a Florentine steak with blood.
But in the restaurants of the American network Shake Shack (three of which are located in Moscow), for example, cutlets are made from minced marbled beef from Angus gobies, which was bred in the 19th century in Scotland. It is Angus that is considered the best beef for cooking classic steaks. Well, steaks, as you know, are pure protein, so necessary for building muscles. Plus, Angus beef contains iron and magnesium, and in fact the lack of these elements is very often felt by the fair sex living in big cities. Magnesium helps our body fight stress and allergies, and strengthens nails and hair. Iron is an essential element for the body. It is part of hemoglobin and due to this it enriches the tissues of our body with oxygen, and also helps to prolong youth.
In fact, the bread itself, of course, is not harmful. No wonder it is he who is one of the oldest food products on earth, and, whatever fans of the Paleolithic diet would say, if the ancient inhabitants of the Fertile Crescent had not switched from hunting and gathering to agriculture in their time, we would still live in caves and followed the migrating herds of animals. And no progress even at the level of the invention of the wheel, and even about mobile phones and airplanes, in principle, one could forget. Nevertheless, some care must be taken with bread, because this product has become popular all over the world precisely because of its high calorie content. It is today that we are concerned about the problems of the figure, and 200 years ago people were worried about a completely different question: “How to saturate your body so that you don’t want to eat for a very long time?”. But if you are actively involved in sports, you can, with a clear conscience, allow yourself bread several times a week, combined with a high-quality meat cutlet. Especially after a super-intense power load, during which you kept a high heart rate. The fact is that after activity in the body, the “afterburning of calories” mode is launched, by the way, it is for this reason that the trainer drives you, already tired after the main exercises, to a 20-minute cardio at the end of the session. If you did a great job during the workout, then after it the muscles will begin to actively consume oxygen for recovery, and while compensating for oxygen debt, your body will continue to expend 23% more energy than usual. This phenomenon is called the EPOC effect, and the process of “afterburning calories” lasts, as a rule, up to 22 hours. So, if you don’t have urgent weight loss in your plans, but you just want to keep your body in shape, then within 22 hours after intense strength training you can afford to eat anything and without the slightest harm to the figure. For example, treat yourself to a Smoke Shack cheeseburger with smoked bacon, finely chopped hot peppers and signature Shake Shack sauce, which is included in the Shake Shack seasonal menu and is available at the chain's restaurants from February 1 to March 31.
Well, if you have not yet made friends with a barbell, dumbbells and a treadmill, then you can order burgers in the diet version, where the bun is replaced with lettuce leaves, because, as you know, fiber and protein combine perfectly. By the way, for example, in the same Shake Shack restaurants, any burger can be served in lettuce: from the classic Shake Burger to Smoke Shake, which also includes smoked bacon. In a word, even the absence of active physical activity is not a hindrance to burgers. Just swap the bun for a salad.
The hamburger is a favorite treat for children, teenagers and many adults. It's hard to turn down the opportunity to go to McDonald's and eat a signature Big Mac or some other kind of delicious bun with a cutlet.
That's just about the dangers of such nutrition today everyone knows. So why not try to cook exactly the same dish at home, so that it is not only tasty, but also healthy?
First, let's figure out what ingredients are included in the most famous hamburger in the world. It is the Big Mac.
There is no secret here - the composition of the hamburger at McDonald's is not hidden by anyone. It consists of:
As you can see - nothing that could not be cooked at home. And if so, then to the point! But first, let's make sure that the homemade analogue will be not only tasty and beautiful, but also useful.
Everyone knows that a hamburger is the standard of unhealthy food. But why? After all, if you serve a couple of cutlets with cheese with a side dish of vegetables, sauce and buns instead of bread, you get a balanced meal.
Someone says that this is dry food, which harms the stomach. But after all, no one bothers to drink a hamburger, for example, with tea or coffee (ice soda is definitely not worth it - it's really harmful), nullifying the harmful properties.
In fact, the harm comes not from the hamburger itself, but from the products used in cooking.
On the one hand, in order to increase the shelf life, all ingredients are subjected to special processing. As a result, mold does not appear on the bun for months, and the salad does not fade for weeks - you can experiment.
On the other hand, the composition includes many special flavors. Indeed, as a result of processing, products practically lose their original taste. To restore it, various chemical compounds are used that bring great harm to health.
At home, you get a fresh, tasty analogue, prepared with your own hands from high-quality, natural products. Of course, it will be tastier than a store-bought hamburger.
We start with their preparation. It is best to take beef - it is not as fatty as pork. However, if it seems dry to you, then you can take several types of meat. For example, combine pork with beef.
It is better to chop the meat with a sharp knife. But not everyone has the patience for this, so you can simply pass it through a large grate in a meat grinder.
Some pedants use a special press to fry hamburgers. It allows not only to give the cutlet a perfectly even shape, but also makes the surface wavy, which contributes to the fastest frying.
But if it is not at hand, then you can carefully form a cutlet with your hands. The main thing is that it should be a little larger than the buns - during the frying process, the cutlet will noticeably decrease. No seasonings, except for salt and black pepper, do not need to be added here. Good meat and so has excellent taste.
The easiest solution is to purchase them from the store. But not the most efficient. Still, homemade crispy buns are much better able to set off the great taste of a homemade dish. So, if you are interested in how to make a hamburger, then it is better to bake them at home. For this you will need:
When everything you need is at hand, get to work. And remember: a hamburger is a symphony of taste, in which there are no trifles. And the bun plays the role of the first violin here! So the steps are:
It remains only to let the buns cool down a bit, and then you can cook hamburgers! Knowing how to bake hamburger buns, you can proceed to the next step.
A hamburger is not only the main ingredients, but also the sauce! Without it, the dish will never turn out as tasty as in a cafe.
To make the mustard sauce (which is the one used in Big Macs, Chickenburgers, and Cheeseburgers), use:
Preparing the sauce is very simple - put all the ingredients in a blender and beat until smooth.
We're heading to the finish line! After all, in order to know how to make a hamburger, you need to properly lay the layers. To do this, cut the bun lengthwise into three parts and fry a little so that it crunches. Also prepare all the ingredients that are put in the "Big Mac" - the list is given above. The sequence is this:
Everything is ready, you can invite guests to the table! As you can see, a hamburger is very tasty, simple and quite healthy! Therefore, you can spoil your loved ones with them more often.
Why hamburgers are bad or how "Western" eating style is bad for your health
Developing countries are experiencing rapid urbanization, with the result that more than half of the world's population now lives in cities. This number is expected to rise to 70% by 2050. With this process comes the urban lifestyle - often involving less physical activity and a "Western" way of eating.
Around the world, there is a change in eating habits that cannot but affect the health of the population. Most people around the world are choosing more calories and more meat on their menus as they increase their income. Unfortunately, such changes are not always beneficial, they can have potentially negative health consequences and increase the risk of chronic diseases.
Nowadays, there are whole groups of people who are malnourished, not because they eat low quality and insufficient food, but because they eat foods that have few useful properties and contain a lot of artificial additives and colors. This trend is at odds with more traditional causes of malnutrition. As incomes rise, people have access to "processed foods" and their consumption increases.
"Processed foods" are of little use, they contain "empty" calories. A menu that is poor in fruits and vegetables has a very negative impact on health. Therefore, the modern so-called "Western" menu, containing many processed foods, is rich in calories, but does little good for the body. According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, the frequent use of industrial meat products (sausages, sausages, ham, etc.) is associated 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 the consumption of plant fibers. This means a menu high in fat, red meat, salt and sugar, and low in fruits and vegetables. Such a menu characterizes too many calories and a small amount of nutrients, especially this tendency is inherent in the culture of fast food.
How can this menu affect your health?
Rising risk of infectious diseases
The highly processed and refined foods common in Western dishes do not appeal to the body. They adversely affect our immune system. The main culprits are foods containing fructose and palmitic acid, ingredients commonly found in chocolate bars that can trigger an immune response.
Palmitic acid is found in palm oil, which is widely used by Russian food manufacturers. You can find it in candy, confectionery, chips, french fries, ice cream, cream, sour cream, butter, cheese, and more.
According to scientists, our body can confuse palmitic acid with a bacterium like E. Coli, and then launch an immune attack on the suspected bacterium, resulting in mild inflammation and a weakened immune system. If the immune system is disoriented in this way, its cells will not be ready to fight the real infection. Palmitic acid slows down our body's response to infections, and by the time the immune system is ready to respond, it will have a harder time dealing with an infection that has spread.
However, the effect is reversible. Changing the diet to eliminate exposure to these food components can restore immune activity back to its normal state. These mild inflammations will disappear.
Palmitic acid has a number of other harmful effects on the body. Its excess in the body contributes to the development of diseases of the nervous tissues and adversely affects the health of the liver.
Disruption of the intestinal flora
The bacteria in our gut play an important role not only for the health and well-being of the gastrointestinal tract, but also for the whole body as a whole.
About a kilogram of microbes live inside each person, the bacteria in our intestines 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 pathogenic microorganisms will settle in their place, producing harmful toxins and poisoning the body.
obesity and diabetes
The worldwide spread of menus rich in saturated fats and calories is causing an observed increase in the number of obese and diabetic people around the world. In 2014, over 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. Obese people often develop inflammation in the body, as well as an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and joint diseases such as arthritis. Rising levels of obesity are thought to be contributing to an increase in joint problems and the need to repair or replace them, due to increased pressure on the joints and wear and tear. Obese people have to face the need for hip and knee replacement much earlier in their lives.
The proportion of another obesity-related disease is also rapidly increasing worldwide. This is diabetes, which affected 374 million people in 2014. The development of type II diabetes is linked to diet, and the number of people suffering from it is increasing in every country, according to the International Diabetes Federation Diabetes Atlas.
Cancer risk
Recent research has linked Western diets to an increased risk of colon and prostate cancer. Men eating mostly Western diets have been found to have a 2.5 times higher risk of dying from prostate cancer, while colon cancer risks are also associated with inflammation and changes in gut bacteria.
Obese people are found to have various microbial compounds 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 Africans from South Africa and African Americans, and found that African Americans have a 50 times greater risk of developing colon cancer. According to scientists, this is due to their commitment to the "Western" menu.
Increased levels of inflammation can also damage cells in affected areas, such as the colon, causing more cell turnover. 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 invades 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
Obviously, eating style plays a big role in the health of the population, and when it comes to improving a person's health, nutritionists emphasize the need to pay more attention to what he eats.
The choice of diet is voluntary, and if earlier it was difficult to learn about the dangers of certain products, now such information appears in abundance every day. For example, the World Health Organization back in 2005 recommended refraining from eating palm oil, but due to its low cost and long shelf life, it is still a favorite for food manufacturers. Maybe we, the consumers, should take care of ourselves, stop buying harmful products and thus influence the producers.
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 to include more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes in your meals. You should not eat monotonous food, expanding your diet by eating more different foods, we will get more nutrients and reduce the harmful effects of any pesticides and harmful substances contained in a particular product.
Avoid white bread, regular pasta, and confectionery products containing refined carbohydrates that lack dietary fiber and nutrients. Read food labels and check for palm oil in the ingredients list. In addition, you need to limit foods with added sugar, such as soda and candy. These are sources of empty calories that contribute to weight gain. Many sugary foods are high in fat, which makes them even more calorie-dense.
How unhealthy are burgers and are they GMOs?
Burgers are a widely demanded and popular food all over the world. Today, in a variety of cafeterias, fast foods and other catering establishments, you can find burgers in a wide range, with a variety of tastes and additives. From time to time, many people have a completely logical question: are there GMOs in hamburgers? In order to dispel all sorts of doubts, it is necessary to initially understand all the components of this product, and then draw the appropriate conclusions.
What is this popular product
The burger, first of all, gained its wide popularity due to the fact that it is a hearty dish, which includes not only a bun, but also vegetables and a meat patty. The presence of GMOs can be indicated not only by a variety of plant components, but also by meat, which has an unusual taste.
Very often, this food product is currently sold in finished form. That is, when it is packaged in a specific package, for example, a vacuum film or a branded paper bag. It is very difficult to judge the amount of harmful substances in this case, because in fact the consumer does not know exactly how the cutlet was cooked. Therefore, various flavor enhancers, preservatives, which are GMOs, could be added to it.
That is why competent experts who conduct various studies on the dangers or benefits of fast food argue that, first of all, it is necessary that in the place where you will purchase a fragrant delicacy, all the ingredients are prepared in front of you. If there were no semi-finished products in the process of creating a dish, it becomes much easier to talk about the quality of the product.
How to choose a burger?
When choosing this food product, you need to pay special attention to several indicators:
When purchasing a burger, you need to think not only about whether there is any amount of GMOs in this product, but also to worry about your own health in terms of the freshness of the product.
Where can you buy a burger without fear for your own health
Competent experts in the field of healthy nutrition do not recommend buying a burger in:
Unfortunately, the specifics of preparing a burger in such establishments does not exclude the presence of GMOs in certain products. The owner may not monitor the quality of meat or vegetables, as a result of which the product will not only have dubious taste, but also be harmful to health.
It is recommended to purchase burgers at, which fulfill the order directly in front of the client. Today, a huge number of different establishments offer a wide range of burgers, ranging from meat, ending with vegetarian, and even sweet ones. At the time of preparation of this kind of product, each client can see with his own eyes what exactly the cutlet is made of, or what vegetables are used for cooking.
Is there a GMO in a burger?
This issue worries many people around the world. With confidence, only competent specialists who have been manufacturing this product for a long time and have the conclusion of a laboratory analysis in their hands can answer it negatively. In order to protect themselves, everyone has the right to choose one or another institution, the reputation of which he considers impeccable, and try the dishes there.
Do not forget that at present the problem of GMOs is present in many food products, even in those that do not belong to fast food. Therefore, it is impossible to completely protect yourself from the presence of any additives, but it is quite possible to reduce their consumption. If you want a non-GMO burger, buy it from a place that is guaranteed to use only high quality fresh meat.
We will help you find where GMO meat patties are not prepared. from the burgerRussia team.
The fact that fast food is harmful, we have already heard more than once. This statement is accepted as an axiom and has become a rule of good culinary style to scold McDonald's and other fast food chains. Like, food there and high-calorie and cholesterol there is a sea. As an example of the harm of hamburgers, we are given Americans with obesity problems. They say, you see, Americans eat hamburgers and fried potatoes, so they got fat.
But, in fact, is a hamburger really that bad? Let's figure it out. What is a hamburger made of?
The bun is rather small;
Fried beef cutlet without oil - hmm, in principle, dietary;
Pickled cucumber - there are few calories;
Lettuce - vitamins without calories;
Ketchup, onion and other seasonings.
Well, what's so terrible. Bun, you say - not useful. Yes, but the body needs carbohydrates. And who forces you to eat two or three rolls - one hamburger is enough.
How many calories does one average hamburger contain? A regular hamburger has only 255 calories. 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 the human diet, food should be balanced - there should be no more than 20-30 percent of fats, no more than 50% of carbohydrates.
Okay, let's look at the composition of the hamburger:
Fats - less than 10%
Carbohydrates - about 30%
Proteins - about 12%
The water in the hamburger is 45%
In addition, the hamburger contains vitamins of group B, C PP, as well as trace elements - iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper and manganese.
If you were not told that this is a terrible hamburger, but only its composition were presented, 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 delights, which are in bulk in our sausages, sausages and other conventional meat products. The cutlet is fried on fire without oil and vegetable, that is, palm fat, beloved by our cooks.
You can blame the fact that frozen foods and terrible ketchup are used, but this is ridiculous. Freezing does not affect the calorie content, and all trace elements 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 deal, it's a fact that Americans are overweight. Yes, a fact, but the problem is not in fast food, but in the structure of nutrition and lifestyle.
A city dweller needs 2600 calories per day. But this despite the fact that he is at least a little, but moving. And if you go by car from home to office 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, well, going to McDonald's is another 20 meters, then the number of calories You need, you can reduce. This is the first. Secondly, a hamburger is good as a small snack, well, maybe it will replace lunch if you add it with a salad. Then this is quite 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 one 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 you eat a couple of dozen hamburgers.
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