Enjoy your burger guilt-free with these healthy eating tips. Rachel Meltzer is a Prevention magazine research editor.
What's more indulgent than a big, juicy burger Lucky for us, with a little imagination you can turn the All-American favorite into a disease-fighting dinner. Here are five better-for-you burgers, paired with delicious health-boosting toppings. Choose the one that best matches your eating style:
If you're a: Meat lover
Try: Lean beef (look for 90% lean or higher) For its: Immune-boosting zinc Top with: Fresh tomato slices and basil for extra antioxidants Look for: Laura's Lean Beef 92% lean ground beef patties; laurasleanbeef.com
If you're a: Dieter
Try: Veggie For its: Filling fiber Top with: Avocado slices, rich in belly fat–busting MUFAs Look for: Dr. Praeger's California Veggie Burger; drpraegers.com
If you're a: Seafood fan
Try: Salmon For its: Heart disease–fighting omega-3 fats Top with: Peppery, vitamin K–packed watercress and a teaspoon of wasabi mayonnaise Look for: Vital Choice wild Alaskan sockeye salmon burgers; vitalchoice.com
If you're a: Gourmet
Try: Bison For its: Energizing iron Top with: Organic ketchup for cancer-fighting lycopene and grilled onion slices for disease-fighting flavonoids Look for: Northstar Bison ground grass-fed patties; northstarbison.com
If you're a: Vegetarian
Try: Soy For its: Heart-healthy plant protein Top with: Sautéed red bell pepper. Its vitamin C boosts iron absorption, crucial if you don't eat meat Look for: Boca meatless burger original; bocaburger.com
**Note: With all due respect, we advise against consuming meatless burgers. Veggie burgers are unhealthy alternatives as they are massively over-processed and often are made of GMO foods. For more, click here to read our Meatless Meat Blog