Hamburger: Hero or villain in your sports diet?

It depends on your goals and your body’s individual response to any burger; in addition to stimulating your mind, it could also stimulate your muscles.

For example, if you’re gaining a lot of size, the extra calories from a good burger now and then could help you during a bulking phase, and “now and then” can be “frequent.” You should certainly evaluate your individual circumstances, but there are other aspects to consider when choosing between a steak and a burger.

Experts generally recommend steak because lean cuts of beef are an excellent source of protein for a bodybuilder in a growth phase or on a diet.

In the past, steak was vilified as a “fatty” food, but its bad reputation came from the fact that inexpensive cuts of beef were not trimmed of fat and, when served, were also served with the fat.

In bodybuilding circles, leaner cuts such as porterhouse, filet mignon, sirloin, and T-bones are more popular, but when we talk about a type of burger, things can get quite interesting as well due to technological advances in the fitness food industry.

Now, if you love burgers and want to include them in your diet, do so even if they contain extra calories, which you can also use to support your hormonal system and maintain trans fats, which are also relevant in some respects, such as supporting the organs.

If you’re a bodybuilder on a limited budget and every gram of protein is crucial to you, remember that a burger also nourishes your senses, mind, and hormone levels.

What about the burger?

Everyone loves a good juicy burger, but a common misconception is that it can fit your macros and that it is not the healthiest option on the menu.

Now, if you’re going to eat it as a “normal” anabolic meal, cooked in vegetable oil with some carbohydrates (buns) and vegetables or even fruit such as avocado, the story is different.

Before drawing conclusions about their health benefits, let’s talk about the 5 delicious types of burgers you can grill at home in your kitchen or on the patio, which will not only satisfy your appetite and cravings but also help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

The beef burger

There is nothing like a delicious, traditional organic beef burger (hormone-free), which can provide 90% lean meat and only 10% fat.

• Average calories: 200
• Protein: 22 g
• Fat: 15 g

It also contains a healthy amount of essential micronutrients such as zinc, magnesium, vitamin B6, and iron.

Did you know that these micronutrients can also help maintain healthy testosterone levels?

The vegetable burger

The advantage vegetarian burgers have over burgers of animal origin is their micronutrient content. For example, black beans are full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and have a much lower fat and cholesterol content.

Although a vegan burger is not the best protein option, as it may contain more carbohydrates per serving, it is an excellent plant-based alternative for nutritional intake throughout the day.

A typical vegan or vegetable burger has approximately these amounts in its nutritional value.

• Average calories: 160–170
• Protein: 15 g or less
• Carbohydrates: similar to protein
• Fiber: around 5 g

The turkey burger

Among the healthiest is the turkey burger, one of the best for the cutting phase because it is an excellent lean meat option for burgers that will help you stay lean and healthy, although it is not the juiciest and has a different flavor.

Now, adding mushrooms is the best way to guarantee that it is juicy, because mushrooms are packed with umami, which adds a savory, meaty flavor. Now, if you are not a mushroom lover, you are missing out on a spectacular complement to turkey.

A burger made from turkey is 90% lean and 10% fat, with the following nutritional value:

• Average calories: 175
• Protein: 20 g
• Fat: 10 g or less

They also contain iron, zinc, potassium, selenium, and even calcium, as well as many B-complex vitamins.

Because of its tryptophan content, it helps you synthesize serotonin and melatonin, making it a perfect food for recovery because it induces anabolic sleep like no other food.

The chicken burger

Chicken does not always have to be bland to be used as an excellent anabolic food. Every now and then, a chicken burger comes seasoned with peppers and other smoked ingredients, and its meat is perfect to combine with sweet potatoes or other complex carbohydrates at dinner or even in the morning when protein is needed for protein synthesis.

A chicken burger can also provide, in addition to vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, and other minerals, the following nutritional values:

• Average calories: 200
• Protein: 30 g
• Fat: 10 g or less

Obviously, it’s best to choose free-range chickens (hormone-free) that are certified for consumption.

The fish burger

On the other hand, having the occasional fish burger (such as tuna burgers) each week can be great for your paleo diet and, of course, for adding their benefits and fatty acids, which will help maintain cardiovascular, mental, and blood-vessel health.

They’re also rich in the antioxidant mineral selenium, which will help strengthen your immune and cardiovascular systems, as well as provide a good dose of B vitamins, crucial for energy production and red blood cells.

The burger bun

If you choose to have it with a bun or roll, make sure to choose the whole-wheat option or even a high-protein option.

Whole wheat is a complex carbohydrate and won’t raise your blood sugar, but remember to pay attention to the other ingredients.

Just because a product says whole wheat doesn’t mean it’s made with 100% whole-wheat flour or cracked wheat. Many food manufacturers will claim that a product is whole wheat, but it may contain other types of flour and refined-sugar additives such as high-fructose corn syrup, barley malt, dextrose, maltose, and many other additives hidden in plain sight.

When in doubt, choose the organic, 100% whole-grain option, although it’s entirely up to you.

Besides, who wouldn’t indulge in adding fries or sweet potato fries to these delicious burgers?

Potatoes, the perfect companions

Potatoes are actually quite healthy—a widely known secret that most of us overlook.

When prepared properly, fries can become a guilt-free snack that’s perfect alongside any burger.

They may not taste exactly like the fried, salty, greasy ones that come straight from a restaurant fryer basket, but these 5 ways to make guilt-free fries will blow you away with their flavor.

• Bake instead of frying: traditionally, they are cooked in vegetable oil, which adds extra fat and calories. But if you bake them with two tablespoons of olive oil on top (drizzled or not), they can be delicious, as long as you have boiled them first.
• Roast them: another way to make delicious fries without the guilt is to roast them. Prepare them as you would for baking in the oven, but then turn on the grill, turning them to prevent them from sticking.
• Choose sweet potatoes: they are a complex carbohydrate that does not turn directly into sugar; any excess glucose will be stored as fat.

Also remember to leave out the salt when seasoning them and instead opt for flavorful spices that have a big impact without adding extra sodium.

Think of fresh garlic, cumin, chili powder, paprika, thyme, and rosemary. Even sweeter spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg work well, especially if you are using sweet potatoes.

For example, the next time your burger needs a side dish, imagine using some breaded zucchini strips, baked in the oven and easy to eat, which are ideal for enjoying that crunchy texture you love so much.

The burger and well-being

In addition to nourishing your body with the nutrients found in each of the options, you need to remember to nourish your mind—not only to reduce stress in your diet, but also to stimulate the neural connections that strengthen the mind-muscle connection.

Consuming healthy foods, such as a burger with buns “from complex sources” and natural sauces made with spices, or even probiotics or mushrooms and plenty of vegetables, promotes the growth of “good” bacteria, which in turn positively affects neurotransmitter production.

Remember that a steady diet of junk food, on the other hand, can cause inflammation that makes everything more difficult, so you should focus on taking advantage of fitness options, especially those low in fat, encouraging the production of these neurotransmitters.

When they are in good shape, your brain receives these positive messages loud and clear, and your emotions reflect it. But when production is impaired, so is your mood, and your mind-muscle connection is significantly affected.

MASmusculo has put together some perfect recipes for you, including one for cooking a beef burger.