Fast food restaurants can be found around the world. One of the most common menu choices in fast food restaurants is the hamburger. Available in a wide range of choices, hamburgers at different fast food restaurants contain specific nutrition facts.
Types
Most fast food restaurants feature a specialty hamburger that is unique to the restaurant; the Whopper at Burger King, Quarter Pounder at McDonald's or Baconator at Wendy's. Common varieties of hamburgers include cheeseburgers, double hamburgers and limited-time only hamburgers. As a general rule, as more ingredients are added to the hamburger, the calories, fat and carbohydrates also increase.
Features
Fast food restaurants will add condiments and sauces to hamburgers to form the intended taste, appearance and texture. Common condiments include ketchup, pickles, tomatoes and lettuce. Some of the limited-time only hamburgers may feature a combination of bacon, cheese, onion rings, special sauces, mushrooms or special bread. Adding condiments such as sauces, bacon and cheese adds significant amounts of sodium and calories to the hamburgers.
Identification
Identifying the overall nutritional content of fast food hamburgers can be difficult, but using a few resources can reveal the "best" options. Review the features and added condiments to the hamburger and consider the quality of beef used and the cooking and preparation method. Most fast food restaurants will also post nutritional information on their websites as well as having a printed copy in the restaurants. Reviewing these chartes before heading to the restaurants can prevent choosing hamburgers with excessive calories and fat.
Potential
Fast food restaurants will offer hamburgers in combo meals that combine the sandwich with fries and a drink. Combining these three items can push the calorie count to over 1,700. Choosing water instead of soda can reduce the calorie count by about 500 calories. Another method to reduce calories is to choose an alternative side item such as a side salad, fruit, yogurt or a baked potato. Also, choosing a single patty hamburger instead of the "deluxe" burger can keep the entire meal to around 500 calories.
Considerations
Other considerations when ordering fast food hamburgers include the size of the burger and size of the combo meal. Avoid choosing the supersized combo meals that can add another 1,000 calories to the meal and limit the amount of cheese, mayonnaise and special sauces. Ordering a hamburger with extra pickles, onions, lettuce or tomatoes instead of bacon or sauces can add flavor without adding excessive amounts of fat.
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