You have a variety of choices when it comes to lunch and supper fare. Whether you eat at your desk, at home or a restaurant, your choices can mean the difference between a healthy and unhealthy meal. Wraps and burgers are common afternoon and evening meals that can be made healthier with the right ingredients. By getting the nutritional facts on wraps and burgers, you can make an educated decision.
Ingredients
A traditional hamburger is made with ground beef. Ground beef can often be a fattier cut of meat, resulting in higher caloric and fat content, especially when ground beef is not properly drained. One full fat ground beef patty can have over 800 calories, without condiments or a bun. Using lean ground beef can help reduce some of the fat content. Wraps can be lower in calories and fat, depending on the ingredients. Lean meats and vegetables make for a lighter wrap, and a whole wheat tortilla can help lower the refined carbohydrate content.
Nutritional Information
The exact nutritional information for your burger or wrap will depend heavily on the cuts of meat and the vegetables and condiments you use to dress your food. For instances, loading a burger or wrap with fatty bacon won't be as healthy as using avocado slices. For a general comparison, a fast food turkey wrap has 270 calories, 6 g fat and 24 g protein, while a plain fast food hamburger has around 250 calories, 9 g fat and 12 g protein. While the wrap technically has more calories, it has less fat and more protein, making it a healthier choice.
Fast Food
Even when you're not at home, some fast food restaurants offer healthier options so you needn't make concessions when watching your diet. When making the choice between a wrap and a burger, consider the ingredients. A wrap is no necessarily the better choice if made with fatty ingredients, like ground beef or fried chicken and a burger may be a healthier option if of the turkey variety. Ask those working at the restaurant the ingredients included in a burger and wrap and choose the one with the lowest fat content but the highest amount of nutrients, like fiber and protein.
Healthier Options
When eating at home, you have complete control over what goes into your burger or wrap for the best nutrition. If you're craving a burger, use extra lean ground beef and substitute half of the beef in the burgers for black beans. You'll enjoy the same consistency and flavor, but with less fat and added protein. Then, reduce the amount of sides you have with your meal. Eating half the fries saves you calories without sacrificing the experience. Since wraps are portable, they make for a healthy alternative to other on-the-go lunches. Use whole wheat wraps for more whole grains and load the center of the wrap with healthy ingredients and less condiments. Lean turkey, tomatoes, lettuce and low fat cheese sprinkled with vinaigrette instead of mayo make for a healthy and satisfying meal.
Member Comments