Simply put, yes, diabetics can eat hamburgers. According to the American Diabetes Association, a healthy lunch or dinner for a diabetic should include 1/2 nonstarchy vegetables, 1/4 healthy starch and 1/4 lean protein. A hamburger patty made from lean, ground beef eaten on a whole grain bun, and topped with vegetables fits the criteria for a healthy balanced diabetic meal.
Beef
At your grocery store look for "Select" grade ground beef that is 95 percent lean meat and 5 percent fat. A single cooked hamburger patty made from 1/4 lb. of raw, 5 percent fat, ground beef contains only 140 calories and approximately 2.44 g of total saturated fat, yet contains an impressive 21.56 g of protein. Fast-food burgers can contain much higher amounts of saturated fat -- up to eight times as much.
Nonstarchy Vegetables
If you would like to eat a hamburger on a diabetic's diet, ensure to top the patty with plenty of nonstarchy vegetables. Nonstarchy vegetables contain few calories or carbohydrates, but plenty of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and photochemicals. Eat at least three to five servings a day. A serving equals 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables. You may top the lean beef hamburger patty with a variety of nonstarchy vegetables such as romaine, baby spinach, arugula, tomatoes, onions, coleslaw zucchini and cucumber.
Whole Grain Bun
For healthy starch, choose a whole grain bun instead of a bun made from refined grains. Look for buns that list their first ingredient as 100 percent whole wheat flour. Avoid buns made with processed and refined grain flours such as white flour or enriched wheat flour. Foods made from whole grains provide more nutrition than foods made from refined grains. Whole grains contain soluble fiber, essential fatty acids, phytochemicals, vitamin E and most of the B vitamins.
Considerations
Keep the hamburger patty small and avoid fatty toppings such as cheese and bacon. The rest of your meals for the day should include extra lean sources of protein such as black beans. One cup of cooked black beans contains just 0.23 g of total saturated fat. Another extra lean protein source is salmon. A pink salmon fillet contains 1.2 g of saturated fat. (See Reference 3, 4). You may also want to consider a beef hamburger substitute, such as a veggie burger, black bean burger or lean turkey burger.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Create Your Plate
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Recipes: Bodacious 'Steak' Burger
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Lean Meats
- United States Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Non-Starchy Vegetables
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Carbohydrates
