When choosing a burger to chow down on, there are plenty of varieties to pick from. Whether you're looking to stay low in calories or are hoping to pack up some protein, you can opt for a veggie burger or a beef burger depending on your specific dietary aims.

The results of a largest-of-its-kind study on burgers is in, and the results are this: beef burgers contain more protein, calories, fat, and cholesterol–and less sodium and fiber–than "imitation" and veggie burgers.

While the results may come as unsurprising given what we already know about red meat, the data aimed to show a true nutritional comparison of beef burgers with other competing plant-based options on the market.

Related: Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest healthy eating news!    

In comparison to beef burgers, the study shows that veggie burgers contain the most amounts of carbohydrates and vitamins A and C, with the least amount of fat. Imitation burgers, such as the ever-popular Impossible Burger, contain the most sodium, vitamin D, iron, and potassium compared to beef burgers.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, including senior author Alissa Nolden. As a sensory scientist, Nolden focuses her work on the complexities behind what makes food taste good for people. She found in her research that there is a huge nutritional difference in burger products in the market, which she notes is important for consumers to be aware of.

"There are tons of options for consumers to try and they might not be aware of the nutritional differences," Nolden said. "The goal of this study wasn't to say one product category is healthier than the other. We wanted to look at the nutrients, which can sometimes become a lower priority during product development because there is a strong focus on making the product taste delicious."

Nolden said that one difference between beef burgers and alternatives is that saturated fat can be added to alternatives to help enhance taste. Because of this, it's important to look at nutrition labels and ingredients while shopping for your burgers.

"You might think that because an imitation burger is plant-based it would be lower in things like saturated fat, when in fact, in order to make it taste better they incorporate things like coconut oil," Nolden said.

For more on burgers, check out The Best Burger in Every State.

The post Largest Burger Study Ever Reveals Which Type Has the Most Protein appeared first on Eat This Not That.

----------------

By: Kristen Warfield
Title: Largest Burger Study Ever Reveals Which Type Has the Most Protein
Sourced From: www.eatthis.com/news-burger-study-most-protein/
Published Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2021 11:45:51 +0000

Read More