Beefing Up Your Burgers Can Help Meet Nutritional Goals

As part of the beef community, I’ve had the pleasure of eating some of the best steaks in the country – maybe even in the world, and I’d still rank a juicy beef burger among my favorite beef eating experiences. At Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. land, we’re always learning new insights about consumers’ love affair for all things beef.  Recently, we’ve been looking at the consumer research that reinforces how much Americans truly love a delicious beef burger, especially fresh off the grill. I’ve also seen the data that reminds us how much people love seeing drool-worthy images of big, juicy burgers. From where I sit, as a nutrition researcher and registered dietitian, this presents an opportunity.

As the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) recently pointed out in their Scientific Advisory Report, because of their popularity, burgers and sandwiches are a significant source of calories, sodium, refined grains and solid fats in typical American diets¹. Yet, on the other hand, there is tremendous nutrition potential in a classic beef burger.

I have a teenage daughter—one of those picky eaters—who eats a plain burger with nothing on it from her high school cafeteria most days of the week. The mom vs. dietitian debates I have with myself usually land in a place where I am grateful for the nutrients she is getting, like iron, zinc, B-vitamins and high-quality protein, knowing the beef patty provides a great nutritional base, but I’m left wishing for more. I know her diet, like so many of her peers, is vulnerable to being woefully inadequate in key life-stage nutrients, and like so many moms, I worry about her. Despite her eyeroll, I persistently provide a daily nudge: “PLEASE add some colorful veggies to the top of that burger, find a healthy side, build it out with a veggie or fruit….” Turns out she has recently started to add a garden salad with those burgers. Progress! Now if we can only move in this direction on a population level.

Americans love real, authentic beef burgers. In fact, according to a recent analysis, beef-containing sandwiches (including burgers) are consumed by 1 in 5 Americans 2 years of age and older on any given day². The 2020 DGAC Scientific Report recognized this opportunity as well noting “…. burgers and sandwiches could become a major way to increase the consumption of many food components and nutrients that are currently under-consumed, such as whole grains (fiber), and vegetables.”¹

My friend and colleague, Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, President and CEO of the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), recently noted that sandwiches, multi-cultural mixed dishes (e.g., Italian, Asian, Mexican), and burgers rise to the top of Americans’ intake of vegetable pairings and could be utilized more as a vehicle for increasing vegetable eating occasions. In fact, PBH’s recent “State of the Plate” research showed that intake of vegetables such as tomatoes and onions – common burger condiments – is declining, and that this disturbing trend could be reversed if more vegetables were added to burgers.³

As the DGAC scientific report also recognizes, burgers and sandwiches are already a source of key nutrients and other food groups for most Americans¹, including:

• #1 source of protein, calcium, potassium, and fiber;
• #2 source of whole grain, dairy, and vitamin D; and
• #3 source of vegetables

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