27th August is National Burger Day
I confess, to me it seems a rather strange to have a special day to celebrate burgers, but then there seems to be a ‘National Day’ for just about everything!
A Mr Hyde invented National Burger Day because he and his family wanted to celebrate their favourite food, the burger, and all the places they have sampled them. Oh dear, is Mr Hyde one of those people who would jet off somewhere exotic and, rather than sample the local cuisine, head for the nearest burger joint? Maybe that’s unfair. I really don’t know.
But the more important question is, should we be celebrating a National Burger Day when many people say that the humble burger is one of the causes of obesity in the UK?
Well, I do not know what Mr Hyde’s favourite burger is, but it is important to stress that a burger is not intrinsically unhealthy. It depends what the burger is made of, how it is cooked, and what it is served with.
A short history of the burger
There is still some debate about who invented the burger, or hamburger as it was originally known.
Hamburgers started life in the early 20th century initially as a way for the food industry to use off-cuts of meat rather than throwing them to the dogs. During the Great Depression of the 1930s when poverty and hunger were rife, entrepreneurs developed machines that could make burger en masse to feed people cheaply, serving them in cheap buns to fill them up and including additives in the list of ingredients to provide lots of flavour.
The traditional beef burger
Traditionally, burgers were made of beef and the majority still are, but rather than dubious offcuts, quality ground (minced) beef is used more often nowadays. But, as with many foodstuffs, with beef burgers it is normally a case of you get what you pay for: if you buy a big pack of cheap burgers from a supermarket, or a cheap take away, your burger is more likely to be made of lower quality ingredients. And let’s not forget the horsemeat scandal of 2013!
And a quality beef burger can certainly be a meal in itself when served in a bun with perhaps bacon, cheese, salad, onions, eggs, relish, ketchup….
But as David Katz, MD, director of the Yale University Prevention Centre says:
“Fatty beef from dubiously fed cattle, slathered in sugary ketchup and placed between two halves of a refined flour bun? No thanks,”
And while red meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, the NHS suggests that eating red and processed meat probably increases your risk of bowel cancer.
The majority of nutritionists now recommend a Mediterranean Diet which includes red meat only very occasionally.
Healthy burger options
Clearly, moderation is key when eating traditional beef burgers.
But of course, apart from varying qualities and a dazzling array of serving options and sides, increasingly people are choosing healthier burger options such as chicken or fish burgers. And more so than ever, there are now lots of tasty vegetarian and vegan options to purchase either as raw products or as a restaurant meal.
Why not celebrate National Burger Day with a vegan burger such as the tasty, healthy, Teriyaki Black Bean Burger featured in Marlene Watson-Tara’s fabulous book Go Vegan
As Marlene says, changing eating habits does not mean giving up eating your favourite foods: just changing how they are made!
Made from short grain brown rice, and black beans, this really is a healthy, tasty alternative.
Grains serve as a major source of protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals in a form that is easy to digest and metabolise. They are also complex carbohydrates, or unprocessed forms of carbohydrates which is the way they exist in whole foods and are crucial to a healthy diet. These complex carbohydrates are crucial as a source of fuel for our bodies, required by our nervous system, muscles and kidneys, and provide glucose to all our body cells.
Black beans are an import source of protein, as they are high in amino acids. The basic elements of proteins are amino acids, the building blocks we need to create human protein. There are 8 essential amino acids, which should be present in our diet on a daily basis.
By eating grains and beans together you are assured of getting all the essential amino acids and therefore protein you need. Any “fear” of cooking beans is eliminated now that they are readily available in cans and jars.
So, go ahead and enjoy a burger on National Burger Day, but one that will be good for you!
Check out Marlene’s recipe for TERIYAKI BLACK BEAN BURGER in our new vegan & vegetarian recipe section.
Or why not experiment to see what exciting tasty, healthy burgers you can surprise your family and friends with?
We taste-tested the Teriyaki Black Bean Burgers and served them with sweet potato wedges, slaw, mushrooms, and a griddled nectarine. Delicious!
Image credits:
Burger header image by Shutterbug75 from Pixabay