The burger is “the” meal that brings people together. And because we know that fast-food burgers are often disappointing (in addition to being bad for the line as much as for the health…), many of us try the experience in the kitchen!
Good news for burger lovers: “a burger is not necessarily hyper-fat, hyper-sweet, hyper-salty or even hyper-caloric! says Nathalie Négro, dietitian-nutritionist. It only takes a few tricks to lighten the nutritional bill… without sacrificing pleasure.“Here is the advice of the specialist:
1 – Choose quality meat
“If you can, buy your minced steaks at a butcher’s: there, you will be sure that they are made from rump steak, a very low-fat meat” recommends Nathalie Négro. Otherwise, choose minced steaks with 5% fat at the supermarket.
2 – Don’t forget the bacon
“Contrary to what one might think, bacon is not ultra-caloric!“says the dietician. At the supermarket or the butcher, choose slices of bacon fillet and put one in each burger.
3 – Avoid industrial burger buns
The reason ? “They are often much too fatty and much too sweet!“says the dietician. You have two options: you can make your own burger buns (it’s not very complicated, see the recipe below) or opt for sliced country bread instead – buy from your baker or supermarket.
- Recipe: low GI burger buns.
For 4 buns (so 2 burgers). Rehydrate 8 g of dehydrated baker’s yeast with 250 mL of lukewarm water and leave to stand for 10 min. In the bowl of a food processor, pour 300 g of T110 wheat flour and 100 g of chickpea flour, 1 tbsp. c. of salt and 1 tbsp. c. spices of your choice (optional), then add the water + yeast mixture and 3 tbsp. at s. hazelnut oil. Knead at medium speed for 10 minutes. Cover with a clean cloth and let stand for 1 hour. Degas the dough with your fist, then form 4 balls. Place them on a sheet of parchment paper and let rise again for 30 minutes under a cloth. Preheat the oven to 250°C with the baking sheet inside. Brush the balls with a little milk, then sprinkle with sesame. Slide the sheet of paper with the balls onto the hot plate and bake for 25 minutes, lowering the oven temperature to 200°C.
Source : By the end of this book, you will know how to cook low GI – Elisabeth Guedes, ed. Larousse.
4 – Prepare a tasty sauce
Avoid the classic duo (but devastating for the silhouette) mayonnaise + ketchup. “Instead, prepare a good, well-concentrated tomato coulis with herbs – basil, thyme, Herbes de Provence…“advises Nathalie Negro.
5 – Cook the fries differently
“Fries in oil are (of course) very greasy, so not recommended when trying to take care of your figure as well as your health…“ remarks the specialist. Who therefore advises to cook his fries in the oven or in the hot air fryer!
Finally, for a really successful burger, don’t forget the cheese (one or two nice slices of cheddar, Comté, Emmental…) and the garnish (one or two slices of tomato, a nice lettuce leaf. ..). Enjoy your food !
Thanks to Nathalie Négro, dietitian-nutritionist and head of the Nutrition Center for Baths of Brides-les-Bains.
