Calorie Counting: Burger Versus Burrito

Thursday, May 17, 2012

GoLocalWorcester Health Team

Eating a burger or burrito from time to time isn’t the worst thing for you, but what you have in it can be quite caloric. The Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services broke down just how fatty you can make that burger or burrito.

Just because you said hold the fries and asked for a side salad instead doesn’t mean you are in the clear with that cheeseburger sitting in front of you.

Let’s start with a burger. The average burger is about 110 calories. The bun is another 145 calories. Once you throw on the cheese, that’s another 65 calories per slice. If you are feeling bacon you can tack on another 110 calories per slice. If you want some veggies, tomatoes are 3 calories, but ketchup is about 15 calories. Mayo is another 160 calories. So, if you want that burger and want to be health conscious, get the fixings on the side!

Margaret Apura, A registered dietician at UMass Memorial Medical Center, said, “Unfortunately, most fast food restaurants do not tell you if they make their burger or burrito from lean ground beef. For example, a 4-ounce hamburger made from 80% lean ground beef has around 300 calories versus a hamburger made from 90% lean ground beef has closer to 200 calories.”

Watching your waste line while devouring a burrito might be a bit of a challenge. You may not know this, but wraps are usually more caloric than a bun. Wraps will run you about 290 calories. Now let’s add the cheese (100 calories), salsa (8 calories), guacamole (93 calories), sour cream (120 calories), beans (120 calories), chicken (190 calories) and rice (130 calories), the result is more than 1000 calories.

Most adults only need 2,000 calories each day. Knowing this can make the decision on whether or not to order a 1,000-calorie burrito.

Apura said, “Next time you are craving a burger or burrito consider making your own healthier version at home with lean ground beef, reduced-fat cheese, lots of vegetables, and a whole wheat bun or small (6”) whole wheat tortilla. You’ll save a lot of fat and calories without compromising the taste!”

So if you are going out think about these tips to staying healthy. Order foods that are steamed, grilled, or baked instead of fried, battered or sautéed. You should avoid buttery or creamy sauces and gravies. If you are going to have bread ask for whole wheat instead of a white roll. Restaurants have a tendency to put too much dressing on the salad so ask for it on the side.