A Good Burger

Fats:

A burger contains plenty of fatty acids, with the majority coming from the protein sources (patty, bacon, cheese) and few from the tomatoes,lettuce and buns. These FA’s include oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid. Oleic acid, the most common fatty acid found, is an omega-9, monounsaturated FA with 18 carbons. Palmitic acid is  saturated, containing 16 carbons. Stearic acid is saturated as well, but contains 18 carbons. Linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated omega-6 with 18 carbons and 2 double bonds. Alpha-linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated omega-3 with 18 carbons as well, but with 3 double bonds. Linoleic and alpha-linoleic are essential while the rest are not.  

Oleic Acid:

Carbs:

The main source of carbohydrates from a hamburger would come from the buns of the burger. The main carb content of the buns come from the starches it’s made from, that being wheat starch and often corn starch as well. Sugar contents would come from the often added sugars of the buns and the natural sugars of the tomatoes and lettuce. Fiber from a burger comes from the tomatoes,lettuce, and the buns too, especially if you go with whole grain buns.

Protein:  

The main protein source of a hamburger would come from the patty. From an 80/20 ground beef patty, you would get around 24g of protein, but could get more depending on the method of cooking and if leaner beef was chosen(90/10). Other sources of protein come from the bacon, which contains around 4g, and the cheese, which contains around 4g as well. The lettuce and tomatoes would only contribute to around 1g while the buns could have up to ~6 if it were a whole grain bun. In total, you’ll get well over 30g of protein for the entire burger. Beef is considered a good source of all nine essential amino acids as it is a complete protein. It is particularly high in the branched chain amino acids (BCAA), including leucine, lysine, and valine.

Vitamins & Minerals:

 A good burger proves to be a good and even excellent source of a variety of vitamins and minerals. The patty alone contains 100% of the RDI for vitamin B12. A burger would also be an excellent source for many of the other B vitamins, including B1,B2,B3,B5, and B6, providing a RDI of approximately 50%,40%,50%,25%, and 30% respectively. Additionally, a burger would be an excellent source of selenium, zinc (both ~60% RDI), sodium (~40%), phosphorus, vitamin K (both ~30%), calcium, iron, and vitamin A (all around ~20%). A burger would be a good source of potassium (~12% of RDI), copper, folate{B9} ( both ~14%),carotene {beta} (~15%), and choline (18%).