Burgers and fries get a bad rap. We’ve come to associate them with heavy, greasy, heart-attack invoking eating… but do they have a good side? Yes. Here’s how.
Sure, it’s healthier to eat your potatoes baked, and to avoid all that fried fat but when it comes to French fries, there are some nutrients hidden in there, too. It’s not all from the dark side. Lay off the salt, bake your fries and drain your fat from your beef and sometimes fast food isn’t a totally bad meal.
Here are the nutrients you’ll find in your burgers and fries.
Fries
Since French fries are basically salty, greasy potatoes, they provide you with a good dose of vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, sodium and iron and fat.
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Fries also contain phosphorus, niacin and folate, which is a good sign.
Burgers
It’s trickier to assess the nutritional pluses of a burger, because it really depends on what type of hamburger you’re eating.
Let’s go on the assumption that we’re analyzing a basic burger topped with ketchup, mustard, relish and mayo, as well as onions and pickles.
Related: These New “Healthy Eating Rules” Say Fat and Salt are OK
So, what are you ingesting?
Apart from the basic carbs coming to you from the bun, if you’re meat is beef it’s giving you iron, protein, vitamins B12, B6, E and K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, phosphorous, zinc, potassium, and omega-3 and 6 fatty acids.
And your sauces and toppings are giving you sodium, potassium, vitamins A, C, and B6, magnesium, iron and calcium.
Related: Ketchup, Mustard and Relish: How Your Condiments Are Helping Your Health
If you’re going for fast food because, well, it’s fast and delicious, but you want to ease your conscience and be kinder to your arteries, check out this list of the healthiest fast food burgers your money can buy.
Photo credit: Lukas Gojda/Shutterstock
