Are gourmet burgers actually healthy? Don't bet on it

They may be big on taste, but are Grill'd burgers also big on calories?
They may be big on taste, but are Grill'd burgers also big on calories? Photo: Chris Lane

Artisan buns, free-range eggs and no "nasty" additives – with all those fancy ingredients, gourmet burgers must be healthy, right?

Well, not necessarily. New research from Choice has found fast-food burgers tend to be heavy on the fat, salt and sugar, whether they claim to be "healthy" or not.

So unless you need to avoid gluten, dairy or certain types of carbohydrates, there may be good reason to question whether that gourmet burger really is the best option for your body.

The McDonald's Big Mac - not so big after all?
The McDonald's Big Mac - not so big after all? Photo: Paul Jeffers

The investigation looked at the fat, salt and energy of 40 burgers from boutique chains Grill'd and Burger Edge against five burgers from McDonald's and Hungry Jack's.

More than three-quarters had more energy than a McDonald's Big Mac (2180kJ), including seven of the 10 vegetarian options.

Top of the calorific offenders was Grill'd's The Mighty low-carb burger (3508kJ), with Burger Edge's The Okker wholemeal burger (3500kJ) following close behind. They both had 40 per cent more energy than the Big Mac.  

Why? Gourmet burgers tended to be bigger, for starters – The Mighty weighs in at 385 grams and The Okker at 515 grams, compared to an almost lightweight 216 grams for the Big Mac. Low-carb buns tend to be denser and more calorific than traditional buns, and those lashings of cheese, mayo and aioli don't help, either.

The analysis found almost two-thirds of the gourmet burgers had more fat than a Big Mac (28.6 grams), and 10 exceeded the suggested daily intake of salt of 1600 milligrams, compared to the Big Mac's 62 per cent.

In terms of saturated fat, Grill'd's The Mighty again came out tops, with 19.9 grams compared to a Big Mac's 11.3 grams, while Burger Edge's Meat Lovers and Okker beef burgers were the saltiest, racking up more than the daily limit of 2300 milligrams.

The inclusion of tinned pineapple also means Burger Edge's Okker has about five teaspoons of sugar.

So while a gourmet burger may still be best for your tastebuds, let's not pretend it's necessarily the healthiest option for everyone.

What's a health-conscious burger buff to do, then? You could steer clear altogether, or go bunless if you're game.

If you really must indulge, Choice says the Burger Edge Bombay Bash chicken burger (1830kJ) or a Grill'd Sweet Chilli Chicken (1920kJ) have less than a third of your daily energy needs and lower fat and salt – just remember to skip the sugary soft drink and salty chips.