You love burgers, but you're watching your waistline. That doesn't mean you have to resort to eating a dry patty of meat. Sure, you'll want to ditch the cheese and the mayo. Think about it. Just one slice of cheese has about 70 calories and 6 grams of fat while a tablespoon of mayo has 110 calories and 11 grams of fat. Of course, there are ways to trim the fat without trimming the taste. You can still enjoy a burger that packs a mean punch without overdoing it. Dress up your burger with healthy extras. Lettuce, pickles, tomato, avocado, salsa, mustard and ketchup are all acceptable toppings that won't tack on a ton of fat and calories.
If you really don't want to hold the mayo, opt for a dab of fat-free mayo at 11 calories per tablespoon and a slice of reduced-fat cheese at 50 calories and 3 grams of fat. Of course, you can also get more bang for your burger by choosing your beef carefully. Just four ounces of ground round has a whopping 250 calories and 16 grams of fat. Compare that to a 4-ounce serving of lean ground beef, which has 170 calories and 8 grams of fat or 4 ounces of turkey breast that has 110 calories and just 1 gram of fat. Another idea is to upgrade those traditional buns for the whole-wheat versions so that you get a serving of whole grains as well.
