If you want to be good most of the time, you should allow yourself to be a bit bad once in a while! So here I go with my favorite hamburger recipe that has NO barbecue sauce/ketchup whatsoever. I only used mushroom, tomato, red bell pepper, onion, gouda cheese,  avocado and burger patties.

I have a confession to make: I LOVE hamburgers, but not just any kind and NEVER again the ones from fast-food restaurants.
Although, I’ve gotten slapped in my face by life many times for daring to say “never” (I am sure you must have, at least once, said “I will never do this or that” and then gone right ahead and done exactly that), I will one more time go ahead and state bravely and loudly NEVER!!! Yes, you heard me, but I promise to come back to you in case I break my word.

You might wonder right now why the heck I called it a “crazy-healthy” hamburger. How the hell can a hamburger be so healthy to be called crazy? Well, let’s make a deal, shall we?! :) You read my article until the bottom of the page and I promise to convince you of its benefits and, of course, to give it a try.

First off, as you can hopefully see from the picture, my hamburger doesn’t have any ketchup whatsoever.

Secondly, I went and used fresh vegetables, one slice of gouda cheese, 1/4 avocado and of course the leanest burger patties I could find. Let’s talk about the ingredients one by one now.

First of all, you should buy the best quality beef you can find in your home town. I know it’s not very cheap, but this is very serious stuff.

Did you read the book/watch the movie called “Fast Food Nation”? I will say a couple of words for those who haven’t. The book examines the specific mechanization of the fast-food industry, including the chemical flavoring of the food, the production of cattle and beef industry, the dangers of eating poorly handled meat, and the global context of fast food as an American cultural export.I sincerely recommend it to you, it might help you become more picky in terms of meat choices and, why not, food in general.

As for the rest of the ingredients, I personally like to use onion, red bell pepper, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and of course that I had to bring in a fruit, a special one: avocado. I’m using avocado quiet often in my daily meals lately not only because of its benefits, but also for its flavor – so creamy and tasty.

Avocado is considered as one of the healthiest foods on the planet because it contains more than 25 essential nutrients, including Vitamin A, B, C, E and K, copper, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. It also contains fiber, protein, and several beneficial phytochemicals, which may protect you from disease and illness.
Notice also that I used whole grain buns with seeds instead of the white hamburger ones, which are a healthier and tastier alternative.

Mmmm, I am wondering if I have convinced you yet?! Ok, I do have a third reason why you should try it at home. If you really want to do the math or go even further and look at your budget sheets (in case you use one in order to save up money for future plans), you might be surprised that it doesn’t have to be expensive to eat something healthier than fast food and to have a little bit more control over the ingredients in the food you eat.