intercst
3 Likes
The top and bottom are not healthy. Starch is sugar.
The plastic cheese is not healthy.
The burger itself, depends on how itās made. It could have bad stuff depending on how the cow was raised. Unhealthy if seed oil was used.
The Captain
6 Likes
Burger is a source of healthy protein. Should be good for you. Fat content can be a concern. Animal fat is better than trans fat and probably better than seed oils.
BK burgers are charbroiled. Excellent flavor and probably minimal fat content.
Cheese is considered healthy. A preferred food for diabetics.
Combination of meat and dairy not so good in some religions.
1 Like
That is probably not accurate if the ācheeseā is not actual cheese, but a modified version that is about 50% cheese and 50% other. The cheese on a Burger King burger is essentially a highly standardized, emulsified dairy productācloser to something like Kraft Singles than to a slice cut off a block of cheddar. Itās engineered more for performance (melt, texture, stability) than for being a traditional cheese.
Pete
9 Likes
Milk is an emulsion. The word emulsion in dairy does not mean much. Cheese is a processed dairy product. If BK cheese includes foreign materials that is a problem. But blend of dairy products like whey protein or sour cream are ok w me.
When it comes to dairy, people who worry abt āprocessedā foods are nuts. Butter and cheese have always been processed. Raw milk is a health concern. Processing is a plus.
Have you seen the food ingredients label for BK cheese? Whatās in it.
4 Likes
Based on ingredient disclosures for Burger King cheeseburgers, the slice typically contains:
- Milk and cream (the dairy base)
- Water (often added during processing)
- Sodium citrate (an emulsifier that keeps it smooth when melted)
- Salt
- Cheese cultures (for flavor development)
- Citric acid (acidity regulator)
- Enzymes (to form the cheese structure)
- Soy lecithin (anti-sticking/emulsifying agent)
- Coloring agents (like beta carotene or paprika extract)
- Preservatives such as natamycin (mold inhibitor)
As I get older, I get more like Denny in my culinary choices [eat natural!] and try to stay away from highly processed food, which this, with its manufacture, certainly is. I rarely (if at all) eat at fast food places simply because you know you are getting food products that have been tinkered with in many ways, often seemingly not so good.
Pete
6 Likes
My first observation is that the bun on the left exploded view is clearly different than the bun on the right. It looks like a whole wheat bun on the left, whereas Burger King burgers typically have white bread buns. Donāt they?
Other than that, my wife studies nutrition from the standpoint of a whole-foods, plant-based diet. Iāll eat meat with my main meal about a quarter of the time, but I generally agree with the arguments of the whole-foods, plant-based community. So my perception of whatās healthy here is going to be different than the majority here.
3 Likes
Hereās whatās in it, sans cheese -
Mmmmmm, Calcium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate. I got a hankerinā for some natural flavoringā¦
5 Likes
Problem IMHO is the calories.
I allow myself 500 a meal.
Looks like I am really close with the Burgerville Northwest Cheeseburger with real Tillamook cheese.
full disclosure: I have no red meat or chicken protein in my home, just Tempe, Tofu, and Pea protein powder.
This follows with the principle that every successful diet has a cheat day.
Your mileage may vary.
BurgerSlob
6 Likes
People are pretending that saturated fat in larger quantities will be good for you. It is horrible for you. It raises the LDL in most people, associated with heart attacks, strokes, and cancer(even if by other means).
Horrible.
I have been saying < 70 for the LDL level. My doctor corrected me last week; she wants less than 55. Iām with her. In our 80s, usually late 80s, we have stroke victims everywhere in my family before statins and more knowledgeable eating.
Iām with you. I eat about 1500 cal per day to lose weight. Have to do it. Want to do it more than have to do it. Sleep is a must in that. But I rely on salmon. No tofu for me.
I am finding losing weight is much easier with a lot less sat fat.
One of the craziest doctors I have ever known had a great worthwhile principle, āIf you can not pronounce what is on the label, you should not put it in your mouthā. 
I gave up my chewing gum habit right there and then.
5 Likes
The BK cheese ingredients list is fairly typical of cheese. The citric acid/sodium citrate mix is known as a buffer. It is used to stabilize pH as milk tends to become acidic as it ages. (Could have been lemon juice.) Lecithin is a natural emulsifier. Mold inhibitor sounds like an antibiotic.
1 Like
Most heart-friendly diets recommend lean protein, which is typically 95% lean or better, which most hamburger meat isnāt. I dunno what Whopper meat is, but it is probably 80/20.
The bun is white bread, which is low nutritional value and high glycemic load. The lettuce is fine but low nutrition, same with the hydroponic tomato. All the extra sodium (of which they use copious amounts at BK) is generally not good.
If someone put a Whopper and fries in front of me, Iād scarf it down without hesitation, but the reality is you are reading METAR you are likely of a certain age. At our age, a Whopper is something to eat occasionally. Most of what is in it is good to minimize.
7 Likes
I dunno what kind of cheese youāre eating, but hereās the ingredient list for the Tillamook cheddar used for the Northwest Cheeseburger at Burgerville - cultured milk, salt, enzymes, annatto for natural color
I grew up on Velveeta and Kraft singles, I ate that garbage because I had to, until I didnāt.
La Suegra DiabĆ³lica only buys white processed bread and American cheese slices for her sandwich stock. Whenever we go to their place, itās always BYOC&B for me.
The sad thing is, real food is often more expensive than processed garbage food. Weāve got the processed food cartel and FDA to thank for that.
2 Likes
Arenāt antibiotics often derived from molds? Mold inhibitors include clorox and peroxide. Food-wise, vinegar, lemon juice, and honey do seem to inhibit molds, too, but they do not seem to be present in the Burger King cheese.
Pete
2 Likes
Where are the sauces and mustard?
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Corn syrup - unhealthy
Why is Corn Syrup Worse Than Sugar? Unpacking the Health Implications
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Iāve been eating a 1/4 pound cheeseburger every other day since my 20ās. (On the off days, I cycle through a menu of pizza, steak fajitas, pasta, and grilled chicken sandwiches.)
So far, so good. Iām still the same weight I was in college. 6"2" - 185 lbs.
Other people seem to thrive smoking cigarettes. {{ LOL }}
intercst
3 Likes
Lost in the round off.
intercst
I was too scared to ask.
2 Likes
Or the fries (fried in oxidized oil), and milkshakeā¦
Sometimes itās what accompanies a food and not the food itself that compounds the problem.. We demonised eggs forever, only to find out that eggs were a proxy for the foods consumed along the eggs. Eggs are in fact some of the most nutrient-dense foods we have.
3 Likes