82 percent of Americans think hamburgers are healthy
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Sorry to burst your bubble, but hamburgers may not be nearly as healthy as you think they are. And if you don't think hamburgers are healthy? Then you're in the minority — according to a new survey by the market research group Mintel, 82 percent of Americans who eat hamburgers think the meal is a good source of nutrients.
Mintel reached out to 1,767 Americans who had ordered the dish in the last three months and found that Americans happen to be very pro-burger: 62 percent of respondents said they like the sandwich, including millennials, who tend to be more health-conscious than other age groups.
But here's the bad news: While burgers are good sources of protein, iron, and vitamin B12, the cons can outweigh the benefits, especially because of the fatty meat, sugary ketchup, and refined grain buns involved, Time reports. The World Health Organization has additionally reported evidence that processed meat and red meat cause cancer.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
You can't give Americans too hard a time for believing burgers are healthy, though — after all, pizza is considered a vegetable here.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
