A cheeseburger is a term used to describe a type of hamburger that has cheese as the primary ingredient. It is very delicious and tempting, but also not very healthy especially when consumed in excessive quantities.The inventor of the cheeseburger is Lionel C. Sternberger as per the history of this delectable food item. He lived in the northeastern area of LA County and conjured up the recipe and ingredients of the cheeseburger around the 1920s.Currently several different versions of the original cheeseburger are served at different fast food chains; some of the fast food restaurants have added unique ingredients the burger and have become very popular, big global brands.
A cheeseburger comes with many calories and hence individuals who wish to maintain a healthy weight should keep themselves informed about the calorie content in such burgers.A cheeseburger comes with many kinds of toppings, including lettuce, tomatoes, fried eggs, mushrooms, pickles, and/or bacon slices as well. Nutritionists and dieticians have there been talking about the harmful effects of this burger for quite some time now. Even though it is a mouthwatering dish, people should avoid eating cheeseburgers on a daily or regular basis as they are full of calories.
How many calories are in a cheeseburger?
A single patty regular cheeseburger topped with condiments that is available at a fast food joint has around 340 calories as well as 17 grams of fat.
A cheeseburger that is made at home with a quarter pound of 85 % ground lean beef is also no different. The beef has 193 calories, the American cheese slice has 50 calories, and a usual hamburger bun has 117 calories, thereby totaling the calorie content in the homemade cheeseburger to 330 calories. Also, depending on the amount and type of condiments that are added to this cheeseburger, there is a slight increase in the total calories.
Presented below is a calorie count for cheeseburger as per their type and quantity
| Cheeseburger | Amount | Calories |
| Regular, plain, bun and double patty | 1/160 grams | 490 |
| Regular, single patty with veggies and condiments | 1/154 grams | 360 |
| Regular, double patty with veggies, condiments, and bun | 1/230 grams | 650 |
| Regular, double patty with veggies and condiments | 1/165 grams | 415 |
| Large, single meat patty with condiments and bacon | 1/195 grams | 550 |
| Large, single patty with veggies, condiments, and ham | 1/255 grams | 730 |
| Regular, plain, single meat patty | 1/100 grams | 300 |
| Cottage cheese low fat | 1 cup/225 grams | 162 |
| Cheddar cheese diced | 1 cup/132 grams | 532 |
| Feta cheese crumbled | 1 cup/150 grams | 395 |
| Blue cheese | 1 oz./28.3 grams | 100 |
| American cheese | 1 oz./28.3 grams | 94 |
| Mozzarella, part-skim milk cheese | 1 oz./28.3 grams | 72 |
| Shredded mozzarella, whole milk cheese | 1 oz./28.3 grams | 335 |
Supersizing the cheeseburger
Many individuals tend to supersize the cheeseburgers they eat; it is not a good option. The number of calories in a regular large patty cheeseburger with veggies and condiments served at a fast food restaurant is around 480, in addition to about 24 grams of fat. If this burger is turned into a double cheeseburger with normal-sized patties, veggies, and condiments, then the total calories consumed are a huge 650 calories. Also, the fat content in such supersized burgers is 35 grams which meets nearly 55 percent of the fat needed by the body on a daily basis.
Excess intake of fat, particularly saturated fat, increases the susceptibility to developing heart disease. It may be noted that nearly 50 percent of the fat available in cheeseburgers are saturated fats.
Nutritional value in a cheeseburger
The nutritional content in a cheeseburger differs as per the ingredients and the type of cheese and toppings that are used. American cheese is generally used in the United States; some other regions may serve mozzarella, cheddar, or blue cheese in the cheeseburgers.
A Big Mac Cheeseburger of around 260 grams will have nutritional value as follows:
| Nutritional content | Quantity per serving |
| Calories | 700 |
| Sodium | 1145 mg/48 percent |
| Calories from fat | 390 |
| Total carbohydrates | 39.6 grams/13 percent |
| Cholesterol | 140 mg/46 percent |
| Total Fat | 43.6 grams/67 percent |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 17.4 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 17.7 grams/88 percent |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4.7 grams |
| Vitamin A | 7 percent |
| Proteins | 38 grams |
| Calcium | 24 percent |
| Vitamin C | 2percent |
| Iron | 33percent |
| Phosphorus | 395 mg |
| Magnesium | 52 mg |
| Water | 132 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 |
| Sugar | 0 |
Health problems and cheeseburgers
A few common harmful effects of cheeseburgers are listed below:
- As cheeseburgers have high calorie content, increased intake can result in obesity and many obesity-related health issues.
- The high cholesterol content in cheeseburgers can trigger clogging or obstruction of the arteries, thereby resulting in cardiac diseases.
- Just like French fries, cheeseburgers are greasy or oily and can cause heartburn.
- Cheeseburgers have nil fiber content. Hence, they can result in problems of the digestive system and bowel movement issues.
Hence, when eating cheeseburgers at fast food places, people not only need to keep a lookout for the number of calories and the fat content, but also for the total cholesterol and sodium levels.
