Eat a Burger to Reduce Depression (And Increase Your Overall Happiness!) | Mental Health Recipes

Okay, confession time: For most of my 20s, I was utterly confused about what “healthy eating” meant.

Like many millennials, I thought it meant eating salads for most meals and trying to eat as little as possible. (Yeah, totally off-track, and I definitely went down a rabbit hole of disordered eating and grumpiness and low energy.)

But the more I learned about nutrition and food, the more I realized a lot of “bad” foods actually weren’t “bad.” More so, the simple go-to phrase of “everything in moderation” seemed to ring true across all foods in order to gain a variety of nutrients. 

One food I used to steer clear of was burgers. Too bready. Too fast food-y. This is what I thought.

Lo and behold, a decade later, and I’m all for a good BBQ hamburger. It’s even better if there’s a nice slice of cheddar cheese, bacon, onion, and a pickle. In fact, I’ve devoured a total of four hamburgers in this past week (going through a phase over here!).

And here’s the other thing: I feel great! So, I dove a bit deeper into everything and determined hamburgers (not all hamburgers, but the juicy, homemade variety) have plenty of nutritional value and mental health benefits.

So, can hamburgers fight depression? Well, let’s look at the details.

How Can a Hamburger Improve Your Mood & Mental Health?

Okay, first off: Hamburgers are delicious. If you’re a foodie, like me, that alone will likely give you a mood boost.

But there’s more than just the flavors here. There’s actually tons going on beneath the surface, leading to reduced depression and better mental health. 

1. The fat composition in grass-fed meat can fuel better mental health.

This is probably one of the main reasons why grass-fed meat is superior; It’s not just because it’s “clean” eating or whatever the lingo is nowadays. There’s a physiological reason here. 

Grass-fed beef tends to have a 2:1 ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids (aka the healthy fats!). Some scientific studies suggest that these fatty acids can help treat depression. It’s thought these fats act as a neuroprotector, keeping your brain and nervous system in tip-top shape. 

Taking this a step further, deficiencies in these fatty acids are linked with an increased risk of mental health disorders.

So, the lesson here? Get those fatty acids! And one of the ways you can do this is by making (and eating) grass-fed burgers.

2. It offers ample protein for one meal.

A 100 gram hamburger has about 30 grams of protein. With about 20-30 grams of protein being recommended by health experts at every meal, this is great news for the humble hamburger (and for your overall health and wellness). 

Protein is an essential macronutrient that many of us don’t get enough of. It is the building block for almost all tissue in the body, including muscle, skin, nails, hair, and more. It also contributes to the production of hormones and neurotransmitters, which help regulate our mood and mental health.

Thus, getting enough protein is really important!

Generally, it’s recommended to get about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Yet, if you’re building muscle or very active, you’ll need even more. At the very least, this burger covers about 30 grams of your protein needs for the day.

3. The toppings add a little extra nutrition!

This all depends on what you put on top of your burger. Cheese contains calcium and the amino acid tryptophan, which is associated with improved mental health. Onions, peppers, bacon, and more also have nutritional values, adding to your total nutritional intake for the day.

4. A burger has a good amount of carbs too.

A low intake of carbs is associated with depression, fatigue, and brain fog. Thus, we rarely want to fully eliminate carbs. And this meal has a good balance of carbs and protein, which can help stabilize and regulate your blood sugar levels. 

Your blood sugar levels contribute to your energy and mood. We don’t want any huge spikes or dips, as this can lead to low moods and fatigue. A good combo of protein and carbs balances this all out and may prevent the onset of depressive symptoms.

Related Article: Have You Ever Wondered How Much Your Diet Affects Your Mental Health?