A Worrying Number of Americans Think Burgers Are a Good Source of Nutrients

No dish manages to cross the dining class system quite like the burger. Gracing the menus of greasy fast food chains, street food vans, and consciously "quirky" Michelin-starred restaurants alike, it's hard to find anyone who doesn't love the combo of juicy beef patty and pillowy bread bun.

But according to a new study from market research agency Mintel, Americans' love of burgers may have gone a little too far. As in, it may be hampering their ability to grasp basic nutritional concepts.

Released this week, the study saw Mintel question 1,767 US adults who had ordered a burger from a restaurant in the three months prior to January 2016. Of these respondents, 82 percent were found to describe burgers as "a good source of nutrients."

Yep, according to America, that 1,400-calorie, double-stack Tennessee beef burger you swiped from Maccy D's during a low point last week (we saw you) is basically a health food.

Commenting on respondents' apparent blissful ignorance of the high fat, sugar, and carbohydrate content in pretty much any burger, Mintel analyst Caleb Bryant said: "While the majority of Americans view burgers as a good source of nutrients, this is more indicative of health concerns being a non-factor."

It seems last year's warning from the World Health Organisation that processed meats could cause cancer didn't have quite the desired effect on American eating habits.

Mintel also explored the types of supposedly nutrient-dense burgers Americans are enjoying. Asking participants if they would want to see alternatives to beef patties on burger menus, they found that 42 percent would like turkey options and 46 percent, chicken.

Bryant added: "Non-beef burgers appeal to diners for a number of reasons. Beyond offering less fatty, more nutritious alternatives, non-beef burgers tend to have a 'wow' factor as they are new and different to many consumers."

Despite this move away from conventional patties, Mintel found that America diners aren't abandoning beef burgers altogether, but rather setting their sights on more premium products. Forty-three percent of the survey's respondents said they would like more grass-fed burgers on restaurant menus, with 79 percent saying that they saw this type of beef as higher quality than grain-fed.

Sadly for the health of the American public, this may again reveal a lack of knowledge when it comes to nutrition and burgers. While studies have shown that grass-fed cows make for a slightly leaner meat, research is divided over whether it's actually that much better for you.

Who are we kidding, guys? Whether that bacon and cheese-smothered beef patty is grass-fed or grain fed—or indeed, whether you've swapped it for a chicken or turkey patty with "wow factor"—burgers can never be considered a nutritionally sound food.

And that's why we love them.