While there are plenty of protein options for your burger, from beef and turkey to meatless alternatives, buns are usually an afterthought. “Most of the time a bun is made from white bread, which isn’t exactly adding any nutrition to a meal that is already highly processed — so there’s lots of room for improvement,” says Karen Ansel, RDN , Syosset, New York–based author of Healing Superfoods for Anti-Aging . A typical white hamburger bun has 26 grams of carbohydrates — all refined — and just under 2 grams of fiber.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297599b1f4-6966-4872-ae32-8c1954213460 This means that typical hamburger buns not only lack nutrition, but that they are also a no-no if you’re on a low-carb diet . Fortunately, there are a lot of low-carb options. “If you’re looking to cut down on calories or carbs, you can always choose a thinner bun or do an ‘open-faced’ burger or dog with only half the bun,” says Christy Brissette, RDN, Chicago-based president of 80 Twenty Nutrition . If you’re not that into bread buns anyway, you’re in luck. Because of eating fads like going gluten-free , plant-based , or keto , there are plenty of naturally low-carb, plant-based bun alternatives at your disposal. Whatever your reason, our list of delicious bun alternatives can help make your burger a little healthier. We list the raw nutrition data for each veggie, but keep in mind that the nutrient values may change somewhat as you process, season, and cook them. Still, the alternatives below are healthier than a simple white bread bun. Classic white buns usually aren’t healthy anyway. Lettuce, for example, provides more nutrition with fewer carbs.
Portobello Mushrooms “One of my go-to bun swaps is grilled portobello mushrooms. They are low in calories and can be easily made on the grill while you cook your burgers,” says Brissette. And did we mention their circular shape makes them the perfect bun substitute? These mushrooms come with a whole host of health perks. “I’m a big fan of mushrooms for their beta-glucans, compounds that are being researched for their role in preventing cancer ,” says Brissette. A raw portobello mushroom contains 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of protein, roughly 3 grams of carbohydrates, and 18 calories.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762983843ab2-1f46-4ef3-889e-ccd406a1babf To make your portobello buns, keep it simple with some olive oil or zest the mushrooms up with your favorite spices. For the bold, try food blogger Olivia Ribas’s portobello guacamole burger . The Primavera Kitchen owner from Toronto spices up her sandwich with some Dijon mustard, plenty of cilantro, and a hefty helping of guacamole.
Cauliflower Buns From pizza crusts to fried rice, it seems as though there’s nothing cauliflower can’t take on, including the bun! “Like with pizza, cauliflower is popping up in buns as well,” says Ansel. Just be mindful of what’s in the recipe. “While they are a good alternative if you’re watching carbs, they can contain a fair amount of cheese,” Ansel says. “So depending on the recipe, they’re not automatically healthier.” For the perfect bun substitute, try this cheeseless “Everything Bagel” Cauliflower Rolls recipe from Lexi Davidson, Boston-based founder of Lexi’s Clean Kitchen . These are a great substitute for dinner rolls, bagels, and sandwich buns. The buns include only 57 calories and 5.1 grams of carbs, plus a boost from 2.4 grams of fiber (8.5 percent of your DV) and 3.6 grams of protein. Per cup of raw cauliflower, you get 51.6 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C (about 57 percent of the DV) and 61 micrograms (mcg) of folate (15 percent of the DV).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629864cb849-64e6-45b2-90e8-0a85eecb0748 Vitamin C is crucial to your body’s healing process and helps form blood vessels and cartilage, while folate helps in the formation of red blood cells.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629706888dd-eef7-47bb-a8c2-aa2f3359025ce60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629cc54f245-ab50-41ce-b385-b85c4f17d9b7
Grilled Pineapple Buns Dress up your hamburger with lettuce, cheese , and a grilled pineapple slice as a bun, and you’re getting close to everyone’s favorite type of pizza to love or hate: Hawaiian. Pineapples also contain a number of health benefits, including aiding digestion and helping to lower inflammation. Pineapple provides antioxidants like phenolics, flavonoids, and vitamin C.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762949f6f563-59a2-4128-9a4e-2b2daaf459f7 Antioxidants fight free radicals in your body, which are molecules that play a role in diseases.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976290b9c4b4b-f2af-43d8-9171-1370e7585022 Two slices of raw pineapple provide 80 milligrams of vitamin C, which is about 89 percent of the DV.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976295ab31104-bd82-4b3e-8b1e-c6af49577bca
Sweet Potato Buns “If you’re not ‘low-carbing,’ grilled sweet potato slices are a delicious option,” adds Brissette. “They’re an excellent source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that helps prevent free radical damage and supports a healthy immune system and eye health,” Brissette adds.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762993ebcb61-a21a-4077-80fe-a691c79bb8bfe60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629a1ac525f-025f-45fd-b538-bcbdbb39865d Bonus: This orange spud may also aid weight loss because it contains fiber and protein (which are both beneficial for shedding pounds).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762928a71cbd-25b9-42d2-8dd6-84c71f674bd4 One small sweet potato peeled and raw, for example, has 13.5 grams of carbohydrates and almost 2 grams of fiber, or about 7 percent of the DV.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976293ed14c7d-d2ee-4243-b0d1-b3c3420bc7a7 Try this sweet potato bun recipe from Bri McKoy, Hermosa Beach, California–based founder of the Ambitious Kitchen food blog, to test it out! The bun is paleo and gluten-free, too.
Eggplant Buns “Eggplant buns are basically slices of grilled eggplant, which can be a really tasty bun alternative,” says Ansel. “I actually prefer these to cauliflower buns because they have fewer added ingredients that bump up the fat and calories.” (Cauliflower buns can include, for example, almond and coconut flour, like the ones featured above.) Although you can get as creative as you want with seasoning, olive oil and salt are just about all you need to make this work. Alice Choi, writer and creator of Hip Foodie Mom from Malvern, Pennsylvania, has the perfect Grilled Eggplant Bun Burger recipe. And the firmness of the eggplant holds up well when grilling.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976293c6393fd-c518-4fc1-98cb-a575b69ee18b “Nutritionally, eggplant is a delicious way to sneak some added fiber into your burger,” says Ansel. A quarter of a raw eggplant has almost 3.5 grams of fiber, or about 13 percent of the DV.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629474a72e0-9769-4d2d-970a-9c550bfff7c6
Lettuce Using a fresh, crispy wedge of iceberg lettuce in place of a heavy, carb-filled bun adds both texture and crunch to your meal. One serving of iceberg lettuce, which is just over a cup, has only 12.5 calories and 2.6 grams carbohydrates, plus about 1 gram of fiber.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d36b11ad-d2b8-43dd-bed5-9171fe20f857 While kale gets lots of the credit as a top leafy green , iceberg lettuce still delivers small but notable amounts of folate and potassium.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762967d4c634-937a-480c-ba31-d54879f107f9
Zucchini Buns One thing you probably never thought to make with zucchini is a bun. Alyssa Rimmer, New York City–based creator of the gluten-free blog Simply Quinoa , loves to incorporate the rich, summary taste of grilled veggies in her dishes, and her Herbed Turkey Burgers With Zucchini Buns are no exception! Not only does zucchini taste delicious as a bun, but it comes with big health bonuses, too. “Zucchini contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which support healthy eyesight and skin, perhaps even slowing signs of aging,” says Brissette. Plus, you’re getting a super-low-carb faux bun: Two raw slices contain less than 1 gram of carbs.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d73a0d38-56b8-463e-971c-db3de613fe06 You’re also banking less than 4 calories in the two slices, plus small amounts of potassium, vitamin C, and folate. Time to serve yourself up a burger today — traditional bun optional. The Takeaway Swapping vegetable alternatives for white bread buns means no refined carbohydrates and potentially fewer calories. Many vegetables offer a low-carb alternative for surrounding your grilled protein. Substituting vegetables also means added nutritional benefits, such as extra vitamins, more fiber, antioxidants, and possible cancer-preventing compounds. Additional reporting by Jamie Putman .
