For many people, a tasty burger with all the toppings is the ultimate cheat meal. But rather than feeling guilty afterwards, one nutrition expert has sparked a debate after breaking down whether they could actually be healthy.

Sarah Ballantyne, PhD and founder of Nutrivore, shared a video on TikTok (@drsarahballantyne) discussing whether burgers are as unhealthy as we assume. The clip was in response to a woman asking why burgers are deemed unhealthy, and Ballantyne broke down the nutritional information for each component of a burger, highlighting the many beneficial elements.

This has certainly captured attention, but Ballantyne, of Atlanta, Georgia, told Newsweek that she hopes to “destigmatize food that many people enjoy, yet feel guilty eating.” Indeed, burgers don’t have to be greasy cheat meals, as she says they can have many nutritional qualities.

“This is something I’m very passionate about, helping people improve their overall diet quality while continuing to enjoy food they love, so it’s a sustainable lifelong healthy habit,” Ballantyne said.

In the days since sharing her thoughts online, the TikTok video has gone viral with over 4.5 million views and 356,500 likes at the time of writing.

Burgers typically include meat with protein, tomatoes, lettuce, and a bun, which Ballantyne explains in the video can be a good source of vitamin K, vitamin C, biotin, and around 3 grams of fiber.

Assuming there’s no condiments, there can be around 30 grams of protein from a hamburger, as well 18 grams of fat. According to Ballantyne’s calculation, a burger without condiments comes to approximately 430 calories, which is less than what most people need for their evening meal.

On average, adult women need anywhere between 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day, while adult men require between 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day depending on their age and lifestyle.

“With the addition of two slices of bacon and a tablespoon of butter or mayonnaise, it would end up around 640 calories. This meal could be easily rounded out with the addition of a small serving of French fries and a side salad,” Ballantyne continued.

Ballantyne, author of Nutrivore: Eat Any Food, Get Every Nutrient and Transform your Health, calculated a Nutrivore score of 227 for an average burger. This is a calculation of nutrient density, meaning the total nutrients per calorie. In her view, a score of 227 is “pretty good” and in the medium nutrient range.

“Think of the Nutrivore Score as a measurement of how opposite of empty calories a food is,” Ballantyne said. “I did make some assumptions in the calculation of the Nutrivore Score for the burger, like the use of 80/20 ground beef, no condiments, and an enriched white bread bun, so this number should definitely be considered an estimate.

“A lot of my complete meal recipes have Nutrivore Scores in the 300 to 400 range, so there’s definitely room for some simple swaps and easy additions to up the nutrient density of a burger. For reference, the fast-food version of this hamburger has a Nutrivore Score of 168.”

This was echoed by Carrie Lupoli, a board-certified nutritionist, who told Newsweek that burgers can “absolutely be part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle.” She explained that beef patties can be a good source of protein and healthy fat, even more so when they’re grass-fed and organic.

“When paired with veggies like lettuce, tomato, and a quality carb source, you’re hitting all three macronutrients—protein, fats, and carbs,” Lupoli said.

Indeed, she notes that this mixture of nutrients can also help to stabilize blood sugar.

Although, it’s easy for a nutritious burger to become gluttonous when more components are added. “The challenge comes when we turn a burger into a blood sugar bomb, adding sugary sauces and bacon, and then pairing it with fries and a soda,” Lupoli continued.

Overall, burgers can be nutrient dense, and Ballantyne utilizes this perspective as a “tool to ensure we’re getting enough joy” from a balanced diet. Of course, any amendments would significantly change its nutritious score. For example, adding bacon, cheddar cheese, or burger sauce would all reduce its nutritional value.

Swapping a beef patty for a chicken burger increases the protein quantity, fat increases to around 5.5 grams, and it would be around 334 calories.

Ballantyne told Newsweek: “A burger is neither healthy nor unhealthy, but what matters is how you eat on average over time. One of the problems with diet mentality is that many people swing from extremes and then losing control and overdoing all the foods they were restricting.

“While most diets focus on what to avoid, Nutrivore emphasizes nutrient-dense foods to add while eating the foods we love. It doesn’t matter how healthy a diet is, if we’re not enjoying the food, we’re not going to stick to it.”

In the days since it was shared on TikTok, the video asking whether burgers are healthy has amassed over 5,000 comments so far. Ballantyne has enjoyed having this “spirited debate” and hopes it will provide people with a new outlook about one of their favorite meals.

Among the responses, one comment reads: “It’s fast food’s fault. Home made burgers and pizzas are so balanced and nutritious.”

Another TikTok user joked: “this is so much better than yogurt and granola.”

While another person added: “What I’m hearing is there are healthy burgers.”

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