The healthiest burgers

The McDonald's hamburger chain has started to publish nutritional information on its packaging in an attempt to cast off its junk-food image. Many of us know hamburgers aren't health food, but nutritionists say that to indulge a craving for a burger once in a while is no sin - a decent burger is a source of iron and protein.

But while the high-saturated fat content of most burgers is acceptable from time to time when combined with a well-balanced diet, too much can lead to obesity, heart disease and diabetes. However, not all burgers are the same. In particular, restaurants which prepare the burger on the premises from fresh meat will be able to control the quality and cut of the beef. We bought seven cheeseburgers from wellknown London restaurants and asked a nutritionist to analyse them, to find the healthiest burger in London.

The Dorchester Cheeseburger, £18.50

Park Lane, W1

Estimated total fat: 60.4g (burger 22.4g, cheese 36g, bun 2g)

The most expensive burger in London, the Dorchester Cheeseburger is home-made from the best fillet and sirloin cuts of Aberdeen Angus beef. Two-thirds fillet and one-third sirloin, the 160g burger is minced on the premises and seasoned with sage, thyme, onion, salt and pepper. It is then bound in egg and cooked on a lightly oiled griddle. Topped with 113g of Cheddar and served in a toasted sesame bun, the burger comes with salad, onion rings and fries.

Verdict: "The cheese portion is enormous, nearly two-thirds of the total fat, so cut out the cheese, the bun and the fries and it's not an unhealthy meal," says Suzi Grant, nutritionist and author of 48 Hours to a Healthier Life. "Rather than knocking red meat - a valuable protein - we should be knocking what goes with it or in it. As this burger is made from good, lean beef, with no hidden additives, I would go for this as a treat once in a while."

Health rating: 8/10

Planet Hollywood cheeseburger £8.95

Coventry Street, W1Estimated total fat: 48.5g (burger 40.8g, cheese 5.7g, bun 2g)

The 227g (8oz) burgers are 100 per cent English beef and are not made on the premises. The patties are char-grilled with a little seasoning salt and 20g of American, Swiss, Cheddar or blue cheese on top. They come in a sesame-seed bun, with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and red onion. Fries, salad, baked or mashed potato is included in the price

Verdict: "I am a little worried by the salt," says Grant, "as well as all the cheeses and heavy carbs offered with it. However, a 100 per cent English beef patty char-grilled and served only with salad is a healthy version and won't do your waistline a lot of harm."

Health rating: 7/10

Hard Rock Cafe Cheeseburger, £8.35

Old Park Lane, W1 Estimated total fat: 48.1g (burger 33.7g, cheese 12.4g, bun 2g)

The Cheeseburger is a 198g (7oz) groundbeef patty made from 100 per cent pure muscle meat from German cattle, which arrives at the restaurant ready-made and is char-grilled with half a teaspoon of seasoning salt. It comes in a lightly buttered, toasted bun, with 44g of American, Cheddar or Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle, plus fries.

Verdict: "The butter on the bun adds some fat to the meal," says Grant, "but because it is a short, fatty acid, it is more suitable for our digestion than a margarine or one of the substitutes." However, she adds: "Half a teaspoon of salt is an awful lot of salt for one burger. People really need to check the salt content of meals when they eat out."

Health rating: 6/10

Sticky Fingers Ultimate cheeseburger, £10.45

Phillimore Gardens, W8

Estimated total fat: 43.1g (burger 22.7g, cheese 18.4g, bun 2g)

Bill Wyman's Kensington burger restaurant, packed with Rolling Stones memorabilia, has a 227g (8oz) Ultimate Cheeseburger made from fresh cuts of Scottish steak ground on the premises. Executive chef Ron Lento says nothing is added to bind the burgers, which are char-grilled at 1,500 degrees to sear the meat "and make sure it stays nice and juicy on the inside". The Ultimate is topped with 60g of Californian Monterey Spiced Jack, Swiss or mild Cheddar, and comes with lettuce, tomato, red onion and Sticky's burger sauce. Price includes fries and coleslaw.

Verdict: In terms of quality of meat, Sticky Fingers' method of producing its burgers is "probably very good", says Maureen Strong, a nutritionist who is a meat specialist. "If they are producing a burger from prime meat, they will probably be able to control the fat content carefully, given that the fat content of red meat is relatively low anyway." Grant agrees: "If you cut out the saturated-fat content of the cheeses and fries, it's not a bad meal."

Health rating: 8/10

McDonald's Quarter-Pounder with Cheese, £1.99

Total fat: 26.7g (breakdown not available)

The Quarter-Pounder with Cheese is a 113g, 100 per cent EU-beef patty, made with forequarter and flank. It arrives frozen and is cooked on a doubled-sided grill; seasoning salt is added after cooking. The burger comes in a sesame bun, with a processed (vegetarian) cheese slice, tomato ketchup, mustard, fresh onions and dill pickle. McDonald's is launching a "new tastes" menu, which will include salads, on 5 March.

Verdict: A low rating, not because of the meat, but because processed cheese and added salt do you no favours. You also get 10 extra E-numbers and additives in the trimmings to your patty. Grant says she would like to see more alternatives to beef on the menu. "Lamb contains less saturated fat and is easier to digest than beef."

Health rating: 2/10

Burger King Cheeseburger, £1.19

Total fat: 17g (burger 10g, cheese 4g, bun 3g)

"We flame-grill it to give it the authentic barbecue taste," proclaims Burger King, whose cheeseburger is a patty of 100 per cent ground British and Irish beef. The burgers are brought to the restaurant frozen and are char-grilled on both sides simultaneously, then presented in a sesame-seed bun, with one processed-cheese slice, ketchup, two slices of pickle and mustard.

Verdict: "The key to health is to keep your food as unadulterated as possible," says Grant, "and here the cheese contains additives and 225mg of salt." Maureen Strong says char-grilling burgers has less to do with health than taste: "Depending on the type of the grill, it enables a certain amount of fat to drip off, but not a significant amount."

Health rating: 3/10

Wimpy Cheeseburger, £1.30

Total fat: 13.1g (breakdown not available)

Wimpy's 48g burger patties are made from 100 per cent British beef. They arrive frozen and are then defrosted and cooked to order on a griddle. The Cheeseburger comes in a white, seeded bun with one slice of processed cheese, onion and ketchup. Wimpy has joined the health war with a 175g Leanburger, with just 12.5g fat.

Verdict: "Red meat is very hard to digest, especially if you eat a bun and fries with it, so it's not a food to have on the run," Grant says. "If you are rushing around, you would be better off eating just the burger meat with salad." As usual, it is the trimmings - the cheese and ketchup - that are full of additives and preservatives and too high in salt.

Health rating: 4/10