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.
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.