A homemade cheeseburger, counted ingredient by ingredient.
A burger is one of the few recipes where each serving is a single object. That makes it a clean example: four buns, four patties, and a number that belongs to one burger.
- 4 servings, 953 g of ingredients
- 456 kcal a serving, with 30 g protein, 26 g carbs and 25 g fat
- 7 ingredients, every one a USDA FoodData Central entry in the library
The sample data
These are the amounts used on the screens below, with each figure taken from the library entry for that ingredient. They are sample figures for a pot or tray of this size, not a measurement of anyone's kitchen.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein g | Carbs g | Fat g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 85% lean, raw | 454 g | 976 | 84 | 0 | 68 |
| Hamburger rolls, plain | 176 g | 491 | 17 | 88 | 7 |
| Cheddar cheese, sliced | 74 g | 303 | 18 | 2 | 25 |
| Iceberg lettuce | 40 g | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Tomatoes, red, raw | 120 g | 22 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Onions, raw | 61 g | 24 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Dill pickles | 28 g | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Whole recipe | 953 g | 1,825 | 121 | 103 | 100 |
| Per serving (4) | 238 g | 456 | 30 | 26 | 25 |
Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice. Ingredient values are from USDA FoodData Central, which is in the public domain.
Why this recipe
A burger bun, a patty and a slice of cheese each carry a share of the calories, and a restaurant burger rarely tells you which. At home you can see every piece, and change just one.
What to weigh
One pound of beef makes four quarter-pound patties. The sample adds no finished weight, so each serving is a burger made of a quarter of everything: 238 g as assembled.
The full workflow, in four steps.
1. Open Create a recipe and search the library
Create a recipe and search "ground beef". Choose the 85% lean raw entry, since you weigh the beef before forming the patties.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Enter 454 g, one pound. The amount sheet shows 976 kcal and 84 g of protein for the beef.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the rolls, the cheese and the toppings. Four buns at 44 g each is 176 g.
4. Save it and log a serving
Enter 4 servings and leave Finished weight blank. One burger is 456 kcal with 30 g of protein; save the recipe and log one.
Tips while you build it
- Patties lose fat and water on the grill. If you want a cooked-weight burger, weigh the four patties after cooking and use a cooked beef entry.
- Condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard are small items. Add them to the recipe if you always use them.
- Make the burger the way you eat it most often. A different bun or an extra slice of cheese is a separate recipe.
Make it your own
- Use a whole wheat hamburger roll entry and compare the carbs per burger.
- Swap the cheddar for a reduced fat entry and save the result as a second recipe.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Homemade cheeseburgers questions.
How many calories are in a homemade cheeseburger?
The sample quarter-pound burger comes to 456 kcal, with 30 g protein, 26 g carbs and 25 g fat. The bun, the cheese and the beef's fat are the largest parts.
Should I weigh the beef raw or cooked?
Raw is simplest, because the library's raw entries match the package. Cooked patties lose water and fat, so a cooked entry should be paired with a cooked weight.
Can I make a burger without a finished weight?
Yes. The field is optional. Leave it empty and the recipe uses the weight of the ingredients.
More example recipes.
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- Hummus bi tahini211 kcal a serving, 8 servings, from USDA FoodData Central ingredients.
- Mujadara337 kcal a serving, 6 servings, from USDA FoodData Central ingredients.
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- Dal tadka265 kcal a serving, 4 servings, from USDA FoodData Central ingredients.
- Butter chicken498 kcal a serving, 4 servings, from USDA FoodData Central ingredients.
- Spaghetti bolognese499 kcal a serving, 6 servings, from USDA FoodData Central ingredients.
- Chicken cacciatore639 kcal a serving, 4 servings, from USDA FoodData Central ingredients.
Cook it once. Log it for good.
Build your own american favourite in Nutrition.