You know how important it is to include healthy options on your restaurant menu.
Professional chefs enjoy preparing plates that express their culinary creativity.
Consumers appreciate menu selections that combine their favorites with something deliciously different.
How do you cover all three of these important bases by changing one ingredient in your burger lineup?
The answer is simple and puts a tasty twist on tradition. Just put away the buns and dress up your restaurant's burgers with healthy, cost-effective, flavorful alternatives.
Think Outside the Classic Hamburger Bun
An ordinary bun makes it easy to hold a juicy burger, but the bread doesn’t add much in the way of nutrition. Most burger buns, including enriched white and whole wheat, average 20 to 25 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
All those carbs come with at least 1 gram of fat and more than 200 milligrams of salt. Compare that nutritional profile to premium produce like fresh, baby iceberg lettuce.
The leafy green ranks high among the CDC’s top 10 powerhouse veggies and fruits with an impressive score of 70.73. The crunchy little vegetable weighs in with vitamins A and K, potassium, folate and 19 amino acids.
In the race for a healthy handle on one of our favorite dishes, baby iceberg lettuce wins with a big high-five. It isn't the only candidate for best-bun alternative, but it's our favorite for several reasons. Let's take a look at a list of options, starting with our Number One recommendation.
7 Delicious Hamburger Bun Substitutes You'll Love
Unique burger bun alternatives range from leafy greens and grilled vegetables to healthy house-made rolls. They all have the potential to transform your restaurant's hamburgers into new signature entrees.
These are our top contenders for buns that bring out the best in your burgers.
1. Baby Iceberg Lettuce
This nutritious little veggie wraps burgers with a mildly sweet crispness. The firm leaves on the compact head are a perfect fit too.
Why It Works: Baby iceberg lettuce is available year-round, boasts a long shelf life and offers simple prep for all types of recipes in busy foodservice operations.
2. Premium Romaine Lettuce
Fresh romaine lettuce serves especially well as a bun or a wrap for large burgers. Its satisfying crunch comes with an impressive array of nutritional benefits.
Why It Works: The ruffled leaves add a touch of elegance to ordinary burgers, elevating the simple sandwich from ordinary to special.
3. Portobello Mushrooms
Often served as an alternative to traditional proteins, the umami flavor of this large mushroom pairs very well with burgers. They're grill- and oven-friendly too.
Why It Works: The round portobello cap is ideally sized for burgers, so it's ready to plate with minimum prep.
4. Sweet Potatoes
If your restaurant menu features sliders, slip them between half-inch slices of baked sweet potato. It's a delicious low-carb, high-protein alternative to regular burger buns.
Why It Works: Sweet potato buns are gluten-free, and that's a big plus for dining room guests with special dietary concerns.
5. Grilled Zucchini
Sliced zucchini rounds reach peak presentation with a quick grill. The dark green veggie's mildly sweet flavor complements all types of burgers, from spicy to smokey.
Why It Works: Grilled zucchini buns are the type of recipe modification that makes a tasty and positive impression on health-conscious customers.
6. Whole Wheat Pita Pockets
Take a culinary cue from Greek gyros by giving your burgers a healthy spin with whole wheat pita bread pockets. Simply stuff to order and serve.
Why It Works: Whole wheat pita is typically affordable and available through foodservice suppliers as well as local bakeries.
7. Healthy House-Made Buns
Upgrade the traditional burger bun by making it healthier as you make it your own. House-made buns with healthy profiles can easily become a marketable version of comfort food.
Why It Works: From sourdough to whole wheat, recipes for house-made buns can be modified to complement different types of burgers.
5 Burger Bun Ideas That Create New Classics
Offer customers their favorite burgers plated with healthy bun options, and you offer an innovative, guilt-free dining experience. That kind of service creates new classics that impress dining room guests.
These five burger bun ideas are sure to bring them back for seconds.
1. Crispy Baby Iceberg Lettuce Buns
Minimum assembly is required when you keep the lettuce on the outside of the burger. Cup-shaped baby iceberg leaves hold a patty in place with a special crunch that never gets soggy.
Bun Bonus Points: Stocking the walk-in with versatile baby iceberg lettuce opens up a variety of menu possibilities.
2. Quick Oven-Roasted Portobellos
Portobello bun prep is simple: Clean, trim, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. The results are flavorful crispy rounds that complement every type of burger recipe.
Bun Bonus Points: Leftover mushroom stems are cost-effective, recipe-friendly ingredients for stocks and soups.
3. Sensational Sweet Potato Sliders
Sweet potato sliders are delicious proof that bigger burgers aren't always better. Grilled potato slices transform simple burger sliders into savory bites that look and taste sensational.
Bun Bonus Points: Maximize your slider yield with slices from the thick middle of the sweet potato, and save the ends for versatile sweet potato puree.
4. Grilled Zucchini Buns
Grilled zucchini delivers just the right firmness for supporting a burger and toppings. Its mildly sweet taste intensifies over the fire, adding extra flavor to the finished plate.
Bun Bonus Points: Zucchini buns ramp up the burger's nutritional profile with important minerals, vitamins and beneficial plant compounds.
5. House-Made Hamburger Buns
Serve your special burgers on healthy buns made fresh in-house. It's a winning strategy that entices repeat business and helps market your restaurant's brand.
Bun Bonus Points: The aroma of freshly baked bread always adds a warm ambiance to the dining room.
Sharing Fresh Ideas
You have to admire our first choice for replacing regular burger buns. Baby iceberg lettuce consistently holds its own in foodservice operations by serving up nutrition, versatility and great flavor.
We’re proud to report that our baby iceberg remains a big hit with food and beverage managers, commercial chefs and restaurant owners across the country.
As one of California’s leading produce companies, Hitchcock Farms always supplies the premium vegetables and solid customer support you expect. We enjoy sharing fresh ideas too.
From field to harvest and packing to shipping, we’re committed to always serving you with our very best.
