I sometimes hear from people who ask if they are going to have to give up their favorite foods on Medifast. It’s not uncommon for me to be asked about hamburgers or ground beef. An example is something like: “I know Medifast probably won’t allow a big, greasy burger with a bun and all the trimmings. But what about carefully prepared lean ground beef? What if it’s sauteed, grilled or roasted and not fried?
I can tell you what is just my opinion on this. And I base that same opinion on the quick start guide found on the company’s website. If you have any questions about this, you can easily contact one of the counselors. Lean meat of any kind (no less than 95 percent lean) can be included in your lean green meal as long as it is less than six ounces when cooked. Also, it has to be grilled, baked, broiled, or poached and not fried. You can also cook this in a tablespoon of a healthy fat like canola, nut, or olive oil.
So as long as you use a moderate amount of very lean ground beef (and not the regular or more common kind) and also prepare it healthily without frying it, then you’ll have ground beef in moderation. As an example, a quarter-pound hamburger weighs four ounces. However, this is usually fried in unhealthy fat. You would probably have to modify how you prepare it if you want to have a burger and eat it like a burger. But one idea would be to use lettuce instead of a bun with tomato inside. You can also have condiments in Medifast, so you could put some mustard on top of the tomato. One of the fat reducing grills would offer a good way to prepare this while removing the fat.
People also sometimes use lean ground beef in soup recipes that make up their lean green meal or as part of a very green salad. But to answer the question posed, my opinion is that you can eat lean beef or hamburger with your lean green meal as long as you use very lean ground beef, limit the amount, and be careful how you prepare it. And, if you cheat a little and eat a hamburger, don’t beat yourself up too much. Sure, you don’t want to make a habit of this, but as long as you recover quickly, there’s no reason to let this derail you.