Your stomach has been growling for the past few hours. It’s screaming for food and the smell for burgers drift to your nose. Everyone at the table gets a normal cheeseburger but then some schmuck decides to get a veggie burger. This would’ve been a crazy option 20 years ago, but in recent years burgers have started becoming more commonplace with fast food chains like Burger King and P. Terry’s adding veggie burgers to their menu.

Let’s get one thing straight. Yes, a veggie burger can be healthier than a normal burger. Many veggie burgers are made from vegetables, whole grains and legumes which provide lots of health benefits like fiber, vitamins and minerals. However, it is more likely to be healthy if you make it yourself. When you go to restaurants, chefs often add butter, oil or high-fat ingredients resulting in a higher calorie burger. Even store-bought veggie burgers can be packed with very high amounts of sodium that could be unhealthy.

Now, this isn’t to say that normal burgers don’t provide health benefits. They can be a good source of protein, iron and various vitamins. However, like the veggie burgers, the health benefits can depend on how it is cooked. Several are cooked with butter or various flavorings which make it taste better at the expense of the total healthiness of the meal. Red meat burgers are also more likely to lead to sickness depending on the freshness of the meat, how it’s cooked and several other variables.

The second you bite into a perfectly seasoned 8oz. Patty on buttered buns, you will instantly forget about all the chit chat about how healthy it is. The only thing that matters at that moment is you and the burger. Meanwhile, when you bite into a veggie burger, all you can think about is how much better your friend’s burger smells and when he’s gonna get up so you can sneak a bite from his burger.