There’s been a lot of big news about burgers lately. By big, I mean gargantuan creations of beef and bun bursting with greasy layers of fatty patties, bacon, cheese and all the trimmings. It’s almost like there’s been a contest to see how large and in charge a burger can become to fill in the dark side of nutrition no-no’s while the do-gooders preach about grilled fish and fresh veggies.

So, what’s a nutrition-minded burger lover to do?

Happily there’s a middle ground where you can enjoy your grilled ground round. Dietitian Betsy Hornick, co-author of the "Healthy Beef Cookbook," recommends learning to build a better burger.

“You don't need a half pound of beef," she said. "Three to four ounces should be your goal and that’s the standard size of a quarter-pound burger.” By the way, menus often list the uncooked weight, so a half-pound burger is 6 ounces of cooked weight and a quarter-pound burger is 3 ounces.

While there’s been a lot of emphasis on the diet downside of beef for its cholesterol and saturated fat content, Hornick points out the nutritional pluses. “Beef is a great source of protein, as most people know, but it also provides a wide variety of other important vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, iron, zinc, selenium, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorous and choline.”

Leaner beef also will have less total fat and cholesterol. Also, the principal saturated fatty acid in beef, stearic acid, isn’t the cholesterol raising culprit once thought. Research now shows it has more of a neutral effect.

When it comes to cooking burgers, Hornick’s first choice is grilling rather than searing on a hard surface such as a restaurant griddle because an open grill allows excess fat to drip off.

“In my cookbook, I recommend that ½-inch thick patties be grilled over medium hot coals for 11 to 13 minutes to medium doneness -- until no longer pink in the center and juices show no pink color, or 160 degrees F. internal temperature. Turn just once so the burgers stay juicy,” she said.

Now that you've got the best burger off the grill, it’s time to dress it up in a healthy way.

Toast the buns – Request the buns be toasted and not grilled with a slather of butter or oil. This can avoid 100 calories and 11 grams of fat. More restaurants are offering whole grain burger buns, which are higher in fiber and add a few more nutrients. Hornick says to avoid croissants or large, overpowering buns. "I like those new thinner sandwich bread style burger buns," she said. "And  pita bread can be a good lower calorie choice, too.”

Be choosy about cheese – Each slice of cheese adds about 100 calories. If you must have cheese, use a small amount of a highly flavored type such as aged cheddar, pepper jack or blue cheese crumbles.

Watch the extras – Loading on the bacon, pork belly, fried eggs, mayo and mayo based sauces can add hundreds of extra calories to a burger.

Accessorize smartly – Mustards are marvelous with beef and very low in calories. Mushrooms and onions add great flavor to beef but, ask for them grilled instead of sautéed in butter to save hundreds of calories. Ask to "super size" the lettuce, tomato, raw onion, pickle and other fresh veggies to boost nutrient content and add crunch and flavor with few calories. Hornick says the burger can be a tasty vehicle for getting folks to eat more vegetables. She suggests adding sliced zucchini or eggplant to the burger, or serving grilled vegetables on the side.

Travel the world -- Burgers may be an all-American comfort food, but more restaurant menus are offering an international flavor with Mexican, Italian, Greek and Asian ideas.  “It opens people's imagination....there’s a lot of great ones such as a Mediterranean burger with hummus," she said. "I like the Indian inspired cucumber and yogurt raita on a grilled burger or you can go tropical with grilled pineapple or a mango and black bean salsa on burgers.”