Your Shot: On the 4th of July, the Burger is King

Red meat is beloved in America, the nation that brought the world McDonald’s. But it’s not without controversy. Pending U.S. dietary guidelines are likely to recommend that we include less red meat in our diets, but how much is too much? And demand for beef raises environmental concerns, too: Critics note that industrial cattle production has a larger environmental impact than that of other meats.

Beef consumption has actually waned in the U.S. in recent years, dropping to 24.1 billion pounds last year from 28.1 billion in 2004. But 24 billion pounds is still a lot of beef, and Americans love their steaks…and their burgers.

That’s particularly true on summer holidays like Independence Day, when many people consider firing up the grill just as important as gazing at fireworks.

Americans aren’t the world’s only burger fans, of course—and naturally, a patty doesn’t have to be made of beef to be a burger. Take a moment this July 4 to feast your eyes on burgers of all kinds from across the globe, courtesy of our Your Shot photo community.

April Fehling is a digital producer for National Geographic and a founder of  the food website WeTheEaters. Follow her on Twitter @aprilfehling.