This Is the Healthiest Fast Food Burger in America Right Now
By nature, a burger is not the healthiest meal option out there—or even the healthiest option on any given fast food menu. But, everything in moderation! Mental health matters too and maybe that Big Mac and Micky D's Diet Coke is just the mood boost you need.
However, not all burgers are created equal—read: some are worse than others. To save you the time and hassle of poring over the lengthy nutritional facts, we scoured 15+ menus—and also tapped registered dietitian and nutritionist Lauren Manaker—to find the healthiest—or at least, least unhealthy—fast food burgers out there.
"Burgers aren’t inherently 'healthy,' but they can offer protein and some nutrients depending on the toppings and preparation," she explains. "Choosing a burger with more veggie toppings, skipping high-fat extras like bacon or mayonnaise, and possibly opting for a smaller patty can make it a smarter choice. And add lots of veggies to the mix!"
While you should consider several nutritional factors when ordering, Manaker cites sodium as a key concern due to its impact on heart health. You should also watch out for saturated fats, which can contribute to high cholesterol levels. And, of course, calories count, though everyone's needs are different!
"Daily needs vary depending on your age, activity level, and health goals, but general recommendations include limiting saturated fat to less than 10% of your daily calories, keeping sodium to below 2,300 mg per day, and managing your total calories to align with your energy needs," Manaker says.
For our ranking, below, we zeroed in on this information—and the understanding that carbs and calories can be controlled with portion sizes and meal balancing—to find the healthiest burgers at drive-thrus around the nation. But, it's important to remember that determining the "healthiest" fast food burger is somewhat subjective and can vary based on individual dietary needs and health goals. While we've focused on key nutritional factors like calories, sodium, and saturated fat, other elements like protein content, overall meal balance, and personal health conditions should also be considered when making your choice!
#7: Shake Shack Hamburger
While Shake Shack's signature Shackburger—which comes piled with toppings and special sauce—isn't your best option, the chain's classic hamburger is a healthier choice. For a fast food burger, it's relatively low in calories (370), and has 24 grams of carbs, 8 grams of saturated fat, and a whopping 850 mg of sodium. This makes it the seventh-healthiest option we found at fast food chains. However, there is a silver lining: it has the most protein of all our picks, with a whopping 25 grams.
#6: Culver's ButterBurger
The Culver's ButterBurger has the highest calorie count (390 for a single without extra toppings) on our list, but the rest of its nutritional stats help balance it out. It has 38 grams of carbs, 7 grams of saturated fat, and 480 mg of sodium (way less than the Shake Shack option!). It also offers an impressive 20 grams of protein.
#5: Whataburger Jr.
If you're a fan of cult-favorite fast food joint Whataburger, good news: the Whataburger Jr. is among the healthiest options we found, at 310 calories and 36 grams of carbs. While the sodium content—at 750 mg—is higher than other burgers on our list (excluding Shake Shack, which ranked even higher) it has just 3 grams of saturated fat. That's the lowest we found! A win is a win.
Considering it is a Jr., the protein content is a little less than Shake Shack and Culver's, but hey, 14 grams is not nothing.
#4: In-N-Out Hamburger
In-N-Out fans rejoice. The classic hamburger has 16 grams of protein, just 360 calories, 37 grams of carbs, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, and 660 mg of sodium, which for us, gives it a slight edge over the Whataburger Jr. If you want to make it even "healthier," you can opt for it animal style. The lettuce-wrapped version is a common customization and gets you down to just 200 calories, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 390 mg of sodium, and 8 carbs. (We're not including the bunless version in our official ranking, because, well, buns!)
#3: The Classic McDonald's Burger
McDonald's landed in the number three spot for healthiest fries and burgers. The golden arched fast food joint's bare bones (but still delicious) classic burger has 13 grams of protein, 250 calories, 30 carbs, just 3.5 grams of saturated fat, and 510 mg of sodium.
#2: Burger King's Whopper Jr.
Our number two, you ask? Burger King's beloved Whopper Jr., which is the same as a classic whopper, just slightly smaller (it's still a totally normal burger size). This option comes with slightly more protein than Micky D's (15.2 grams), 310 calories, 27 grams of carbs, and 5 grams of saturated fat. Plus, it has the lowest sodium content on our entire list at 390 mg. When we say it's the second healthiest burger, we mean that it's barely the second.
The #1 Most Healthy: Wendy's Jr. Hamburger
And we have a winner! While Wendy's was pretty much neck and neck with Burger King, it has a slight edge thanks to its impressively low calorie count (280) and lower saturated fat: 4 grams. At 440 mg, the sodium level is still comparatively pretty low, and this burger comes with 15 grams of protein and just 25 grams of carbs.
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