Healthy Quick Meals at Burger Chains

The standard quick meals meal of a burger, fries, and a drink can simply add as much as a complete day’s price of energy. That’s a dietary (and weight management) recipe for catastrophe. The burger alone at many quick meals joints can pack between 1,000-2,000 energy, notably when loaded up with additional patties, bacon, and cheese.


To maintain energy and fats down, you additionally ought to pay specific consideration to portion sizes, excessive-fats toppings and sides, and hidden sugar. Every thing that you simply add to your meal counts—from fries to soda or a shake.

Suggestions for making more healthy decisions at quick meals burger joints:


  • Stick with a single hamburger patty. No double or triple burgers! Burgers with two or three beef patties add a great deal of pointless energy and unhealthy fats (as much as 800 energy and forty grams of fats).
  • Go straightforward on particular sauces, which add loads of energy and sugar. In case you don’t wish to do with out, ask for the sauce on the aspect. A little bit goes a good distance.
  • Say no to bacon, cheese, onion rings, and different calorie-laden burger toppings. If you wish to add some curiosity, go together with additional pickles, tomatoes, or coronary heart-wholesome avocado.
  • Ask about no-meat burger or sandwich choices, such because the veggie burger at Burger King or the grilled cheese at In-N-Out Burger.
  • Skip the fries. You’ll save lots of of energy (510 energy for a big McDonald’s fries, 340 energy for a medium).
  • Try the child’s menu. Junior and kids’s-sized hamburgers normally have between 250-300 energy, making them a more healthy alternative.

More healthy quick meals burger choices
INSTEAD OF…TRY…
Double-patty cheeseburgerCommon, single-patty hamburger with out cheese
French friesBaked potato or a aspect salad
Rooster “nuggets” or tendersGrilled hen strips
Salad with toppings resembling bacon and cheeseBackyard salad with grilled hen, dressing on the facet
MilkshakePlain milk and apple slices

Greatest burger selections on the Prime 10 chains


  • Burger King Flame-Broiled Hamburger: 230 energy, 9 grams fats (three grams saturated fats), 460 mg sodium, 6 grams sugar
  • Carl’s Jr.’s Charbroiled Turkey Burger: 490 energy, 22 grams fats (four.5 grams saturated fats), 960 mg sodium, 10 grams sugar
  • Dairy Queen Quarter-Pound Mushroom Swiss GrillBurger: 590 energy, 35 grams of fats (12 grams saturated fats, 1 gram trans fats), seven-hundred mg sodium, 5 grams sugar
  • Hardee’s 1/three lb. Low Carb Thickburger: 420 energy, 32 grams fats (12 grams saturated fats, trans fats not listed), 1,010 mg sodium, 6 grams sugar
  • In-N-Out Burger Hamburger With Onion, Protein Fashion: 240 energy, 17 grams fats (four grams saturated fats), 370 mg sodium, 7 grams sugar
  • Jack within the Field Hamburger: 280 energy, eleven grams fats (four grams saturated fats, zero.5 grams trans fats), 620 mg sodium, 5 grams sugar
  • McDonald’s Hamburger: 250 energy, 9 grams fats (three.5 grams saturated fats), 520 mg sodium, 6 grams sugar
  • Sonic Jr Burger: 340 energy, 17 grams fats (6 grams saturated fats, zero.5 grams trans fats), 550 mg sodium, three grams sugar
  • Wendy’s Jr. Hamburger: 230 energy, eight grams fats (three grams saturated fats, zero.5 grams trans fats), 470 mg sodium, 5 grams sugar
  • Whataburger Whataburger Jr.: 300 energy, 15 grams fats (four grams saturated fats), 730 mg sodium, 6 grams sugar

Worst burger selections on the High 10 chains


  • Burger King Triple Whopper Sandwich: 1,020 energy, sixty five grams fats, four grams trans fats, 1,090 mg sodium, 12 grams sugar
  • Carl’s Jr. I/2 lb. Thickburger El Diablo: 1,290 energy, eighty five grams fats, three grams trans fats, 2,790 mg sodium, 14 grams sugar OR Carl’s Jr. Double Six Greenback Burger: 1,520 energy, 111 grams fats, three grams trans fats, 1770 mg sodium, 20 grams sugar
  • Dairy Queen FlameThrower GrillBurger: 950 energy, sixty six grams fats, 2 grams trans fats, 1,540 mg sodium, 7 grams sugar
  • 5 Guys Bacon Cheeseburger: 920 energy, sixty two grams fats, 1,310 mg sodium, 9 grams sugar
  • Hardee’s lb. Monster Thickburger: 1,290 energy, ninety two grams fats, trans fats not listed, 2,840 mg sodium, 14 grams sugar
  • Jack-In-The Field Sirloin Cheeseburger with Bacon: 1,030 energy, 70 grams fats, 2 grams trans fats, 2,310 mg sodium, 14 grams sugar
  • McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese: 750 energy, forty three grams fats, 2.5 grams trans fats, 1,280 mg sodium, 10 grams sugar
  • Sonic SuperSONIC Bacon Double Cheeseburger: 1,240 energy, 87 grams fats, three.5 grams trans fats, 1,690 mg sodium, eight grams sugar
  • Wendy’s Dave’s Sizzling ‘N Juicy ¾ lb. Triple: 1,090 energy, sixty six grams fats, four grams trans fats, 1,990 mg sodium, eleven grams sugar
  • Whataburger Chop Home Cheddar Burger: 1,a hundred and sixty energy, seventy five grams fats, 2 grams trans fats, 1,490 mg sodium, 12 grams sugar