The #1 Unhealthiest Fast Food Burger You Can Order Right Now
No one goes to a fast food restaurant expecting a 100% clean, nutritious meal, but the health qualities of burgers and sandwiches vary wildly between chains, and even between menu items. If you’re not careful, one burger (especially if it’s a combo) can easily wipe out your calorie count for the day, and then of course there’s also the fat, sodium, carbohydrates and sugar amount, plus how highly processed the meat/bun/sauces/sides are.
The “surprise” element is very relevant here: For example, no one orders Fatburger’s XXXL Triple Kingburger thinking “this is a nice light burger for lunch”, but you might be shocked at how calorie-dense a reasonable option is—like the Five Guys Cheeseburger, which virtual primary care website PlushCare recently dubbed the most unhealthy burger you can order.
Why? Here’s how PlushCare breaks it down: “We assessed the relative unhealthiness of cheeseburgers from 16 popular American fast-food joints based on a nutrient profile score determined by the amount of energy (kJ), saturated fat (g), total sugar (g) and sodium (mg) present in each burger.” The Five Guys Cheeseburger got a score of 50. “According to our calculations, the Five Guys cheeseburger is the most unhealthy in its class, primarily because it has 73% more saturated fat than any other fast-food cheeseburger,” the company states.
Whataburger’s Jalapeño & Cheese and the Smash Burger Classic Smash came in second with a score of 42, while Burger King and McDonald’s got a comparatively lower score of 18 points. “Burger King and McDonald’s cheeseburgers are tied on relatively low unhealthiness scores (18 points). They each have less than a quarter of the saturated fat of a cheeseburger at Five Guys and less than half that of a Wendy’s cheeseburger. While some fats are healthy, saturated fats carry a heart disease risk and can lead to weight gain,” PlushCare says.
The chain with the lowest (therefore best) score was Culver’s, which scored 17 points for its famous Butterburger.
While Five Guys scored high with saturated fat, the chain is also known for high standards when it comes to the quality of its ingredients: Fresh, never frozen patties are prepared on a flat-top grill and cooked until well done and juicy. “You won’t see us using timers, just our eyeballs, to know when a burger is finished,” the chain says. “When we say our food is handmade, we mean it. Our beef is hand-pattied and fries are cut right in the store. Each morning, our talented crews tear lettuce by hand, carefully chop onions, thinly slice green peppers and jalapeños, and much more.”
So, as with anywhere you go to eat, check the nutrition, plan accordingly, and let a treat be a treat sometimes.