The Healthiest Menu Items at Five Guys—and What To Skip

Since opening in the Washington, D.C., area in 1986, Five Guys has become synonymous with big, juicy burgers and thick-cut french fries cooked in peanut oil. Unlike some burger joints that offer a wide menu, the chain focuses on doing a few basics well. Its no-nonsense offerings include burgers, hot dogs, toppings, fries, milkshakes—and little else.

Burgers and fries don't make the healthiest lunch or dinner (or breakfast, if we're covering our bases). If you're working on limiting your calories, sodium, or saturated fat, it's best to make these foods a once-in-awhile treat, not everyday fare. At the same time, if you eat at Five Guys, it's also possible to make some healthier choices.

As a nutritionist, I've given the Five Guys menu a thorough going-over. Here are the top orders I recommend (and a few I'd advise passing on).

How To Make Healthy Choices at Five Guys

Five Guys offers plenty of customization options that make healthy choices easier. When placing your order, take these factors into account:

• Prioritize healthy toppings. Five Guys' burger and dog toppings include plenty of good-for-you veggies. For extra nutrition, add grilled mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and/or green peppers to your protein.

• Limit less healthy toppings. Of course, you can also top your burger or hot dog with bacon, mayonnaise, cheese, or barbecue sauce, but these high-fat, high-sodium choices won't amplify the health factor of your meal.

• Stick to smaller sizes. In addition to the usual small fries and drinks, Five Guys also offers smaller-portioned burgers (the Little Hamburger, Little Bacon Cheeseburger, etc.). These keep concerning nutrients like calories and fat within more moderate limits.

Burgers

Best: Little Hamburger

At Five Guys, a classic hamburger—downshifted into a smaller size—is hands-down the best burger option. Not only does it contain far fewer calories, carbs, and fat than a regular burger, but it also skips cheese, bacon, and other add-ons. Pile it high with veggie toppings to make it a more well-rounded meal.

 15 Healthiest Fast-Food Burgers, According to Dietitians

Best: Little Cheeseburger

Adding cheese drives up the calories, fat, and sodium on the Little Cheeseburger, but it's still one of the better choices at Five Guys. The fresh-ground beef, bun, and American cheese slice total about 610 calories—enough for a satisfying lunch for most people. Skip the side order of fries if you're trying to keep calories low.

Best: Little Bacon Burger

Swap cheese for bacon, and you'll get just 10 more calories (and, surprisingly, less sodium than the Little Cheeseburger). However, overconsuming processed meats like bacon has been linked to health problems such as colorectal cancer and heart disease, so make the Little Bacon Burger an occasional order.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

 6 Best Heart-Healthy Fast Food Orders, According to Dietitians

Best: Little Bacon Cheeseburger

Believe it or not, the Little Bacon Cheeseburger is still lower in calories and fat than a regular-sized hamburger at Five Guys. Don't be fooled into thinking it's actual health food—it still packs 690 calories and 950 milligrams of sodium. Order a large water to wash down all the salt.

Worst: Bacon Cheeseburger

What do you get when you add bacon and cheese to a regular-sized Five Guys hamburger? A hefty helping of fat and calories. Say no to the Bacon Cheeseburger, especially if you add fries or a milkshake to your meal.

 20 Healthy Fast-Food Orders, According to Dietitians

Hot Dogs

Best: Hot Dog

As with the best burger, the best hot dog is the one that keeps things plain and simple. An unadorned beef frank is top dog on the Five Guys menu for nutrition, with the lowest calories, fat, and sodium.

Worst: Bacon Cheese Dog

If you're looking out for your health, this is one dog you don't want to invite onto your plate. Its sodium alone (at 74% of the daily value) is enough to take a pass. High-sodium diets are associated with water retention and elevated blood pressure.

 8 Hot Dogs That Use the Highest Quality Ingredients

Sandwiches

Best: Cheese Veggie Sandwich

You don't have to have meat at Five Guys. If you're a vegetarian, check out the Cheese Veggie Sandwich. It boasts a bit of protein from the cheese while loading you up on veggies that add fiber and antioxidants. Unfortunately, it does have some pretty egregious sodium, so if you're watching your salt intake, this one is a no-go.

Worst: BLT

I'll give the BLT some points for adding real veggies (aka lettuce and tomato)—and, amazingly, it has the lowest sodium count of all Five Guys' sandwiches. Then again, it's also the highest in calories and fat. Make it a BLOT or a BLMT by adding veggies like onions or mushrooms.

 14 Best High-Protein Fast-Food Sandwiches

Fries

Best: Little Five Guys Style

Anywhere you go, ordering a small fry (if you order fries at all) is a smart idea. Sure enough, this holds true at Five Guys, where an order of the Little Five Guys-style fries has around half the calories of the Regular size. And by ordering your potato side Five Guys-style (cooked in peanut oil and salted) rather than Cajun-style, you'll also shave off calories and sodium.

Worst: Large Cajun Style

If you finish an entire order of Large Cajun Style fries, you'll get a massive 21 grams of fiber and an impressive 20 grams of protein—two nutrients most of us could use more of. But these benefits aren't worth the price of more than 1,300 calories, 10 grams of saturated fat, and more than 1,600 milligrams of sodium. Share these fries with a friend (or three) to keep portions more reasonable.

 The 25 Saltiest Fast-Food Orders in America

Milkshake Mix-Ins

Best: Strawberry

Fancy some fruit flavor in your milkshake? Opt for the strawberry mix-in. According to its nutritional information chart, it contains no fat and almost no sodium. Plus, real strawberries contain potassium and vitamin C to give your dessert a small nutritional boost.

Worst: Oreo Créme

A Five Guys milkshake is already rich enough without 25 grams of extra fat from the Oreo Créme mix-in. Though the crumbled cookies may bring a chocolatey flavor, they also increase the shake's ultra-processed nature. Adding ultra-processed foods to your diet could spell trouble for your waistline, your diabetes risk, and your overall risk of death.