Healthiest Fast Food Burger, Ranked (14 Burgers)
Every burger chain has a signature, and they range from barely over 400 calories to nearly 1,000. Fourteen burgers from seven chains, ranked by the calories each chain publishes, with sodium where it is published, because sodium tells a different story.
Key takeaways
- Lightest: In-N-Out Cheeseburger with onion (430), Shake Shack Single Cheeseburger (440), Single ShackBurger (500), Jumbo Jack (520) and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese (520).
- Middle: Dave’s Single (560), Big Mac (580), Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger (600), Double-Double (610), Five Guys Little Cheeseburger (610).
- Heaviest: Whopper (660), Sourdough Jack (690), Ultimate Cheeseburger (840) and the Five Guys Cheeseburger (980).
- Sodium reshuffles the middle: the Jumbo Jack has 700 mg, the Double-Double 1,670 mg.
The ranking
| Burger | Calories | Sodium | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. In-N-Out Cheeseburger (with onion) | 430 | — | Shake Shack vs In-N-Out |
| 2. Shake Shack Single Cheeseburger | 440 | — | Shake Shack vs In-N-Out |
| 3. Shake Shack Single ShackBurger | 500 | 1,250 mg | Shake Shack vs McDonald’s |
| 4. Jack in the Box Jumbo Jack | 520 | 700 mg | Jack in the Box vs McDonald’s |
| 5. McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese | 520 | — | McDonald’s vs Burger King |
| 6. Wendy’s Dave’s Single | 560 | — | Wendy’s vs Shake Shack |
| 7. McDonald’s Big Mac | 580 | — | McDonald’s vs Burger King |
| 8. Jack in the Box Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger | 600 | 1,110 mg | Jack in the Box vs Burger King |
| 9. In-N-Out Double-Double | 610 | 1,670 mg | In-N-Out vs McDonald’s |
| 10. Five Guys Little Cheeseburger | 610 | — | In-N-Out vs Five Guys |
| 11. Burger King Whopper* | 660 | 980 mg | Jack in the Box vs Burger King |
| 12. Jack in the Box Sourdough Jack | 690 | 1,300 mg | Jack in the Box vs McDonald’s |
| 13. Jack in the Box Ultimate Cheeseburger | 840 | 1,550 mg | Jack in the Box vs Taco Bell |
| 14. Five Guys Cheeseburger | 980 | — | Five Guys vs McDonald’s |
Calories and sodium from each chain’s published U.S. nutrition information, as cited in the linked comparison. *Whopper from Burger King’s published table, which predates its 2026 bun and mayo change. Sodium shown only where our cited source lists it. Burger only, no fries or drink.
How the ranking works
Each burger is listed as the chain builds it by default, with no fries, drink or add-ons. Calories decide the order because every chain reports them. Sodium is shown where the chain’s published table gives it. A lower rank means a lighter default burger, not a healthier chain: Five Guys sells both the heaviest burger here (980) and a 610-calorie Little Cheeseburger.
The light end: single patties, small buns
In-N-Out’s Cheeseburger with onion (430) and Shake Shack’s Single Cheeseburger (440) are the lightest burgers on the list, and they are both what you would expect: one patty, one slice of cheese, a regular bun. The ShackBurger adds ShackSauce for 500. The Jumbo Jack (520) is the surprise: it is not small, but its sodium (700 mg) is the lowest of any burger here with a published figure.
The middle: where the famous burgers live
Dave’s Single (560), the Big Mac (580), the Double-Double (610) and the Five Guys Little Cheeseburger (610) cluster within 50 calories. What separates them is sodium and saturated fat: the Double-Double lists 15 g of saturated fat and 1,670 mg sodium, the highest sodium on the list.
The heavy end: double patties and premium builds
The Whopper (660 in BK’s published table), the Sourdough Jack (690), the Ultimate Cheeseburger (840, 23 g saturated fat) and the Five Guys Cheeseburger (980) are the four to know about. Five Guys’ standard cheeseburger is two patties by default, which is most of the gap.
The fries matter more than the burger
Across these chains, a medium or regular fries adds 270 to 530 calories, and Five Guys’ fries go higher. That means the choice between a 520-calorie and a 580-calorie burger matters less than whether the fries come with it. Order the burger, decide on the side separately.
When the bigger goal is eating less fast food
Swapping one chain for the other changes a meal, not the routine that puts you in the line. If you keep comparing chains because the habit keeps pulling you back, the variable that matters is the trigger: the time, the route, the tired end of the day. Pick the lighter order when you go, and work on how often you go.
Frequently asked questions
What is the healthiest fast food burger?
By calories, In-N-Out’s Cheeseburger with onion (430) and Shake Shack’s Single Cheeseburger (440). By sodium among burgers with a published figure, the Jack in the Box Jumbo Jack (700 mg).
Which fast food burger has the most calories?
Of the standard burgers ranked here, the Five Guys Cheeseburger at 980 calories, followed by the Jack in the Box Ultimate Cheeseburger at 840.
Is a Big Mac healthier than a Whopper?
On calories, yes: McDonald’s lists the Big Mac at 580 and Burger King’s published table lists the Whopper at 660.
Sources and method
- Each figure comes from the chain’s published U.S. nutrition information as cited, with links and check dates, in the head-to-head comparison linked for that burger.
- Jack in the Box — 2025 Nutrition Facts (PDF, effective November 2024)
- Burger King — published U.S. nutrition table (Whopper figures)
- The Daily Meal — Burger King’s 2026 Whopper recipe change (bun, mayo; patty unchanged)
Reviewed October 19, 2026. Default builds, burger only. Menus and recipes change; check the chain’s current information for your exact order. This page ranks named items and does not provide an overall health score for any chain.
Related reading
If the real question is how to eat less of it, start with what to expect when you cut back: fast food withdrawal symptoms, week by week and what happens to your body from day 1 to 90.