Five Guys Burgers and Fries has become a beloved fast-casual chain known for its customizable burgers, fresh-cut fries, and generous portions. While indulging in Five Guys can be a treat, it’s important to be mindful of the nutritional content of your meal, especially if you’re watching your calorie intake or following a specific diet. This comprehensive nutrition guide will help you navigate the Five Guys menu and make informed choices that align with your health goals.
Understanding Five Guys Menu: Nutritious vs. Less Nutritious Options
Before diving into the specifics, here’s a quick overview of some of the most and least nutritious options at Five Guys:
| Most Nutritious Options | Least Nutritious Options |
|---|---|
| Kosher Style Hot Dog (Dogs) | Bacon Cheese Dog (Dogs) |
| Little Hamburger (Burgers) | Bacon Cheeseburger (Burgers) |
| Veggie Sandwich (Sandwiches) | BLT (Sandwiches) |
| Little Fries (Fries) | Large Fries (Fries) |
| Coffee Milkshake (Milkshakes) | Oreo Creme Milkshake (Milkshakes) |
| Water or Unsweetened Iced Tea (Drinks) | Large Soft Drink (Drinks) |
This table provides a general direction, but let’s explore each category in detail to help you build a healthier meal at Five Guys.
Hot Dog Options at Five Guys: A Nutrition Breakdown
Five Guys offers four main hot dog variations, built around an all-beef hot dog base:
- All-Beef Hot Dog
- Cheese Dog
- Bacon Dog
- Bacon Cheese Dog
The core difference in nutrition comes from the added cheese and bacon.
The Healthier Hot Dog Choice: All-Beef Hot Dog
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If you’re craving a hot dog at Five Guys, the all-beef hot dog is your most nutritious pick. It provides a substantial meal while being the leanest option in the hot dog category.
- Calories: 520
- Total Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 15.5g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Protein: 18g
- Sodium: 1,130mg
While still relatively high in calories, fat, and sodium, the all-beef hot dog avoids the extra fat and calories from cheese and bacon, making it the “best of the bunch” in terms of nutrition within the hot dog selections.
The Less Nutritious Hot Dog Choice: Bacon Cheese Dog
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As expected, the bacon cheese dog is the least nutritious hot dog option. The addition of bacon and cheese significantly increases the calorie, fat, and sodium content.
- Calories: 670
- Total Fat: 48g
- Saturated Fat: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 40.5g
- Protein: 26g
- Sodium: 1,700mg
To reduce calories, fat, and sodium, consider ordering a hot dog with either bacon or cheese instead of both.
Burger Nutrition at Five Guys: Navigating Patties and Toppings
Five Guys is famous for its burgers, offering eight different burger variations. A standard burger includes two beef patties, while the “Little” versions come with just one patty.
Remember, you have control over your toppings! Five Guys offers a wide array of free toppings, including:
- Mayonnaise
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Pickles
- Grilled Onions
- Grilled Mushrooms
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Relish
- Onions
- Jalapeño Peppers
- Green Peppers
- Barbecue Sauce
- Hot Sauce
- A-1 Steak Sauce
Loading up on fresh vegetables like lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions, and choosing lower-calorie condiments like mustard, can significantly boost the nutritional value of your burger by adding fiber and flavor without excess calories.
The Healthier Burger Choice: Little Hamburger
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The Little Hamburger, with its single beef patty, is the lowest-calorie burger option at Five Guys. Starting with this base allows for a more controlled calorie intake.
- Calories: 540
- Total Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 11.5g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Protein: 23g
- Sodium: 380mg
These values are for the patty and bun alone, without toppings. Choose your toppings wisely to keep it a healthier option!
The Less Nutritious Burger Choice: Bacon Cheeseburger
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The bacon cheeseburger, with double patties, bacon, and cheese, is the most calorie-dense burger on the Five Guys menu.
- Calories: 1,060
- Total Fat: 62g
- Saturated Fat: 29.5g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Protein: 51g
- Sodium: 1,310mg
Opting for a “Little” bacon cheeseburger (single patty) or skipping the bacon or cheese can reduce the nutritional impact.
Sandwich Selections at Five Guys: Vegetarian-Friendly Choices
Five Guys offers four sandwich options, a category that includes more vegetarian-friendly choices:
- Veggie Sandwich
- Cheese Veggie Sandwich
- Grilled Cheese
- BLT
Notably, the Veggie Sandwich stands out as the most nutritious item on the entire Five Guys menu.
The Healthier Sandwich Choice: Veggie Sandwich
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The veggie sandwich is packed with grilled onions, mushrooms, green peppers, lettuce, and tomatoes on a bun. It’s naturally lower in calories and fat compared to meat-based options.
- Calories: 280
- Total Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Protein: 7-8g (approx.)
- Sodium: 1,040mg
Adding extra veggies and lighter condiments can further enhance its nutritional profile. This is a great option for vegetarians, vegans (without cheese, and check bun ingredients), and anyone seeking a lighter meal.
The Less Nutritious Sandwich Choice: BLT
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The BLT, while seemingly simple, becomes less nutritious due to the bacon and mayonnaise.
- Calories: 600
- Total Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Protein: 20g
- Sodium: 931mg
The bacon contributes significant sodium and fat, while mayonnaise adds extra fat.
Five Guys Fries: Navigating Portion Sizes
Five Guys fries are a signature item, available in two styles: Five Guys Style (classic salted) and Cajun Style (spiced). Both are cooked in 100% peanut oil and have similar nutritional profiles, differing mainly in flavor. The key nutritional factor for fries is portion size.
The Healthier Fries Choice: Little Fries
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If you’re indulging in Five Guys fries, the Little Fries size is the most reasonable choice in terms of calorie and fat content.
- Calories: 528
- Total Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 72g
- Protein: 8g
- Sodium: 531mg
Even the “Little” size is still a significant serving, so consider sharing or eating only a portion.
The Less Nutritious Fries Choice: Large Fries
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Large Fries at Five Guys are designed for sharing – and for good reason! They are very high in calories, fat, and carbohydrates.
- Calories: 1,314
- Total Fat: 57g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 181g
- Protein: 20g
- Sodium: 1,327mg
Large fries can easily contribute a significant portion of your daily recommended calorie and fat intake. Sharing is highly recommended, or opting for no fries at all is the most health-conscious approach.
Milkshake Options at Five Guys: Balancing Treat with Nutrition
Milkshakes at Five Guys are definitely an occasional treat, not a health food. All milkshakes start with a standard dairy base, and you can customize them with various flavors and mix-ins.
The base milkshake itself (before flavors or mix-ins) contains:
- Calories: 670
- Total Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 21g
- Carbohydrates: 84g
- Protein: 13g
- Sodium: 360mg
- Sugar: 82g
Choosing flavors and mix-ins wisely is crucial for managing the nutritional impact of your milkshake.
The Healthier Milkshake Choice: Coffee Milkshake
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Among the flavor options, coffee is the lowest in calories and sugar, making the coffee milkshake the “healthier” choice within this category (though still a treat).
- Nutritional information will be close to the base milkshake values as coffee flavor adds minimal calories.
Choosing single flavors like vanilla or coffee, and avoiding high-calorie mix-ins, will help keep your milkshake slightly lighter.
The Less Nutritious Milkshake Choice: Oreo Crème Milkshake
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Flavors and mix-ins like Oreo crème, chocolate, peanut butter, and malted milk will significantly increase the calorie, sugar, and fat content of your milkshake. Oreo Crème milkshake, in particular, is likely to be among the least nutritious due to added sugar and fat from the cookies and crème.
- Nutritional information will be considerably higher than the base milkshake due to the added mix-ins.
Drink Options at Five Guys: Smart Hydration
Five Guys offers fountain drinks (Coca-Cola products) and bottled water. With over 100 drink choices from the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. However, the healthiest drink options are the simplest.
The Healthier Drink Choices: Water or Unsweetened Iced Tea
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Water is always the best choice for hydration, providing zero calories and zero sugar. Unsweetened iced tea (like FUZE Unsweetened Iced Tea available at Freestyle machines) is another excellent zero-calorie, zero-sugar option for flavorful hydration.
The Less Nutritious Drink Choice: Large Soft Drink
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Soft drinks, especially in large sizes, contribute significant calories and sugar to your meal without nutritional benefit. A 12-ounce serving of Coca-Cola contains:
- Calories: 240
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Sugar: 65g
- Sodium: 75mg
Choosing diet versions can eliminate calories and sugar, but water or unsweetened tea remain the most health-promoting choices.
Diet-Specific Options at Five Guys: Customizing for Your Needs
Five Guys can be surprisingly accommodating for various dietary needs:
Gluten-Free Options
Burgers and hot dogs can be ordered without buns and wrapped in lettuce. Gluten-free toppings and condiments like cheese, bacon, grilled veggies, BBQ sauce, and ketchup are available. Fries (both styles) are also gluten-free. However, be aware of potential cross-contamination in the kitchen if you have a severe gluten allergy.
- Hamburger patty (lettuce wrap)
- Cheeseburger (lettuce wrap)
- Five Guys Fries (both styles)
- All-beef hot dog (no bun)
Low-Carb Options
Skip the buns for burgers and hot dogs and opt for lettuce wraps. Focus on low-carb toppings and avoid sugary condiments like BBQ sauce.
- Hamburger patty (lettuce wrap)
- Cheeseburger (lettuce wrap)
- All-beef hot dog (no bun)
- Low-carb toppings: cheese, bacon, mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce, pickles, hot sauce, jalapeños, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions
Low-FODMAP Options
Building a “burger bowl” or lettuce-wrapped burger with compliant toppings can work for a low-FODMAP diet. Avoid high-FODMAP ingredients like garlic, onion, mushrooms, and dairy.
- Hamburger patty (lettuce wrap, no cheese)
- Low-FODMAP toppings: lettuce, green peppers, pickles, mustard, tomatoes, relish, jalapeño peppers
- Fries (in moderation)
Diabetes-Friendly Options
Modify the veggie sandwich or little hamburger by loading up on non-starchy vegetables and choosing water or unsweetened tea. Be mindful of portion sizes for fries.
- Veggie sandwich
- Little hamburger
- Diabetes-friendly toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, mustard, relish, onions, jalapeño peppers, green peppers
Low-Fat Options
The veggie sandwich is a standout low-fat option. Choose toppings carefully, avoiding mayonnaise and other high-fat condiments. Little fries can be included in moderation.
- Veggie sandwich
- All toppings except mayonnaise
- Little fries (in moderation)
Low-Sodium Options
Navigating a low-sodium diet at Five Guys is challenging due to the general high sodium content. Focus on smaller portions and choose lower-sodium toppings.
- Veggie sandwich
- Little hamburger
- Lower-sodium toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, mustard, relish, onions, jalapeño peppers, green peppers, mayonnaise (in very small amounts)
Vegetarian Options
Vegetarians have several options, including veggie and cheese veggie sandwiches, grilled cheese, milkshakes, and fries.
- Veggie sandwich
- Cheese veggie sandwich
- Grilled cheese
- Milkshakes
- Fries
Vegan Options
Vegan choices are more limited. Fries (both styles) and the veggie sandwich (modified to exclude cheese and check bun ingredients) are possibilities. Many toppings and sauces are vegan-friendly.
- Vegan toppings: lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, relish, onions, jalapeño peppers, green peppers, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, A1 sauce
- Five Guys Fries (both styles)
- Drinks
Food Allergies and Safety at Five Guys
Five Guys provides clear allergen information. They disclose menu items containing peanuts, gluten/wheat, soy, milk, eggs, fish/shellfish, MSG, corn, high-fructose corn syrup, and sesame.
Five Guys is generally safe for people with fish, MSG, and corn allergies. However, caution is advised for peanut, gluten, dairy, soy, and egg allergies due to potential cross-contamination.
Always check the latest allergen information on the Five Guys website or in-restaurant materials for the most up-to-date details.
Making Informed Choices at Five Guys: A Takeaway
While Five Guys may not be the first place that comes to mind for “health food,” you can make more nutritious choices by understanding the menu and customizing your order. Focus on:
- Portion Control: Opt for “Little” burgers and fries sizes.
- Leaner Proteins: Choose all-beef hot dogs or single burger patties.
- Vegetable Power: Load up on free veggies to add nutrients and fiber.
- Smart Condiments: Use mustard, ketchup, or hot sauce instead of mayonnaise or creamy sauces.
- Hydration Focus: Choose water or unsweetened tea over sugary drinks and milkshakes.
- Consider the Veggie Sandwich: It’s the most nutritious item on the menu!
Enjoying Five Guys in moderation can be part of a balanced lifestyle. By using this nutrition guide, you can make informed decisions and enjoy your meal while staying mindful of your health goals.
