Five Guys is one of the most popular fast-food chains in this country, but figuring out the nutrition facts of each menu item can prove difficult.
While the Five Guys website does provide some nutrition facts, they leave out some very important elements (like protein), so I’m here to bridge the gaps!
Five Guys certainly doesn’t exist to offer traditional “healthy” options, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t make the most of the menu.
Whether your goal is minimizing calories or maximizing protein, let’s help you identify some of the best options for you.
The Healthiest Options at Five Guys
Five Guys is known for having some of the biggest portion sizes available, so finding “healthy” options may be tough.
If you’re in search of low-calorie fast food options, it may prove difficult at Five Guys. But not everyone’s definition of healthy is low-calorie, so I’m here to help you identify all of the best options based on your specific goals.
Five Guys Menu Item with the Most Protein
Bacon Cheeseburger: 1,060 Calories, 62g Fat, 40g Carbs, 52g Protein
A bacon cheeseburger from Five Guys is certainly not a great source of protein, but with 52 grams of protein, it’s the single menu item with the most protein.
If you want a lower calorie option that still contains a fair amount of protein, the Little Bacon Burger is a decent choice. With 620 calories and 28g of protein, it’s still not as good of a protein source as other fast food options, but it works.
Vegetarian Menu Items at Five Guys
Veggie Sandwich: 280 Calories, 15g Fat, 60g Carbs, 7g Protein
Grilled Cheese: 470 Calories, 26g Fat, 41g Carbs, 12g Protein
If you don’t eat meat, your options at Five Guys are going to be limited. Unless you go for fries or a milkshake, your only options are either the veggie sandwich or grilled cheese.
These menu items simply take the elements of a Five Guys burger and repurpose them to make vegetarian options.
For example, the grilled cheese is a burger bun flipped inside out with cheese slices in the middle, and the veggie sandwich is simply a burger without the burger patty.
But hey, they are options!
Low-Carb Options at Five Guys
When you’re dealing with burgers, hot dogs, and fries, you’re not going to find any low-carb options on the menu. Unlike other fast food joints that offer salads, you don’t have other options at Five Guys.
That being said, Five Guys allows you to order any of their burgers or hot dogs without the bun, which will instantly create a keto-friendly meal for you.
You can do this for any menu item, but here are the macros for a bacon cheeseburger without the bun:
820 Calories, 53g Fat, 1g Carbs, 45g Protein
The only carbs in the burgers or hot dogs are from the bun, so you’ll have a carb-free meal by going bunless.
Most Macro-Balanced Five Guys Menu Item
If you want something that is pretty balanced overall, the “little” burgers (single patty) will be your best bet. While maybe not the most macro-friendly options you’ll ever come across, you could do worse…
Little Hamburger: 540 Calories, 26g Fat, 39g Carbs, 23g Protein
Little Cheeseburger: 610 Calories, 32g Fat, 40g Carbs, 27g Protein
Calories & Nutrition Facts for Burgers & Hotdogs
Five Guys burgers and hot dogs are all à la carte, meaning you’ll add whatever toppings you’d like to any sandwich.
Because of this, you’ll rarely see two orders looking exactly the same.
From a nutrition standpoint, all of the burgers and hot dogs you see listed here are without any condiments or extra toppings added. For example, the bacon cheeseburger includes all of the cheese and bacon, but does not include any condiments or extra veggies you would add.
Five Guys Regular vs Little Burger
The standard burgers at Five Guys come with 2 burger patties.
If you order a hamburger as-is, it will already have 840 calories before adding any condiments or toppings.
Since Five Guys is all about having large portions, that is their standard option, and a “little” burger refers to just a single patty.
Don’t feel guilty if you prefer a single patty, that’s the standard for every other burger joint out there!
If you do go with a little hamburger over the regular hamburger, you’ll end up saving over 300 calories. So, if calories are a concern, I definitely recommend sticking with a little burger.
Five Guys Toppings
Here’s where you can get creative with your menu options and customize your food based on your diet preferences.
While there’s only so much you can do to alter the base menu items above, you have a ton of toppings at your disposal to switch things up as you’d like.
While most of these toppings are very low-calorie (they are vegetables, after all), there are a couple of items that stand out: BBQ sauce and mayo.
Depending on how heavy-handed the serving is, these will add 100 calories to your meal, if not closer to 200 calories. While not a huge deal, if calories are a concern, tread lightly.
Otherwise, I absolutely recommend loading up on veggies, especially grilled onions and mushrooms, because they take any burger to the next level.
Calories & Nutrition Facts for Fries & Milkshakes
Five Guys fries are damn good, but their nutrition isn’t quite as good.
Why is that? Mostly because their serving sizes are gigantic.
Five Guys’ smallest option for fries, the “little fries”, weighs in at 227g.
To put that into perspective, large fries from Burger King weigh roughly 173g.
A large serving of fries from Five Guys is the equivalent of 3.5 orders of large fries from Burger King!
I’m not saying you need to avoid the large fries…but maybe consider splitting them with a few friends.
Otherwise, Five Guys fries are really no different than other fast food options out there- you just need to be mindful of those gigantic serving sizes.
If you’re curious how Five Guys fries stack up against other options out there, here’s how the small size compares…
Clearly, Five Guys fries contain the most calories, but it’s because their serving sizes are the largest.
How many calories are in Five Guys milkshakes?
When it comes to milkshakes, there’s really no way to hack them to make them healthier, so you have to approach it as a treat.
All the milkshakes from Five Guys start with a vanilla base, and this base already contains 670 calories.
Since there is only one size offered, if you want something smaller, you’ll need to split your shake with a friend or save half for another time.
From there, you add your choice of mix-ins, and the calories will vary based on what you add, and how much of each.
Of course, if you want to stick with a plain vanilla milkshake, you can certainly do that! I’m sure it’ll be similar to a Frosty.
But if you want to make the most of your mix-ins to create a milkshake more on-par with a DQ Blizzard, most will add 100+ calories to your milkshake.
Healthy Ordering Tips at Five Guys
I’ll be honest with you: ordering healthy options at Five Guys can be tough.
Since the Five Guys menu is so limited, you don’t have a ton of healthy substitutions, or something like a salad, to turn to.
But it’s not impossible to make the most of what you’re ordering! Here are my five healthy ordering tips for Five Guys:
- Keep it “Little”: Five Guys is known for their burgers. If you’re trying to eat healthier, opt for the “Little” burgers, which have only one patty compared to the standard two. You can also go with a veggie sandwich or grilled cheese if you want slightly lower-calorie options.
- Be Mindful with Toppings: Five Guys offers a bunch of toppings that you can add to your burgers, but be mindful of what you’re adding. Stick to fresh veggies like lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and peppers for added flavor without a ton of extra calories. Avoid higher-calorie toppings like cheese, bacon, and mayonnaise.
- Skip (or share) the Fries: Five Guys fries are delicious but they’re also high in fat and calories due to the cooking method and insane portion sizes. If you’re going to enjoy them, make sure you split them with someone.
- Go Bunless: If you’re watching your carbs on a low-carb or keto diet, you can get your burger or sandwich “bunless” and have it served in a tray instead.
- Get Condiments On the Side: While mustard is virtually calorie-free, mayo or BBQ sauce can end up adding a considerable amount of extra calories. To control how much you are having, get it on the side instead of relying on your server to add as much as they’d like.
Is Five Guys Healthy?
We all have different definitions of what makes food healthy, so there is no definitive answer there.
However, if you’re looking strictly in terms of calories & fat, Five Guys may not be the “healthiest” fast food option compared to other options out there.
If you’re looking for a low-calorie option, your best bet is the “Little Hamburger,” which still comes in at 540 calories and 23g of protein.
Compare that to a single hamburger at McDonald’s, which is only 250 calories and 8g of fat, or a hamburger at Burger King, which is only 240 calories and 10g of fat, and it’s clear to see that Five Guys contains much higher calories.
And, unlike most other fast-food restaurants (like Wendy’s), Five Guys offers no salad or “healthier” alternatives to their sandwiches.
But, that doesn’t make Five Guys inherently unhealthy. Sure, they may not have the same lower-calorie or higher-protein options that other fast food restaurants have, but you can still enjoy Five Guys as part of a healthy diet.
Remember: everything in moderation.
