Gone are the days when fast food is the only option when you’re craving burgers. Today, plenty of chains are stepping up with organic, grilled, or plant-based choices that don’t skimp on flavor. Ready to find your go-to place for smarter burger fix? Let’s dive in!
10. Next Level Burger
Merged from Veggie Grill, this fully plant-based burger chain offers dairy-free cheese, tempeh bacon, and umami mushroom‑quinoa patties, just to name a few. These items are all plant-based and generally lower in sodium and saturated fat when compared to traditional beef options. Next Level Burger is still growing and they now serve in multiple states and Whole Foods Market locations.
9. Red Robin
Red Robin has a menu item called Keep It Simple Beef Burger. It’s grilled, basic, and comes with just tomato, onion, lettuce, and pickles. Yup, no cheese or sauce. The chain also offers salads if you want a full-blown healthy meal. Their ability to leave off high-calorie toppings makes it easy for you to get leaner food options.
8. Five Guys
While Five Guys isn’t exactly known as a place for “health food,” you can build a pretty decent protein-rich and low-calorie meal there. One example is the Little Hamburger. You can get this with a lettuce wrap or go bunless and enjoy your meal in a bowl to cut out carbs. With Five Guys, you’re also getting high-quality fresh beef with no fillers.
7. Bareburger
Bareburger is a health-focused semi-national chain, located in multiple states but growing. They serve antibiotic-free beef, organic meats, bison, turkey, as well as plant-based options like Beyond and Impossible burgers. There’s also real flexibility for health-conscious customizations; you can choose whole-wheat buns or salads over fries.
6. Burger King
That’s right, Burger King is here to serve one of the healthiest burgers out there: Whopper Jr. This specific item comes with just a little over 300 calories and it ranks low in sodium and saturated fat among chain burgers. Burger King is also known for offering the Impossible Whopper (over 600 calories), but you can request grill-only and no mayo to reduce sodium and fat content.
5. Wendy’s
Dietitians agree that Wendy’s Jr. Hamburger is one of the healthiest fast food burgers out there. The chain is also known for serving fresh-never-frozen beef, just like Five Guys. If you want to go beyond burgers, Wendy’s has a grilled chicken sandwich, apple slices, and baked potato sides. You can also skip mayo and add extra veggies for an even smarter ordering.
4. In-N-Out Burger
Across its over 400 locations, In-N-Out Burger serves additive-free and fresh-never-frozen beef. Plus, the chain’s classic hamburger only contains 360 calories. You can ask for Protein Style (lettuce-wrapped) and you’ll cut the calorie content down to less than 200. For a lean, simple burger with high quality, you can also skip spread and add extra onions.
3. BurgerFi
BurgerFi is known for serving 100% American Black Angus beef, raised under their “Never-Ever” program. That means no antibiotics, steroids, growth hormones, or additives. And, of course, never frozen. BurgerFi is also transparent in nutrition and offers the ability to customize toppings and bun, making healthy swaps easy.
2. Elevation Burger
Elevation Burgers allows its guests to build their own burgers. They can choose their preferred bun type, skip cheese, and add extra tomato. Nutrition info is also transparent and the fast-casual chain uses USDA-certified organic, antibiotic-free, and grass-fed beef. But that’s not all because the chain also serves cage-free chicken and fries cooked in heart-healthy olive oil!
1. Habit Burger & Grill
Health-conscious foodies know where to find no-filler beef with open-flame chargrilled goodness. That’s right, we’re talking about Habit Burger & Grill! They use fresh, 100% natural ground beef and they also offer ahi tuna and grilled chicken alternatives. You can ask for greens in place of a bun, skip mayo, and add veggies. Their menu also includes salads and bowls for more variety.