What's Healthy at In-N-Out Burger? (2024)

Most Nutritious Option

The healthiest choice on the primary menu at In-N-Out is the no-bun "Protein-Style" hamburger, which is lower in calories, fat, carbohydrates, and sodium.

Burgers

There are many different ways to customize a hamburger at In-N-Out. Add or subtract meat, cheese, special sauce, or condiments. You can also ask to have your hamburger cut in half. This will be your best bet if you like a traditional burger with a bun.

But keep in mind the serving size will be much smaller than the next-healthiest choice on the menu, which is the Protein-Style hamburger—a traditional In-N-Out hamburger (with one patty and no cheese) that is wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun.

✓ Protein-Style Hamburger with Onion

The Protein-Style hamburger with onions provides 240 calories, 17g fat, 4g saturated fat, 11g carbohydrate, 13g protein, and 370mg sodium. Removing the bun eliminates substantial calories, carbs, and sodium.

While the nutrition information doesn't specifically provide data for the bun, if you calculate the difference between the burger with the bun and without the bun, you can estimate that the bun adds 150 calories, 2g fat, 1g saturated fat, 28g carbohydrate, 3g protein, and 280mg sodium,

✗ Not-So-Secret 4x4 Burger

The Not-So-Secret 4x4 Burger is also called a "Quad Quad." In-N-Out Burger does not provide specific nutritional information for this item. It is two Double-Doubles with one bun—or a Double-Double with a Protein Style Double-Double. It includes four beef patties, lettuce, tomato, spread, and four slices of American cheese (with or without onions) on a bun.

While the nutritional information isn't exact, an estimate based on the numbers provided would indicate that it has roughly 1,470 calories, 102g fat, 37g saturated fat, 72g carbohydrate, 75g protein, and 3,160mg sodium.

Fries

While the primary menu only provides one option for french fries, there are ways to customize them. However, customized fries aren't any healthier than basic fries.

For instance, you can request that your fries be cooked light (softer), well done (crispier), or anything in between. You can add cheese or meat to your fries, adding fat, calories, and sodium.

✓ Small French Fries

If you order basic french fries, a single order provides 370 calories, 15g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 52g carbohydrates, 6g protein, and 250mg sodium. If you want to reduce sodium or fat content, split fries with a friend. The 125g serving size is big enough to share. As a basis for comparison, a small serving of fries at McDonald's is about 75 grams.

✗ Roadkill Fries

One popular menu hack at In-N-Out is to order foods "animal-style." While this menu option usually applies to burgers, it has also become popular as a way to order fries. Animal-style means the fries are topped with extra spread, a slice of melted cheese, and chopped grilled onions. If you order Roadkill Fries, you get a Flying Dutchman on top of your animal-style fries. You get two burger patties separated by cheese on top of fries with spread, a slice of melted cheese, and grilled onions.

Again, nutritional information is not provided for this popular menu hack, but if you estimate the nutrition information for fries topped with two burger patties and two slices of cheese (protein-style cheeseburgers), you're at 890 calories, 54g fat, 18.5g saturated fat, 63g carbs, 39g protein, and 1,410mg sodium.

Shakes

In-N-Out is well-known for its shakes made from real ice cream. They come in three flavors: vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate. You can also blend any combination of flavors for a personalized blend. Only one size shake is listed on the basic menu, which is 15 ounces.

You can order large or extra-large shakes that come in larger soft-drink cups.

✓ Small Vanilla Shake

A regular (15-ounce) vanilla shake provides 570 calories, 30g fat, 19g saturated fat, 65g carbohydrates, 10g protein, and 360mg sodium. Changing the flavor to strawberry or chocolate only modifies the nutritional information slightly, so if you want to indulge in this creamy treat, it's best to order the flavor you most enjoy.

✗ Extra-Large Strawberry Shake

While specific information is not available for larger sizes, it is relatively easy to estimate based on larger cups. A large is 20 ounces (the medium soft drink size without ice). An extra-large milkshake at In-N-Out is 30 ounces (the large soft drink size without ice), or double the size of a regular shake. An extra-large strawberry shake would provide 1,180 calories, 48g fat, 30g saturated fat, 228g carbohydrates, 16g protein, and 620mg sodium.

Beverages

In-N-Out offers the same soda fountain choices offered by many other fast-food restaurants. Of course, you can always choose to drink water. One popular menu hack is to order water and then squeeze lemon wedges into the cup along with sweetener or sugar to make a lightened lemonade.

✓ Iced Tea

Even if you order the largest unsweetened iced tea (29 ounces), the beverage provides 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g carbohydrates, 0g protein, and 0mg sodium. Be careful to specify that you want unsweetened tea, as sweet tea is also on the menu and provides up to 260 calories.

✗ Barq's Root Beer

Large sugary soft drinks provide substantial calories and added sugars. You can order your drink with or without ice. If you order an extra-large Barq's root beer without ice (42 ounces), you'll consume 580 calories, 0g fat, 158g carbohydrates, 0g protein, and 125mg sodium.

Diet-Specific Options

The restaurant is well-known for accommodating guest requests with options for those who follow special diets, specifically gluten-free, low-carb, low-FODMAP, diabetes-friendly, low-fat, low-sodium, vegetarian, and vegan diets.

Gluten-Free

In-N-Out provides a list of foods that do not contain wheat or gluten. However, it does not state that any of its food is gluten-free. That is, while a particular food may not contain gluten ingredients, if it is prepared near a gluten-containing food (such as a bun), there is always the risk of cross-contamination.

The following foods do not contain wheat or wheat gluten:

• Protein-style hamburger
• Protein-style cheeseburger
• Protein-style double-double, 3x3, or 4x4
• French fries
• Shakes (all flavors)

The restaurant also indicates that the hot cocoa does not contain wheat but has not been tested explicitly for wheat gluten. If you follow a gluten-free diet, speak to the staff at your local restaurant to get more information about the possibility of contamination.

Low-Carb

In-N-Out Burger was one of the first fast-food restaurants to accommodate people who follow a low-carb eating style with protein-style burgers. Other menu items contain substantial starch (french fries) or sugar (shakes).

These are the best choices for low-carb customers:

• Protein-style hamburger
• Protein-style cheeseburger
• Protein-style double-double, 3x3, or 4x4
• Yellow chili peppers (available upon request at many locations)

Low-FODMAP

Since beef, cheese, and potatoes are usually compliant with the low-FODMAP diet, those who follow this eating plan will have plenty of options at In-N-Out Burger. But you may want to skip the onions. In addition, dairy does not usually sit well with those on this eating plan, so skip the shakes.

• All burgers (regular or protein-style) without cheese and onions
• French fries
• Tea (sweetened or unsweetened)
• Coffee

Diabetes-Friendly

Since you can order several low-carb options at In-N-Out, those trying to maintain regular blood sugar levels will have choices. These are not necessarily foods recommended for a diabetes diet, but they are higher in protein and lower in carbs.

• Protein-style hamburger
• Protein-style cheeseburger
• Protein-style double-double, 3x3, or 4x4
• Yellow chili peppers (available upon request at many locations)

Low-Fat

Those watching fat intake may be challenged putting together a meal at In-N-Out. However, you can order customized foods not on the primary menu. Some of the best options are not necessarily low in fat but are lower in fat than other menu options.

Also, remember that you can order any of the burgers "cut-in-half" to take part of your meal home later or share it with a friend.

• Protein-style hamburger
• Veggie burger (aka the "wish" burger)

In-N-Out Burger does not offer a veggie patty, but you can order a bun stuffed with veggies (tomato, grilled onions, lettuce, and cheese). You eliminate 10 grams of fat (but also 13 grams of protein) by cutting out the meat patty.

Low-Sodium

Surprisingly, one of the lowest-sodium foods on the In-N-Out menu is french fries with 250 milligrams. Each burger provides 370mg of sodium or more, with many providing 700mg or more. But again, In-N-Out is known for customized orders, and you can request that your hamburger patty be cooked with no added salt.

Vegetarian and Vegan

As mentioned above, you can get a veggie burger (wish burger) at In-N-Out that would comply with some vegetarian diets. You can also order a grilled cheese—which is essentially a cheeseburger without the meat patty.

But the buns contain eggs, so vegan diners and those who don't consume eggs on their vegetarian diets would be unable to choose these options. Instead, the best choice would be to ask for a protein-style meatless burger that you fill with grilled onions, tomatoes, peppers (if available), pickles and cheese (if you eat dairy).

French fries would also be compliant with a vegetarian or vegan diet since they are fried in 100% sunflower oil.

Food Allergies and Safety

In-N-Out Burger provides an allergen list on its website. According to the company, its food does not contain peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, shellfish, or fish.

If you have any questions about allergens or possible contaminations, speak with an employee before ordering.

A Word From Verywell

In-N-Out Burger is well known for its fresh food and willingness to accommodate customer requests. But its menu is somewhat limited. You'll enjoy the food here if you want to treat yourself to an occasional burger-and-fries meal made with simple ingredients. Remember to customize your order as needed to meet your individual preferences.