Readers of our website will be familiar with our copycat recipes and Burger King recipes are extremely popular on our website. But sometimes readers ask, is Burger King healthy and can I replace certain ingredients to reduce the calories.
We all know that fast food isn’t the best choice when it comes to your health, reiterated by the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. In fact, fast food is considered unhealthy due to the high amounts of saturated fat, carbs, sodium, and cholesterol it contains.
These can take a serious toll on your health, of course, if consumed on a regular basis. Regular consumption of fast food can increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, high cholesterol levels, high triglyceride levels, obesity, etc.
But this, however, doesn’t mean that eating a burger on occasions will get you some of these serious diseases and conditions.
In fact, Burger King, one of the most popular fast food restaurants in the world, has made sure their menu includes healthier food options for those who want to enjoy the flavors of their fast food without feeling guilty.
So, is Burger King Healthy?
Even though Burger King shouldn’t be your first option if you are on a healthy, well-balanced diet, the fast food restaurant chain is considered one of the best options when you want to find something healthier on the menu.
Their Triple Whopper is listed as one of the unhealthiest fast foods you can order at fast food restaurants, with around 1,160 calories per burger. This is outrageous as the calories found in one Burger King Triple Whooper are almost as much as the daily recommended amount of calories.
The burger is packed with saturated fat and artery-clogging trans fats. Nevertheless, there is a way to eat healthy at Burger King. Here’s how.
What to Order at Burger King If You’re Looking for a Healthy Meal
The lengthy menu of Burger King includes healthy options like salads and veggie burgers.
1. Garden Chicken Salad
Garden Chicken Salad is a good option for those on a low-carb diet. The salad contains 40 g of protein, 7 g of fiber, and just 10 net carbohydrates for 520 calories. What’s more, there’s plenty of filling protein in the chicken.
To keep the calories, fat, and carb content lower, order grilled chicken instead of crispy. Also, order your salad without the dressing as this adds extra sodium, carbs, and calories.
2. Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Grilled Chicken Sandwich has fewer calories, less saturated fat, and less sodium than the Garden Chicken Salad. In addition, it contains 37 g of protein which will help you stay full for longer. Even if you order a Garden Side Salad with your sandwich, it’ll still be a better option than the Garden Chicken Salad.
3. Classic Hamburger
This option may surprise you, but it’s better than many others on Burger King’s menu. Following a healthy diet isn’t about depriving yourself of everything that’s tasty, but about balance.
Burger King’s classic hamburger contains half the carbs, sodium, and calories compared to most of their other burger options. Just stay away from eating their whopper regularly.
4. Nuggets
Another surprise? Well, the secret is to stick to the 4-piece order which contains only 170 calories, 1.5 g of saturated fat, and 8 g of protein. Although nuggets don’t contain much fiber, they do contain enough proteins for their low-carb total.
Also, they don’t contain added sugar like most processed foods.
5. Egg and Cheese Crossain’wich
This is probably the best option for breakfast from Burger King. The Egg and Cheese Crossain’wich will give you 11 g of protein and 30 g of carbs, which is great. On the other hand, it will give you more sodium than you’d want for breakfast. However, this is still one of the healthiest items on their menu.
5. Side Salad Instead of Fries
We know that nothing compares to fries, but if you’re looking for a healthier alternative, you may want to order a side salad with your burger and forget about fries. This will help you get fewer calories, fat, and carbs from your meal.
It’s a simple substitute but it can save you plenty of calories. What’s more, it’ll make you feel fuller than the combination of burger with fries due to the increased volume of the meal.
6. Avoid Mayo and Dipping Sauces
We know mayo gives that special flavor to burgers and fries, but it also gives additional calories to your meal. If you order your burger without mayo, you will reduce the amount of fat by 8 grams. This, in turn, can reduce the number of total calories by 70 kcal.
When it comes to ketchup, mustard, and other dipping sauces, you should be extra careful when using them. Namely, they can add up to 300 mg of sodium, 15 g of fat, and 150 calories. The worst options you can order are Zesty Onion Ring Dipping Sauce and Ranch Dipping Sauce.
7. Make Your Salads Even Healthier
Ordering a salad is a good decision on its own, but there are some things you can do to boost its nutrition. For example, ordering it without croutons can reduce the amount of sodium, fat, and calories.
Also, you can consider choosing the Lite Balsamic Dressing, and adding beans such as chickpeas to increase the protein content of your salad.
Is Burger King Healthier Than Mcdonald’s
As always, it depends what you order from either chain. If you compare the double cheeseburger which is available from both chains, then Burger King is infact healthier than McDonald’s. As you can see from the table below, this particular item on their menu has less calories.
| Double Cheese Burger | Burger King | McDonalds |
| Calories | 370 | 440 |
| Grams of Fat | 18 | 23 |
| Sodium | 720 milligrams | 1,050 milligrams |
Conclusion
Eating fast food regularly is not recommended for your health and body. This applies to any fast food chain restaurant, including Burger King. The only thing that makes Burger King different than other fast food restaurants, and perhaps better, is the healthy food items on their menu.
These meals and salads may not be the healthiest food, but they are healthier than most fast food. Some of these foods include their Garden Chicken Salad, Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Classic Hamburger, and Egg and Cheese Crossain’wich.
There are also some other things you can do to make your orders healthier and boost their nutrition. For example, you can skip mayo and dipping sauces, as well as order side salad instead of fries. In this way, you’ll still be able to enjoy the delicious and comforting meals from Burger King without feeling guilty.
In the end, we still recommend you to avoid fast food as much as you can and stick to whole and natural foods. Or make copycat recipes at home and substitute some of the ingredients to make it healthier.
