In-N-Out Burger holds a special place in the hearts of Californians and burger enthusiasts across the country, boasting a cult-like following. Originating as a modest 10-square-foot hamburger stand in 1948 in Baldwin Park, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles, the chain has since become a beloved fast-food institution. In-N-Out is credited for pioneering the concept of the drive-thru restaurant with the “complete package” of an intercom ordering system and lack of inside seating.
Despite its remarkable growth, In-N-Out’s small and simple menu has barely changed in 76 years. This steadfast commitment to simplicity is central to In-N-Out’s ethos, which emphasizes the use of high-quality, fresh ingredients and “handmade” burgers—a dedication that has garnered praise from award-winning chefs, including Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud. Beyond their craveable flavors, In-N-Out burgers’ popularity also stems from their affordable prices, thanks to a streamlined menu, the company’s ownership of all its locations, and buying their ingredients wholesale.
While everyone knows In-N-Out for its mouthwatering burgers, let’s take a closer look at what’s going on between the bun from a nutritional perspective. We’re here to shed some light on which menu options are better for your body.
Tips for ordering a healthier meal at In-N-Out Burger
Since the menu is basic, it’s quite easy to order better options at the chain. Here are three tips for how to order the healthiest choices when at the chain.
- Opt for Protein Style, where the bun is replaced with lettuce.
- Skip the Animal Style options, which means it has mustard in each patty plus pickles, grilled onion, and extra special sauce. More extra special sauce adds too much low-calorie
- Skip the special spread and ask for just ketchup and mustard to shave calories and fat. The special sauce is estimated to contain 80 calories and 9g fat.
- Avoid the not-so-secret menu. The options on this menu tend to be higher in calories, sat fat, sodium and added sugar.
4 Best Burgers
Best: Protein Style Cheeseburger
Nutrition (per burger): 270 calories, 19 g fat (8 g sat fat), 800 mg sodium, 10 g carbs (2 g fiber, 6 g sugar), 16 g protein
This core menu item is the regular cheeseburger (1 all-beef patty and 1 slice American Cheese) wrapped in lettuce rather than on a bun. This option makes our best bet due to its modest calories, and better saturated fat and sodium counts compared to other burger choices on the menu.
Best: Protein Style Hamburger with Ketchup and Mustard (No Spread)
Nutrition (per burger): 200 calories, 14 g fat (4.5 g sat fat), 390 mg sodium, 8 g carbs (2 g fiber, 5 g sugar), 12 g protein
This is the best option if you’re managing your calories and want to eat a fast-food burger. Even ordering two protein style burgers would be better than many of the other menu items at In-N-Out.
Best: Hamburger with Ketchup and Mustard (No Spread)
Nutrition (per burger): 300 calories, 9 g fat (3.5 g sat fat), 610 mg sodium, 37 g carbs (2b g fiber, 8 g sugar), 16 g protein
This menu item is a great option because it has a modest number of calories, is relatively low in saturated fat and provides 16 grams fiber. The sodium is high but is lower than many other main items on the menu.
Best: Double-Double Protein Style with Ketchup and Mustard (No Spread)
Nutrition (per burger): 450 calories, 32 g fat (15 g sat fat), 1380 mg sodium, 12 g carbs (2 g fiber, 6 g sugar), 30 g protein
This burger has two patties, two slices of cheese, and lettuce in place of a bun. The sodium is high, but the calories, carbs, and protein are all appropriate amounts.
Worst Burgers
Worst: 4×4 (‘Quad Quad’) Animal-Style
Nutrition (per burger): 1,100 calories, 69 g fat (34 g sat fat), 2300 mg sodium, 41 g carbs (3 g fiber, 9 g sugar), 70 g protein
(Nutritional information is estimated from online sources.)
Also called the Quad Quad, this not-so-secret menu option is as its name suggests: four all-beef patties, four slices of American cheese, and all the standard condiments on a fresh-baked bun. Think of it as a double Double-Double. While the nutritionals are not readily available from In-N-Out, our best estimates show how horrific this option is for your health. It packs in more than half the calories you need in a day, more than a day’s worth of saturated fat, all the sodium you should have in a day, and an excessive amount of protein that can be harmful to your kidneys.
Worst: Double-Double with Spread
Nutrition (per burger): 610 calories, 34 g fat (15 g sat fat), 1660 mg sodium, 41 g carbs (2 g fiber, 6 g sugar), 34 g protein
This burger is a mainstay on the regular In-N-Out menu and it’s one to avoid. It packs in excessive saturated fat and sodium. The saturated fat is the same as you’d get from eating 3 tablespoons of butter and the sodium would be equal to what you’d get from two servings of canned soup!
3×3 (‘Triple Triple’) with Spread
Nutrition (per burger): 860 calories, 55 g fat (26 g sat fat), 1880 mg sodium, 39 g carbs (3 g fiber, 10 g sugar), 52 g protein
(Nutritional information is estimated from online sources.)
This is an option on the not-so-secret menu that includes three beef patties and three slices of American cheese on a bun with all the standard condiments. This heart-stopping burger has about 1.5 times the saturated fat you need in a day, half most adult’s daily calories, and nearly all the sodium you should have in a day.
Worst: Cheeseburger with Spread
Nutrition (per burger): 430 calories, 21 g fat (8 g sat fat), 1,070 mg sodium, 39 g carbs (2 g fiber, 8 g sugar), 20 g protein
This burger is considered the best of the worst. It has moderate calories and saturated fat but sodium is quite high. Tweak this choice by skipping the spread and have ketchup and mustard and you’ll shave some calories and sodium. For a bigger transformation, order a protein-style cheeseburger.
Best Sides and Shakes
Best: French Fries
Nutrition (per order): 360 calories, 15 g fat (1.5 g sat fat), 150 mg sodium, 49 g carbs (6 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 6 g protein
The French fries on In-N-Out’s menu are better than those from many other chains. They use 100% sunflower oil, which is a highly unsaturated fat. This helps keep the saturated fat content of their fries lower than the fries at other national chains.
Best: Vanilla Shake
Nutrition (per order): 590 calories, 31 g fat (20 g sat fat), 360 mg sodium, 66 g carbs (0 g fiber, 55 g sugar), 16 g protein
Even though this shake is the “healthiest” milkshake option, it’s not a recommended menu item. However, if you are going to order a shake, vanilla is marginally better than either the chocolate or strawberry options. The best bets for beverages on the menu include unsweetened tea, water, or a diet soda.
Worst Sides and Shakes
Worst: Animal Style Fries
Nutrition (per order): 750 calories, 42 g fat (17 g sat fat), 1,105 mg sodium, 54 g carbs (2 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 19 g protein
This not-so-secret option is a larger order of fries topped with melted cheese, In-N-Out spread and grilled onions. It exceeds the calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium, and carbs that you’d want to have in an entire meal.
Worst: Chocolate Shake
Nutrition (per order): 610 calories, 30 g fat (19 g sat fat), 370 mg sodium, 74 g carbs (0 g fiber, 61 g sugar), 16 g protein
This is by far one of the worst In-N-Out menu items, based on calories, saturated fat, and added sugar. This shake packs in just over 15 teaspoons of added sugar and nearly a day’s worth of artery-clogging saturated fat.
Worst: Strawberry Shake
Nutrition (per order): 610 calories, 30 g fat (19 g sat fat), 350 mg sodium, 74 g carbs (0 g fiber, 63 g sugar), 15 g protein
Like the chocolate shake, the strawberry shake has all the same nutritional flaws: excessive calories, saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar. The vanilla shake is only modestly better than the strawberry or chocolate flavors.
