What's the Healthiest Thing to Eat at Five Guys? Your Complete Guide

January 7, 2026 •

4 min read

Five Guys is famous for its generous portions and high-calorie offerings, but did you know that with a few smart swaps, you can find genuinely healthy menu items? By understanding the nutritional information and customization options, it is possible to enjoy a satisfying meal without derailing your health goals.

Quick Summary

A guide to ordering the healthiest options at Five Guys, focusing on customizable, lower-calorie choices like the veggie sandwich, bunless burgers, and water over sugary drinks.

Key Points

Opt for a Veggie Sandwich: The standard veggie sandwich is a lower-calorie, meat-free choice, especially when ordered without the optional cheese.
Request a Bunless 'Little Hamburger': A single-patty burger wrapped in lettuce or served in a bowl dramatically cuts down on calories and carbs, making it ideal for low-carb diets.
Customize with Free Veggies: Add unlimited toppings like grilled mushrooms, onions, green peppers, lettuce, and tomatoes to add flavor, fiber, and nutrients with minimal extra calories.
Manage Your Condiments: Stick to low-calorie options like mustard and hot sauce while avoiding calorie-dense condiments such as mayonnaise and BBQ sauce.
Avoid or Share the Fries: Even the smallest size of fries adds hundreds of calories and grams of fat to your meal; skip them completely or split a small order to minimize the impact.
Drink Plain Water: Choose water over sugary sodas or high-calorie milkshakes to cut hundreds of unnecessary calories from your order.

Navigating a Fast-Food Menu for Health

Eating healthy at any fast-food restaurant requires a strategic approach. At Five Guys, the key is leveraging their customization options to your advantage. Unlike many chains, Five Guys makes every order fresh, which gives you complete control over what goes into your meal. This flexibility is your greatest tool for managing calorie, fat, and sodium intake.

The Healthiest Menu Item: The Veggie Sandwich

For many, the top contender for the absolute healthiest option is the Veggie Sandwich. Unlike a pre-made veggie patty, the Five Guys version features grilled onions, mushrooms, and green peppers, topped with lettuce and tomatoes on a toasted bun. The standard version contains around 440 calories, 15g of total fat, and 1040mg of sodium. To make it even healthier:

Hold the cheese: Removing the American cheese slices will save you calories and saturated fat.
Add extra vegetables: Pile on more free toppings like raw onions, pickles, and jalapeños for added flavor and nutrients.
Avoid high-sodium condiments: Stick with mustard or hot sauce instead of mayonnaise or BBQ sauce to reduce sodium.

The Best Burger Option: The Bunless "Little Hamburger"

If you are craving a burger, the "Little Hamburger" is your best bet. Made with a single patty, it is the lowest-calorie burger on the menu. A plain Little Hamburger on a bun is around 480-550 calories, but the real health hack is ordering it bunless. You can request a lettuce wrap or simply have the patty and toppings served in a bowl. This is an excellent option for those following a low-carb or keto diet.

Topping strategy for bunless burgers:
- Best toppings: Load up on grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, and fresh veggies like lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles.
- Higher-fat but low-carb options: For those on a keto diet, a slice of cheese or bacon can be added without increasing carb count significantly, but be mindful of the added fat and sodium.
- Condiments: Mustard and hot sauce are low-calorie choices, while mayonnaise adds substantial calories.

Sides, Shakes, and Strategic Swaps

The iconic Five Guys fries and milkshakes are where calories and fat can quickly add up. A regular size of their fries can have nearly 1,000 calories and over 900mg of sodium, and even the smallest size is a significant portion. A single milkshake can easily contain over 670 calories before mix-ins.

To make your sides healthier:

Split the fries: If you must have fries, order the "Little" size and share it with a friend.
Go bunless and skip the fries altogether: A bunless Little Hamburger with plenty of veggies is a filling and much healthier meal on its own.
Opt for water: A cup of water is a zero-calorie, zero-sugar choice, far healthier than a soda or a milkshake.

Nutritional Comparison: Healthy Swaps vs. Indulgent Choices


Item	Calories	Total Fat	Sodium	Dietary Fiber	Notes
Healthy Swap: Veggie Sandwich	~440	15g	1040mg	2g	Before adding cheese
Healthy Swap: Bunless Little Hamburger	~220+	17g+	50mg+	<1g	Excluding bun & toppings
Indulgent: Bacon Cheeseburger	920+	62g+	1310mg+	<1g	Heavy on calories, fat, sodium
Healthy Swap: Water	0	0g	0mg	0g	No calories, no sugar
Indulgent: Regular Fries	~953	41g	962mg	15g	Often exceeds daily limits
Indulgent: Milkshake	~670+	32g+	360mg+	0g	High sugar and calories

How to Order Your Healthiest Meal

Follow these steps to construct your most nutritious order at Five Guys:

Choose a base: Opt for either the Veggie Sandwich (hold the cheese) or the Little Hamburger (ask for a lettuce wrap or cup). The bunless burger offers more protein, while the veggie sandwich has a better macronutrient ratio for some.
Customize with free veggies: Load your order with unlimited grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, green peppers, lettuce, and tomatoes to boost fiber and add flavor. Pickles and jalapeños also add flavor without calories.
Select condiments wisely: For moisture and taste, choose low-calorie options like mustard or hot sauce. Avoid mayonnaise and BBQ sauce to keep calories and sugar low.
Rethink the side: Skip the fries entirely or, if you must, get the "Little" size and share it. This single change can cut your meal's total calories dramatically.
Choose your drink: Always opt for plain water over soda or a high-calorie milkshake.

Conclusion

While Five Guys is not a health food haven, it is possible to make significantly healthier choices by using the menu's customization to your advantage. The most straightforward options are a plain Veggie Sandwich or a bunless Little Hamburger, both loaded with unlimited free vegetable toppings. By making strategic choices about your sides and drinks, you can enjoy the fresh, flavorful food Five Guys is known for while staying closer to your health and nutrition goals. Making these simple swaps proves that even at a burger joint, a balanced meal is within reach. For more detailed nutritional information, you can always consult the official Five Guys website.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Veggie Sandwich, ordered without cheese, is generally the lowest-calorie item on the menu, containing around 440 calories before adding toppings.

Yes, Five Guys offers the option to serve any burger or hot dog in a lettuce wrap instead of a bun. You can also ask for it in a bowl or cup with your desired toppings.

The peanuts at Five Guys are a good source of protein and healthy fats, but they are also calorie-dense. A small handful is fine, but it is important to be mindful of portion size.

The best low-carb meal is a bunless burger or hot dog. A Little Hamburger (or two) with plenty of fresh veggie toppings like lettuce, onions, and pickles is a popular and satisfying choice for low-carb diets.

The calorie count for fries is high, even for the smallest size. A "Little" order contains about 526 calories, while a "Regular" order has around 953 calories.

To make your meal healthier, you should avoid the large burgers, large portions of fries, milkshakes, and calorie-dense condiments like mayonnaise and BBQ sauce.

Yes, Five Guys' grilled toppings, such as onions, mushrooms, and green peppers, add flavor and nutrients with very few calories. They are an excellent way to enhance your bunless or veggie sandwich.

A bunless All-Beef Hot Dog is a relatively better option than the cheeseburger or bacon burger. However, it is still high in fat and sodium. You can make it healthier by skipping the cheese and bacon and loading up on veggie toppings.