As far as fast food goes, Five Guys might well be one of the best around.
From the famous fries to mouth-watering burgers to those straight-up iconic shakes, Five Guys'
food is pretty tough to beat… and the company's reputation for big portion sizes doesn't exactly hurt, either.
Unsurprisingly, Five Guys' popularity has skyrocketed over the last few decades, with
the chain today operating at least 1,700 outlets worldwide — with plans to open even more in the future.
Of course, there is one classic fast food conundrum that you simply cannot overlook,
and sure enough, even at Five Guys healthy food isn't exactly forthcoming.
For example, a "little hamburger" at the fast food chain contains 540 calories, and if you
want fries, the smallest option comes in at 530 calories — so that's 1070 calories total
for the smallest combo you can get.
Thinking of upgrading to a large fry?
You're looking at 1,310 calories, even before you begin to think about your burger.
Still, no single serving option at Five Guys is quite as unhealthy as the bacon cheeseburger.
Of course, there's also no denying that it sounds delicious.
Five Guys describe the bacon cheeseburger as:
"Two hand-formed patties, grilled to order – with two strips of crispy bacon and two
slices of Kraft American cheese – all on a soft, sesame seed bun."
Not too shabby, right?
But here's the problem: the cheeseburger has so many calories that you'll end up meeting
half of your day's recommended intake in one sitting.
"Hamburgers!
The cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast."
That's because the bacon cheeseburger at Five Guys has 1,060 calories, 40 grams of carbohydrates,
62 grams of fat, and 1,310 milligrams of sodium.
For reference, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that both men and women consume
around 2,000 calories a day.
That sodium level isn't encouraging either, as the FDA suggests you consume just 2,300mg each day.
But here's the worst part of all: on top of being bad for you, the bacon cheeseburger
doesn't actually taste all that great.
That's what some critics say, at least.
For example, Time Out's review of the dish read:
"Solid crunch, solid levels of I'm-going-to-need-a-gallon-of-water-later salt, solid amount of cheese holding it all together.
But is it just me or does this taste a little sweet?
I think it's the bread?
Why is this happening?"
"I am going to throw up. Okay, I'm going to throw up.
I'm throwing up.
You're making me throw up."
A review posted by Esquire also noted that the burger can be messy and overwhelming,
with too much going on to really enjoy what you're eating.
Of course, the bacon cheeseburger will probably work just fine for many customers, but you
might just find that the dish isn't as satisfying as it should be — especially for all those calories.
Thankfully, there are other options at the restaurant that are better and healthier for you.
It may be hard to believe, but it is possible to enjoy the food at Five Guys and stay on
the right track health-wise.
One of the best things that you can do at the restaurant is choose something that is
smaller in size.
Some of the easiest options worth considering include the little burger without a bun, the
veggie sandwich, or the hot dog without the bun.
Of course, it goes without saying that you'll have to stay away from temptation and not
go over-the-top with your toppings.
"Noooooo!"
One employee at the restaurant took to Reddit to offer some more advice on staying healthy
while dining at Five Guys.
They wrote:
"The healthiest thing you can order is a bun-less veggie [...] and bottled water… you can
ask for grilled toppings, like grilled pepper or jalapeños."
They also pointed out that the default option is to grill the vegetables using the patties'
grill, but that you can request for your toppings to be prepared on the buns' grill instead;
an alternative that will help cut down on any excess fat.
So with a little care with what you choose and the right method used in the kitchen,
you can easily enjoy a delicious Five Guys meal, with just a fraction of the calories.
Sounds like a win-win, don't you think?
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