No matter how healthy you strive to be, sometimes you can’t help but crave some fast food from Burger King. While most fast food options are deep-fried and loaded with fat, carbs, and sugar, there are luckily some acceptable menu items out there to offer a bit of nutrition. To figure out the healthiest menu item at Burger King, we spoke to Holistic Nutritionist Vonda Schafer.
Schaefer notes that healthy options at Burger King may be few and far between. However, there are some ways to modify your meal so that it’s as nutritious as possible. “While Burger King probably should not be on the list for healthiest places to grab a quick lunch, if you find yourself with friends who insist on it, here is what to do,” she says. According to her, your healthiest option is a Whopper with a lettuce wrap.
Whopper Jr. (Or Whopper), Lettuce Wrapped
Schaefer says the best way to go when you want to stay healthy at Burger King it to opt for a lettuce-wrapped burger. If you had a substantial amount of protein in your breakfast, she recommends the Whopper Jr., but if you need a little more meat for lunch, go with a regular Whopper—minus mayonnaise and ketchup.
"Choosing the Whopper Jr. over the Whopper will cut the saturated fat from 12 to 5 grams," Schaefer notes. When you consider the fact that you're foregoing the bun, as well, you may even be saving more saturated fat. That's why a lettuce wrap is so helpful. What a great menu hack!
Additionally, Schaefer points out that these burgers contain some veggies. "The Whopper comes with tomatoes, lettuce, pickles and onions, which will add a slight amount of fiber," she says. Of course, it's still not the healthiest thing you could put into your body, but it's definitely not the worst.
If you really want to amp your meal up with even more vegetables, Schaefer suggests adding a garden salad with Ken's golden Italian dressing to the meal. However, she also offers a word of caution, noting that this meal may not be as nutritious as it seems: "Soybean oil and corn syrup will negate whatever nutrients may be found in the garden salad (as it turns out, not many nutrients there)."
When it's time to choose a drink, Schaefer recommends keeping it simple and refreshing. "For your beverage, refresh with the club soda at the soda fountain or a fresh unsweetened iced tea." Sounds perfect!
Of course, fast food is never the best option when you're trying to stay healthy, and Burger King is no exception. "Most of Burger King's menu is deep-fried so choices are few," Schaefer explains. But still, sometimes you'll find yourself at a drive-through window. And when that time comes, following this advice is the best way to ensure you're choosing the healthiest meal possible.
