{"id":16824,"date":"2025-06-26T17:17:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T17:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/16824\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T17:17:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T17:17:10","slug":"the-1-unhealthiest-burger-at-7-major-chains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/16824\/","title":{"rendered":"The #1 Unhealthiest Burger at 7 Major Chains"},"content":{"rendered":"

Americans love burgers. In 2018 the consumption of red meat hit an all-time high of over 222 pounds per person, according to the US Department of Agriculture<\/a> (USDA), which averages out to be 2.4 burgers a day<\/a> or 50 billion each year.<\/a><\/p>\n

So it\u2019s no surprise that burgers are a menu staple at nearly every restaurant. However, not all burgers are made with the same quality or with health in mind. Many are loaded with salt, fat and sugar which if eaten regularly can jeopardize your well-being.<\/p>\n

Staying informed on what you\u2019re eating plays an essential role for your health and when ordering a burger here are key things to look for:<\/p>\n

Calories:<\/strong> When excess calories are consumed too often obesity, heart disease<\/a> and type 2 diabetes can occur. Depending on age range and fitness goals, on average, the guidelines for calorie intake range between 1,600 to 2,000, per Cleveland Clinic<\/a>. One fast food burger can equal an entire day\u2019s worth of calories.<\/p>\n

Saturated fat:<\/strong> Saturated fat is something you\u2019ll find food when eating out. According to the American Heart Association<\/a>, if you\u2019re following a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, you should not have more than 13 grams of saturated fat. Too much can lead to serious health issues like high cholesterol and heart disease.<\/p>\n

Sodium:<\/strong> Many burgers are loaded with sodium for extra flavor. It might taste delicious, but too much salt puts your heart health at risk. The American Heart Association<\/a> says too many Americans consume more salt than recommended. The organization suggests having no more than 2,300 milligrams a day, but many people have 3,500mg daily.<\/p>\n

\u200b\u200bSugar:<\/strong> High amounts of added sugar skyrocket the risk of diabetes, according to studies<\/a>, so\u00a0 paying attention to how much sugar you\u2019re eating can reduce the chance of major health issues. According to the American Heart Association<\/a>, women shouldn\u2019t have more than 6 teaspoons of sugar a day, which is around 100 calories, and for men, no more than 9 teaspoons or 150 calories per day. A fast food meal can exceed those guidelines.<\/p>\n

To help make healthy smart decisions, here are seven of the unhealthiest burgers at major restaurant chains ranked from worst to absolutely terribly for you.<\/p>\n

\tDenny\u2019s Double Bacon Avocado Cheeseburger<\/p>\n

\"\"Denny\u2019s<\/p>\n

Nutrition: Per 1 burger
Calories: 1,460
Fat: 100g (Saturated fat: 38g)
Sodium: 2,230mg
Carbs: 54g (Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 11g)
Protein: 85g<\/p>\n

Denny\u2019s Double Bacon Avocado Cheeseburger<\/a> lands at No. 7 on our list, but there\u2019s nothing healthy about it. Not only is it high on salt, sugar and calories, but you\u2019re eating three days worth of saturated fat in one meal. Plus, it\u2019s high in sodium and sugar. Skip this and go for a healthier breakfast meal instead.<\/p>\n

\tApplebee\u2019s Bourbon Street Mushroom Swiss Burger<\/p>\n

\"\"Applebee\u2019s<\/p>\n

Nutrition: Per 1 burger
Calories: 1,590
Fat: 105 g (Saturated fat: 31 g)
Sodium: 2,910 mg
Carbs: 103g (Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 13g)
Protein: 57g<\/p>\n

The Bourbon Street Mushroom Swiss Burger <\/a>seems like a healthier option because of the mushrooms and veggie toppings, but it\u2019s not. One burger has 2,910 milligrams of salt, which is 600 milligrams more than the daily recommendation.<\/p>\n

\tHoulihan\u2019s BLT Burger<\/p>\n

\"\"Houlihan\u2019s\/Facebook<\/p>\n

Nutrition: Per 1 burger
Calories: 1,620
Fat:\u00a0 103g (Saturated fat:\u00a0 34g)
Sodium:\u00a0 3,553mg
Carbs:\u00a0 105g (Fiber:\u00a0 10g, Sugar:\u00a0 21g)
Protein:\u00a0 66g<\/p>\n

Houlihan\u2019s BLT Burger<\/a> might seem splurge-worthy, but the amount of sodium, sugar, fat and calories is alarming. While it\u2019s a rich decadent burger, the several types of cheeses and bacon increase the salt and saturated fat content, which can lead to LDL cholesterol and increase insulin resistance when consumed frequently.<\/p>\n

\tBJ\u2019s Restaurant & Brewhouse Hickory Brisket and Bacon Burger<\/p>\n

\"\"BJ\u2019s Restaurant & Brewhouse<\/p>\n

Nutrition: Per 1 burger
Calories: 1,570
Fat: 85g (Saturated fat: 31g)
Sodium: 4,773mg
Carbs: 125g (Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 39g)
Protein: 77g<\/p>\n

BJ\u2019s Hickory Brisket and Bacon Burger<\/a> features a beef patty, smoked brisket and bacon with cheese, red onions and mayo stacked on a premium parker house bun. It\u2019s a meat-eaters dream, but it\u2019s a nightmare for your health.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s so high in salt that it\u2019s over double the recommended daily intake and it\u2019s over twice the amount of saturated fat that\u2019s suggested per day.<\/p>\n

\tCheesecake Factory\u2019s Bacon-Bacon Cheeseburger<\/p>\n

\"\"Cheesecake Factory<\/p>\n

Nutrition: Per 1 burger
Calories: 1,590
Fat: 108g (Saturated fat: 45g)
Sodium: 3,550mg
Carbs: 76g (Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 28g)
Protein: 78g<\/p>\n

Cheesecake Factory\u2019s Bacon-Bacon Cheeseburger<\/a> is a popular menu item, but health-conscious eaters should avoid it. While the burger offers two kinds of cheese and extra bacon on top of a juicy beef patty, it\u2019s packed with fat and sodium and it\u2019s high in calories. This burger could be harmful for your heart health and cholesterol levels if consumed often due to the amount of fat and salt.<\/p>\n

\tBacon Rancher Burger at Chili\u2019s<\/p>\n

\"\"Chili\u2019s<\/p>\n

Nutrition: Per 1 burger
Calories: 1,690
Fat: 123 g (Saturated fat: 49 g, trans fat 6g)
Sodium: 2,720 mg
Carbs: 48 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 13 g)
Protein: 104g\u00a0 g<\/p>\n

The Bacon Rancher Burger<\/a> is No. 2 on our list. We have no doubt it is delicious, but it\u2019s not even close to healthy. The burger features two beef patties and six slices of bacon, this burger is extremely high in saturated fat, trans fat, and salt. It also has 13 grams of sugar, half the recommended daily upper limit..6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e<\/p>\n

\tRed Robin\u2019s Gold Medal Burger<\/p>\n

\"\"Red Robin<\/p>\n

Nutrition: Per 1 burger
Calories: 1,770
Fat: 126 g (Saturated fat: 51 g, trans fat 7g)
Sodium: 3,820 mg
Carbs: 61g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 21 g)
Protein: 94 g<\/p>\n

Red Robin boasts its Gold Medal Burger is as heavy as an Olympic Gold Medal<\/a>, but healthwise it\u2019s not winning. The three beef patty burger takes the top spot as the unhealthiest on our list and if you read the nutritional facts<\/a> you\u2019ll understand why.<\/p>\n

It has the highest amount of calories and fat than the other burgers mentioned and is a true nutritional gut punch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Americans love burgers. In 2018 the consumption of red meat hit an all-time high of over 222 pounds…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":16825,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[210,1182,16504,988,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-16824","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-nutrition","10":"tag-restaurant-chains","11":"tag-restaurants","12":"tag-united-states","13":"tag-unitedstates","14":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114750806142880385","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16824"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16824\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}