Study: Culver’s Butterburger is the ‘least unhealthy’ burger among fast food chains
(WFRV) – While fast food is rarely looked at in terms of healthy eating, some chains are a little better at making their main products healthier than those of their competitors.
PlushCare is an ‘online doctors’ office started by Dr. James Wantuck and Ryan McQuaid, who wanted to help combat the long lines that Americans face in healthcare systems.
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A blog post from Plushcare made a ranking of some of the most popular items at American fast-food chains, going in order from most unhealthy to ‘least’ unhealthy.
Among the competitors listed were Mcdonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King and of course, Wisconsin’s beloved Culver’s. The rankings were based on chicken sandwiches, cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, french fries and vanilla milkshakes.
The items were given an ‘unhealthiness score’ where the higher the number, the more unhealthy the product is. The unhealthiness score was determined by the following information:
Where do Culver’s most popular and similar food items rank on the list? Find out here:
Cheeseburgers – Culver’s ranked No. 16 out of 16 total fast food chains, with an unhealthiness score of 17 for the iconic Butterburger. The unhealthiest burger on the ranking, Five Guys, holds an unhealthiness score of 50. Here are Culver’s scores for each category:
Energy – 4 (390 calories)
Saturated Fat – 7 (7g)
Sugar – 1 (6g)
Sodium – 5 (480mg)
Chicken Burgers/Sandwiches – Culver’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich ranked No. 18, tied with Dairy Queen with an unhealthiness score of 21. Popeyes ranked as the most unhealthy with a score of 39, just barely ahead of multiple other chains. Culver’s scores for each category were:
Energy – 5 (450 calories)
Saturated Fat – 3 (3g)
Sugar – 1 (8g)
Sodium – 12 (1160mg)
French Fries – Culver’s Medium Crinkle Fries came in at No. 11 among 23 different fast food chains. It’s tied with Wendy’s and Zaxby’s with an unhealthiness score of 12. The highest score, Five Guys, scored 28, while the lowest was In-N-Out Burger at 6. Culver’s scores for each category were:
Energy – 4 (350 calories)
Saturated Fat – 2 (2g)
Sugar – 0 (0g)
Sodium – 6 (650mg)
While Culver’s was not listed for chicken nuggets or vanilla milkshakes, the following popular menu items would be scored as such, based on the methodology provided by PlushCare:
Cheese Curds – Culver’s Wisconsin Cheese Curds are one of the most iconic items on the menu, and a medium order would hold an unhealthiness score of 34, based on PlushCare’s methodology. Those scores would be:
Energy – 6 (490 calories)
Saturated Fat – 12 (12g)
Sugar – 0 (0g)
Sodium – 16 (1520mg)
Concrete Mixer – Culver’s Concrete Mixer is a beloved sweet treat for all. Based on the methodology from PlushCare, a small, vanilla flavored Concrete Mixer with no mix-ins would score a total of 43, with the categories based on PlushCare’s methodology as such:
Energy – 7 (630 calories)
Saturated Fat – 23 (23g)
Sugar – 12 (54g)
Sodium – 1 (170mg)
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The nutritional information for each product is available at this link on Culver’s website, however, they may vary based on serving portions.
(PlushCare’s data analysis was completed at the end of June 2024, so the nutritional information may slightly vary from the initial scoring provided)
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