If you enjoy eating at Burger King but you’ve been told to keep a closer eye on your salt intake, you might now be left wondering what you can eat. We’re here to help!
We’ve looked through the US Burger King menu and found the dishes that can easily fit into a balanced low-sodium plan.
Not only that, but we’ve also looked at the best low-sodium Burger King choices for different types of diets. If you’re looking for low-sodium options in Burger King that also have the fewest calories, less fat, and the least amount of sugar, we’ve got you covered.
What Counts as ‘Low Sodium’ Burger King?
There isn’t a recommended amount per item, but according to the American Heart Association, the maximum amount of sodium someone in the general population should consume a day is 2300mg – if you have cardiovascular problems, your doctor may have given you a number lower than that to stick to.
Splitting that amount by the number of meals you eat a day gives you a rough idea of what to aim below – so that’s around 767mg per meal for the general population.
We’ll therefore use that as a rough cutoff here – although, on days when you’re eating out, you might want to be a bit stricter at home to balance out the fact that generally, most restaurant or fast food is not super low-sodium. Burger King actually doesn’t score too badly compared to some places we’ve seen.
The Absolute Lowest Sodium Menu Item At Burger King
The lowest sodium menu item at Burger King is the 4pc Chicken Nuggets which have just 490mg of sodium. If your primary aim is to eat something that contains the least amount of sodium possible, this is your best option.
However, you do have to consider how small the portion is. The nuggets contain the least amount of sodium because they’re one of, if not the, smallest items on the menu. Therefore, chances are you’re going to want fries with that!
Stick with the value fries, which only have 170mg of sodium in them, and, the lowest sodium meal at Burger King – 4pc Chicken Nuggets and Value Fries – still only has 660mg of sodium
Other Low Sodium Choices At Burger King
If you’re not feeling the Burger King chicken nuggets, and are looking for say, a low-sodium burger, here are the 10 next lowest sodium items at Burger King – after the chicken nuggets.
Some of them do tip over that 767mg cut-off by a bit so make sure you balance your intake elsewhere in your day if you pick these.
| Dish | Sodium Level |
| Whopper Jr. Sandwich | 560mg |
| Hamburger | 560mg |
| Double Hamburger | 590mg |
| Spicy Chicken Jr. | 680mg |
| Chicken Jr. | 700mg |
| Sneaking into the Red Zone | |
| Chicken Fries – 9pc | 780mg |
| Cheeseburger | 780mg |
| Double Cheeseburger | 810mg |
| Bacon Cheeseburger | 940mg |
| Bacon Double Cheeseburger | 970mg |
What’s the Lowest Sodium Breakfast at Burger King?
Many of the savory Burger King breakfast items will not fit anywhere near the restrictions of a low-sodium diet – some of them get close to the recommended amount for an entire day!
If you’re breakfasting at Burger King, therefore, you want to reach for the sweeter choices – the lowest sodium choice is the 3-piece French Toast Sticks with 220mg of sodium, or you could also pick the Pancake Platter which has 250mg.
5 Ways to Further Reduce Sodium in Burger King
Ask For Fries Without Salt.
You might have to wait as they will need to cook them fresh, but, it can be done.
Skip the Cheese
Adding cheese to a Whopper will add 430mg of sodium. In the same vein, if you order a Cheeseburger rather than a Hamburger, you’ll take your meal from 590mg of sodium to 760mg.
Watch Your Dipping Sauce
Pick Buffalo Sauce to dip your Chicken Nuggets in and you’ll add 370mg of sodium. Ideally eat your nuggets ‘naked’, or, pick Honey Mustard Sauce which has 170mg of sodium per ounce.
Consider if the Ketchup is Worth It
A sachet of ketchup adds 125mg to your fries – you could actually upgrade to Medium Fries and add just 100mg.
Pick Unsweetened Tea
Soft drinks also contain sodium. Either pick the smallest size – a 16floz Diet Coke has just 50mg compared to the 160mg in a 38floz serving – or, even better pick Unsweetened Tea. This has zero sodium, calories, fat, or sugar at any size.
So, that’s you sorted out if all you’re watching in your diet is your sodium intake, but what if you have other dietary concerns as well?
Eating Low Sodium at Burger King on Other Diets
The Lowest Saturated Fat, Lowest Sodium Option
The lowest saturated fat, lowest sodium menu item at Burger King is the 4-piece Chicken Nuggets. They contain just 2.5 grams of fat and as we mentioned earlier 490mg of sodium. However, eating these alone isn’t exactly a substantial meal.
If you’re looking for something a bit larger, the best low-saturated fat, low-sodium menu item you can choose is the Whopper Jr. Sandwich.
It’s low in sodium and saturated fat, but it’s also more filling than 4 Chicken Nuggets. The Whopper Jr contains 5 grams of saturated fat and 560mg of sodium. Add a Value Fries, which have just 1g of saturated fat – and your whole meal will contain 730mg of sodium and 6 grams of saturated fat.
Other menu items that contain low levels of sodium and saturated fat include the Chicken Jr. (700mg of sodium, 5 grams of saturated fat) and the Double Hamburger (590mg of sodium, 7 grams of saturated fat).
The Lowest Calorie, Lowest Sodium Option at BK
If you’re watching your calories, the 4-piece Chicken Nuggets are the best menu item you can order (yes, them again). They only contain 190 calories. However, this is far lower than the 400-600 calories suggested for a healthy meal and you’ll probably still be hungry, so let’s look at some better options.
The Double Hamburger and Spicy Chicken Jr. are both more filling menu items you can choose and they won’t add too many extra calories.
The Double Hamburger contains 360 calories and 590mg of sodium, and the Spicy Chicken Jr. contains 380 calories and 680mg of sodium.
This gives you some wiggle room to order some fries too. The best choice is the Value Fries (90 calories), but even a Small Fries at Burger King only contains 110 calories and 220mg of sodium to your meal.
Burger King’s Lowest Sugar, Lowest Sodium Option
Burger King has some great options for those of you trying to stick to a low-sodium and low-sugar diet. There are only two items on the menu that contain no sugar, but many others don’t contain too much.
The two menu items that contain 0 grams of sugar are Chicken Nuggets and Chicken Fries – but the latter contain 760mg of sodium so they’re not necessarily the best choice.
Other popular menu items without too much sugar and sodium include the Hamburger and the Double Hamburger. These menu items contain 7 grams of sugar and less than 600mg of sodium.
The Lowest Sodium Vegetarian/Vegan Option
Unfortunately, Burger King in the United States only has one main menu item suitable for vegetarians and that’s the Impossible Whopper.
This is a burger made from plant-based ingredients. It consists of potato protein, soy, coconut, and sunflower oils.
Vegans – you need to note that Burger King says the Impossible Burger is cooked on the same grill as their Meat Patties.
The burger is then topped with lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, mayo, onions, and pickles.
Because it’s the Veggie choice you might think it scores well for health too – erm no! The Impossible Whopper contains 1080mg of sodium, 630 calories, and 11 grams of unsaturated fat.
When you factor in any sides and fries, this might make this an unsuitable option for anyone sticking to a low-sodium diet.
Can You Eat Gluten-Free, Low Sodium Burger King?
Not really.
Burger King in the US doesn’t yet have any dedicated gluten-free options, and items also share cooking areas like toasters or friers with gluten-containing ingredients, making ordering a low-sodium, gluten-free meal at Burger King incredibly difficult.
If you’re only avoiding major sources of gluten (ie bread and pasta), rather than having to avoid all gluten because of a condition like coeliac disease, you could get away with ordering, say, a Whopper Jr burger without the bun (note: the Burger King nutritional information doesn’t specify if the patties themselves contain gluten), and Value Fries.
This would have slightly less than the 730mg of sodium it normally contains because you’ll lose salt in the bread.
Final Questions About Burger King Salt Content
How Much Sodium is in a Whopper?
A Burger King Whopper has 1170mg of sodium.
What’s the Lowest Sodium Side at Burger King?
Comparing Onion Rings, Fries, and Mozzarella Sticks, the winner is the Value Fries with just 170mg of sodium.
Which Has Less Sodium Burger King or McDonalds?
The chicken nuggets and small fries at McDonald’s are also the lowest sodium choice – and, the combo has slightly less sodium than at Burger King with just 520mg for a 4-piece set and fries. Click here to check out our post on eating low-sodium at McDonalds.
If you’re looking for other low-sodium options, you might also want to have a look at our post on how to order low sodium at Subway
Who is The Wellness Nerd?
My name is Helen Foster and I’m a health journalist and wellness author. Publications I’ve written for include Women’s Health, Reader’s Digest, Body and Soul, Good Health at the Daily Mail and more. I have also written 16 books on health and nutrition.