Low Calorie, High Protein Options at Five Guys (November 2025)

Nov 6

November 2025 update

Five Guys is famous for double-patty burgers, fry mountains, and milkshakes stuffed with mix-ins—not exactly “diet food.” But you can absolutely walk out full, satisfied, and still on track with a few smart levers: single patty formats, lettuce wraps or bowls, veggie volume, sauce control, and fries strategy. This guide gives you everything you need, from build templates to word-for-word scripts.

Five Guys Playbook (quick rules)

Know the formats:
- Little = one patty (your default for cutting or maintenance).
- Regular = two patties (use when you need extra protein; manage bun/sauces).
- Bunless bowl or lettuce-wrap = biggest calorie lever while keeping all the protein.
Protein first, bun second. You can keep the bun, go lettuce-wrap, or do a burger bowl in a tin with all your toppings. Ask for extra lettuce to make the wrap sturdier.
Veg = volume. Load free toppings: grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, green peppers, jalapeños, pickles, lettuce, tomato, raw onion. Big fullness, tiny calories.
One creamy thing. Pick cheese or mayo or bacon—not all three. Mustard, hot sauce, ketchup (light), and BBQ (light) are your lighter flavors.
Fries on your terms. Portions run huge. Share a Small or skip entirely and lean on a veg-loaded bowl. Cajun seasoning = extra kick without adding a new side.
Shakes are dessert, not a side. If you want one, split it and pick no mix-ins or just one.

Menu decoder (what the names actually mean)

Little Hamburger/Cheeseburger/Bacon Burger = single patty base.
Hamburger/Cheeseburger/Bacon Burger (no “Little”) = double patty.
Hot dog = leaner than you think but still not as protein-dense as beef; good “lighter treat” if you load veg.
Veggie sandwich = bun with veggie toppings (no patty); fine as a side-ish filler but low protein unless you add a beef patty on the side as a bowl.

Toppings that help your macros

Load up freely: Lettuce, tomato, pickles, jalapeños, green peppers, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, raw onions.
Flavor pops (light): Mustard, hot sauce, A-1, ketchup (thin stripe), BBQ (thin stripe).
Watch closely: Mayo, extra cheese layers, extra bacon, relish (sweet). Use one creamy thing max.

“Under ~500–700 kcal / 25–50 g protein” builds

(exact numbers vary by store; these patterns keep you in range)

A) Lettuce-Wrap & Bowl All-Stars (lowest calories per protein)

Little Cheeseburger, Lettuce-Wrap, Veg-Loaded

Build: single patty, one cheese, no mayo, all the veg (grilled onions + mushrooms + jalapeños + green peppers + pickles + lettuce + tomato), mustard.
Why: Cheese scratches the comfort itch; wrap + veg keeps kcals tight.

Burger Bowl, Double Veg, No Cheese

Build: Little Hamburger in a bowl (no bun), no cheese, no mayo, pile on veg, mustard + hot sauce.
Why: Lowest-cal burger feel; huge volume from veg.

Bacon Burger Bowl (Lightened)

Build: Little Bacon Burger in a bowl, no cheese, all the veg, mustard.
Why: You keep bacon flavor while skipping bun/cheese.

Regular Burger Bowl (Two Patties) + Veg, No Cheese/Mayo

Build: Regular Hamburger (two patties) in a bowl, no bun, no mayo/cheese, veg mountain, mustard.
Why: High protein post-workout without bun calories.

B) Keep the Bun (portion-aware, still on track)

Little Cheeseburger, Bun Kept, One Sauce Max

Build: single patty, one cheese, mustard (or very light ketchup), no mayo, extra veg.
Why: Classic experience, managed cals.

Little Bacon Burger, No Cheese, Mustard Only

Build: single patty + bacon, no cheese, mustard, veg-loaded.
Why: Bacon instead of cheese keeps indulgence to one lever.

Regular Hamburger (Two Patties), No Cheese/Mayo, Extra Veg

Build: two patties, no bun top (eat open-face if you like), mustard, veg-loaded.
Why: High protein with bun moderated.

C) Non-burger plays (variety without derailment)

Hot Dog “Supreme” (Light)

Build: hot dog, no cheese, no mayo, raw onion + jalapeños + pickles + mustard; add grilled onions/mushrooms if you want.
Why: Satisfying, lighter than a loaded burger + fries.

Veggie Sandwich + Patty on the Side (Bowl)

Build: order a veggie sandwich (bun + veggies) no mayo, and one hamburger patty in a bowl with mustard and more veg; assemble bites.
Why: Get bun + veg feel, but protein from the side patty without extra sauces.

Fries math (how to enjoy them without blowing the day)

Share a Small (2–3 people). Five Guys portions run large; a Small scratches the itch.
Cajun seasoning adds flavor without turning it into a different side.
Pair fries with your leanest entrée (lettuce-wrap or bowl, no cheese/mayo).
Half-now, half-later: Eat a small handful after your protein; box the rest for home.

If you’re cutting hard: swap fries for extra grilled veg in the bowl; ask for an extra handful of mushrooms/onions/peppers.

Sauces & cheese: the “one creamy thing” rule

Choose one:

Cheese (one slice), or
Mayo (thin layer), or
Bacon (one portion)

Add flavor with mustard, hot sauce, A-1, light ketchup. You’ll keep the burger vibe without stacking calories.

Pre- & post-workout plays

Pre-workout (lighter, some carbs):

Little Cheeseburger on a bun, mustard, veg-loaded; share a Small Cajun fries with the table.

Post-workout (protein forward):

Regular Burger Bowl (two patties), no cheese/mayo, veg mountain, mustard + hot sauce.
Optional add-on: Bacon or cheese (pick one).

Office/catering & family tactics

Mix bowls and lettuce-wraps for the health-minded crew; add a couple “regular bun” orders for people who want classic.
One Small fries per 2–3 people is plenty; top with Cajun for excitement.
Label sauces: “mustard only,” “no mayo,” “one cheese,” so nobody is surprised.
Split a shake if someone insists; limit to one mix-in for the table.

Counter scripts (fast, friendly, effective)

“Little Cheeseburger, lettuce-wrap, all the veggies—no mayo—mustard only.”
“Little Hamburger in a bowl, load grilled onions, mushrooms, green peppers, jalapeños—mustard and hot sauce.”
“Regular Hamburger in a bowl—no bun, no cheese, no mayo—extra veg, mustard.”
“Little Bacon Burger on a bun—no cheese, mustard only, extra pickles and jalapeños.”
“Small Cajun fries to share.”

Build-Your-Own Matrix (plug-and-play)

✱ = higher calorie; limit to one or two choices per meal.

Calorie-saving tweaks that don’t change the vibe

Lettuce-wrap or bowl instead of bun.
Little instead of Regular, unless you truly need the second patty.
No mayo; rely on mustard/hot sauce/A-1.
One cheese slice max (or skip).
Share fries; eat them after your protein.
Extra veg to fill the volume gap.

Common pitfalls (and the fix)

“Regular Cheeseburger + bacon + mayo + fries + shake.”
- Fix: Drop bun or go Little; pick one creamy thing; share Small fries; skip shake or split with no mix-ins.
Stacking sauces “because they’re free.”
- Fix: Mustard + hot sauce is plenty; skip mayo or heavy ketchup.
Ordering fries first because you’re starving.
- Fix: Place your burger bowl/lettuce-wrap order first. Decide on Small fries to share only after.

Bottom line

At Five Guys, the win is single-patty formats, lettuce-wraps/bowls, vegetable volume, and one creamy indulgence max—with fries treated like a shared extra, not a default side. Use the scripts above, live on mustard and hot sauce, and you’ll get that unmistakable Five Guys flavor while hitting high protein without high calories.