Top 5 fast-food burgers for your health, says new study

Will these favorite meals be embraced as part of the Make America Healthy Again mission?

To determine the "healthiest," Delish focused on the nutritional facts, including calories, carbs, fat and sodium levels, of various burgers from more than 15 different menus.

"Burgers are not necessarily unhealthy," Laura Manaker, a South Carolina-based dietitian and nutritionist who helped compile the Delish rankings, told Fox News Digital. 

"Burgers can indeed be part of a balanced diet as they are a good source of protein and iron, which are essential nutrients for the body. The key lies in portion control and being mindful of what else you are eating with it."

In descending order, here's how Delish ranked the burgers.

The Whataburger Jr. has 310 calories, 36 grams of carbs and only three grams of saturated fat - the lowest of any burger looked at by Delish. 

A Whataburger Jr. comes with tomato, lettuce, pickles, diced onions and mustard, according to the Whataburger website. 

The sodium level of the Whataburger Jr., however, was the second-highest at 750 milligrams. 

A hamburger at In-N-Out is comparably not that bad, Delish said.

The In-N-Out hamburger comes standard with onions, "spread," tomatoes and lettuce - although as any In-N-Out lover knows, there's much more to the menu than what is officially shown in the restaurant. 

At In-N-Out, the California-based chain's "secret" menu includes the option to make anything "protein style" - swapping out the bun for a lettuce wrap. 

Doing this slims the In-N-Out hamburger down to only 200 calories, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 390 grams of sodium and eight grams of carbohydrates, Delish said. 

The classic hamburger at McDonald's is a solid fast-food option, Delish said.

"The golden-arched fast food joint's bare bones (but still delicious) classic burger has 13 grams of protein, 250 calories, 30 carbs, just 3.5 grams of saturated fat and 510 mg of sodium," Delish said. 

A classic McDonald's hamburger comes with "a tangy pickle, chopped onions, ketchup and mustard," according to the Illinois-based chain's website. 

A "slightly smaller" version of Burger King's flagship Whopper sandwich, the Whopper Jr. was praised by Delish for its high protein content, low calories and low sodium.

The Whopper Jr. is topped with "fresh tomatoes, crisp lettuce, tangy pickles and crunchy onions," according to Burger King's website, as well as mayonnaise and ketchup. 

"This option comes with slightly more protein than Micky D's (15.2 grams), 310 calories, 27 grams of carbs and 5 grams of saturated fat. Plus, it has the lowest sodium content on our entire list at 390 mg," Delish said. 

The Wendy's Jr. hamburger was crowned the healthiest fast-food burger by Delish, thanks to its "impressively low calorie count" at just 280 calories.

"At 440 mg, the sodium level is still comparatively pretty low, and this burger comes with 15 grams of protein and just 25 grams of carbs," Delish said. 

The Jr. hamburger at Wendy's comes with pickles, onion, ketchup and mustard, according to the Ohio-based chain's website. 

Regardless of the burger, there are some easy swaps to make a fast-food trip just a little bit healthier, two nutrition professionals told Fox News Digital. 

Garko is a Florida-based nutrition advisor for Strauss Naturals, a supplement company based in Canada. 

Also, don't forget about the impact side dishes can have on a meal, Garko said. French fries, Garko said, "are high in trans fats, sodium and calories," whereas a side salad - with a light dressing - contains vitamins and fiber. 

If skipping the fries is simply not an option, Vanessa Rissetto, a registered dietitian and CEO of Culina Health, had another suggestion: Ditch the bun.

"If you want to have a burger with fries, my recommendation would be to eliminate the bun," Rissetto, based in New York, told Fox News Digital. 

"Not only does the bun add carbs and calories, but it also muddles all the flavor."