Dairy Queen Vs Sonic: Who Makes A Healthier Classic Bacon Cheeseburger?

Before we get too focused on the nutritional stats of Dairy Queen and Sonic bacon cheeseburgers, it's worth noting that what's healthy for one person may not be healthy for another. Dietary needs are individual, so we aren't delivering a verdict of whether DQ or Sonic's burger is necessarily healthier for the masses. Instead, we're looking at the nutritional profiles and weighing out different aspects -– both positive and negative -– when it comes to these two fan faves.

The Dairy Queen Bacon Cheeseburger Deluxe Stackburger and Sonic All-American Bacon SONIC Smasher have a similar ingredient list: two beef patties, Applewood-smoked bacon, cheese, onion, tomato, pickles, lettuce, mayo, and ketchup piled on a bun. But how do they stack up nutritionally? For calories, the DQ option has 720, while Sonic's is slightly lower at 670. The DQ burger has 47 grams of fat, whereas Sonic's has 42. For carbohydrates, DQ's bacon cheeseburger has 39 grams, and Sonic's has 32. So far Dairy Queen's version has more calories, fat, and carbohydrates. But what about the protein? Sonic is actually higher here. There are 39 grams in the Sonic burger vs. 37 in DQ's, so a small two-gram difference.

One of the scariest stats is the sodium content. When we look at how much salt you should really be eating, both of these burgers top the 1,500 milligram daily recommendation from the American Heart Association. The Dairy Queen bacon cheeseburger has a whopping 1,890 milligrams, while the similar Sonic version lands about on par with 1,870 milligrams.

If you are considering ordering one of these two underrated fast food cheeseburgers, there is one more nutritional number to look at when deciding between a Dairy Queen Bacon Cheese Deluxe Stackburger and the similar Sonic All-American Bacon SONIC Smasher, and that's fiber. 

Last year, we saw protein move over, as fiber became the new nutritional trend to focus on. Dietary fiber is super important for digestive and gut health, stabilizing blood sugar, and lowering cholesterol, among other reasons. So how do our two burgers stack up? Equally. They both have a paltry 2 grams of dietary fiber. The Mayo Clinic recommends eating 28 grams of fiber daily for every 2,000 calories consumed. That gives you an idea that one of these burgers will make a dent in your calorie, fat, cholesterol, and sodium consumption, but barely chip away at that fiber recommendation. 

If you have one of these burgers, you may consider amping up your fiber intake for the rest of the day. A smoothie with a cup of raspberries and an ounce of chia seeds will give you 18 grams right there and round out your daily nutritional needs when you do enjoy a bacon cheeseburger.