Five Guys Vs Shake Shack: Which Chain Serves A Healthier Classic Milkshake?

Few things complement a salty burger and fries like a cool, creamy milkshake. It's a nostalgic pairing, but for those with certain dietary restrictions, choosing where to get a burger and shake, especially at a fast-food restaurant, can require a little extra discernment.

While Five Guys and Shake Shack are popular burger chains, both are also known for their milkshakes. We've already determined that Shake Shack serves a healthier classic cheeseburger, but if you've ever wondered which has a "healthier" shake, we did that research, too. A milkshake is, of course, a treat to be enjoyed without guilt and can be part of a balanced diet when consumed in moderation. But for diners who need to be mindful of certain nutritional details, it can be helpful to know how the two chains compare. Both offer basic strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla milkshakes, so we'll compare those flavors to keep things fair. All nutritional information comes from the respective restaurant's website. One main difference to note is that all of the shakes at Five Guys start with a basic vanilla base, with strawberry and chocolate being treated as add-ons. At Shake Shack, the vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate are all separate flavors. 

Let's start with sugar content. At Shake Shack, the strawberry shake has the most sugar at 75 grams, followed by vanilla at 71 grams, and chocolate at 69 grams. Meanwhile, all of the shakes at Five Guys have considerably more sugar, with the vanilla base starting at 82 grams. Adding chocolate brings that total up by 22 grams, while strawberry adds another 23 grams. When talking calories, the vanilla shake at Five Guys is the lowest of all compared at 670 calories, but the addition of strawberry or chocolate adds 90 and 133 calories, respectively. Shake Shack's vanilla shake is 680 calories, the strawberry is 690 calories, and the chocolate is 750 calories.

Sodium is another thing to be mindful of. The American Heart Association recommends adults consume no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. While a milkshake alone won't put you over that recommendation, sodium is still worth considering when it's paired with a burger and fries. A basic shake from Five Guys has between 360 and 390 milligrams of sodium, with vanilla having the least and chocolate the most. At Shake Shack, the chocolate shake has 310 milligrams of sodium, while both vanilla and strawberry have 430 milligrams. So, while all six shakes account for less than a third of the recommended sodium intake, Shake Shack's classic chocolate shake has the least sodium of the flavors we're comparing. Despite placing in the bottom three in our ranking of 10 fast food chocolate milkshakes, Shake Shack's chocolate shake is still the healthier choice for those looking for a lower-sugar, lower-sodium milkshake to enjoy with their burger.