Wendy's Vs Sonic: Which Serves The Healthier Classic Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger

Although the widespread availability of restaurant nutritional information hasn't seemed to change the landscape of fast food menus all that dramatically, we can now look at similar offerings from two different restaurants and see how they compare. When it comes to the Junior Bacon Cheeseburger offerings from Wendy's and Sonic, they stack up pretty close. However, Wendy's pulls ahead by a hair as arguably the more nutritious option.

We'll start by breaking down the numbers that diners like to see on the lower end of the spectrum. In terms of overall calorie content, the Wendy's burger is slightly lower, with 350 calories compared to the 400 calories contained in the Sonic offering. Fat, too, is a win for Wendy's. The chain's Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger boasts only 21 grams of total fat overall. Sonic, on the other hand, offers 26 grams of total fat. Both offerings contain 8 grams of saturated fat.

However, Sonic's junior cheeseburger contains no trans fats, while the Wendy's sandwich contains 0.5 grams. The cholesterol count is also slightly better in the Sonic burger, which contains 40 milligrams to Wendy's 50 milligrams — though that's it for Sonic's nutritional victories. The drive-in chain's Junior Bacon Cheeseburger offers 27 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of sugar, and a whopping 1440 milligrams of sodium. Wendy's burger, meanwhile, contains 24 grams of carbs, 5 grams of sugar, and only 650 milligrams of sodium.

Switching gears to the nutritional values of these fast food bacon cheeseburgers that diners prefer to be on the higher end, things are pretty level, though Wendy's maintains its slight advantage. The sandwiches from both chains contain just a single gram of dietary fiber, and the difference in protein content is only one gram as well — the Wendy's Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger has 18 grams to Sonic's 17 grams. All told, the numbers aren't too different, but Wendy's does have some notable advantages.

When we look at the differences in how these burgers are put together, the nutritional differences all start to come into focus. The burgers are roughly equal in size, both reportedly using roughly two-ounce patties, according to posts from alleged employees, as well as American cheese and bacon. The rest of the toppings and condiments, though, are quite different. The Wendy's burger is topped with mayo, lettuce, and tomato, while the burger at Sonic comes with ketchup, mustard, and pickles. The differing choices likely explain the Sonic burger's increased sugar and sodium levels, as well as the slightly higher cholesterol in the Wendy's offering.

Of course, both of these sandwiches can be a perfectly healthy part of a balanced diet. Wendy's Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger might be a slightly healthier option overall for most parties, but nutritional decisions are always subject to personal dietary goals and restrictions. That said, Wendy's did also land on our list of the healthiest fast food chains, so the menu should have plenty of other good options as well.