The 500-Calorie Index

October 2026 edition

One number per chain: the most protein in a complete order — an entrée, up to two sides and a drink — that stays under 500 calories, composed from the chain's published nutrition figures rather than picked by hand. 121 of the 123 chains have such an order at all and 86 of them reach 30 g. Jimmy John's leads the October 2026 edition with 78 g in 490 calories (Roast Beef (16") Xtra · Salami & Capicola (Lj) Reg · Capicola (16") Ez · Caffeine Free Diet Coke (22 oz)).

12,240 single orders · 123 fast-food chains · each chain's nutrition guide or a labelled copy · Data refreshed October 24, 2026 · rebuilt every Sunday

• 86 of 123 fast-food chains at 30 g
• 78g best meal under 500
• 51 with the garnish problem
• 1 on a third-party host

This ranking covers the 123 fast-food chains. The 22 sit-down restaurants, where a meal is a plate with its sides, have a ranking of their own.

As of October 2026, 86 of the 123 fast-food chains we track can serve a complete meal — an entrée, up to two sides and a drink — with 30 g or more of protein under 500 calories, and Jimmy John's leads at 78 g in 490 calories.

The ranking: most protein in a complete order under 500 calories

One meal-sized entrée, up to two different sides and a drink — the MinMax app's meal and the best under the cap, drink included (water only where no published drink fits; the lightest meal takes a zero-calorie drink, or water). Protein per 100 calories is the same order measured for density. Chain names link to that chain's full table; the rightmost column says whether the guide behind the row sits on the chain's own domain or on a third-party host.

What 400, 600 and 800 calories change

Move the cap and the ranking rearranges. 54 of the 123 chains clear 30 g of protein under 400 calories, 86 under 500, 111 under 600 and 122 under 800. The 33 that cross the line between 400 and 500 are Buffalo Wild Wings, Farmer Boys, Chester's Chicken, Mellow Mushroom, Hardee's, Carl's Jr., Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Papa Gino's, Freddy's, Which Wich, Allsup's, Casey's, Manhattan Bagel, Cumberland Farms, Mountain Mike's Pizza, Godfather's Pizza, Wendy's, Burger King, Sonic Drive-In, Taco Bell, Braum's, Pokeworks, TOGO'S, CAVA, Dunkin', Taco Cabana, Sarku Japan, A&W, Bruegger's Bagels, Domino's Pizza, Jet's Pizza, In-N-Out Burger and Torchy's Tacos; 25 more cross between 500 and 600 (Love's Travel Stops, Shake Shack, Del Taco, Jollibee, Tim Hortons, Rubio's Coastal Grill, Taco John's, Cicis, Quiznos, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Paris Baguette, QDOBA, Pizza Hut, Round Table Pizza, Biggby Coffee, Blaze Pizza, Lou Malnati's Pizzeria, Papa John's, Bonchon, Little Caesars, bb.q Chicken, Hunt Brothers Pizza, Steak 'n Shake, Marco's Pizza and White Castle) and 11 between 600 and 800 (Bubbakoo's Burritos, Clean Juice, Dairy Queen, Wienerschnitzel, Five Guys, Pei Wei, Krystal, Jamba, Dave's Hot Chicken, Krispy Krunchy Chicken and Wingstop). The largest single gain belongs to Chick-fil-A, 48 g more at 600 than at 500; from 600 to 800 it is Clean Juice, 36 g more. Dropping to 400 costs Buffalo Wild Wings 31 g, and Farmer Boys, CAVA, Pei Wei and Dave's Hot Chicken lose their orders entirely. A cap is not a diet — it is the room left in the day — and the index is the same measure at four of them.

The garnish problem

At 51 of the 123 chains the lowest-calorie single order on the menu is under 100 calories — Jimmy John's (Capicola (Lj) Ez, 15), Mission BBQ (Garden Greens Salad (Entree), 34) and Wawa (Veggie & Egg Omelet Sandwich, 70). Rank chains by their single lightest item and what you rank is their garnishes, which is why a "lowest-calorie item" list says so little about what a meal there looks like. At the other 72 the lowest-calorie order clears 100 calories: Popeyes (Blackened Tenders (2), 110), QuickChek (BYO Roast Beef Salad, 100), Pollo Campero (Campero Beans, 114), Zaxby's (Asian Slaw, 100), Portillo's (Chicken Noodle Soup (at select locations), 138), Jersey Mike's (Chips (Regular), 240), Arby's (Steak Nuggets (5), 140), Biscuitville (Grits, 120), Cousins Subs (Veggie Bowl without Dressing, 110), Habit Burger & Grill (Crispy Chicken Bites (5), 240), Chipotle (Sofritas Salad, 340), LaRosa's Pizzeria (Minestrone with Saltine Crackers, 110), Just Salad (Chicken Noodle Soup (Small), 110), Carl's Jr. (Hash Rounds (Small), 240), Papa Gino's (Side of Meatballs, 280), QuikTrip (Tots, 160), Which Wich (Turkey Wich (Regular), 370), Allsup's (Potato Wedges, 120), Casey's (Hashbrown, 140), Manhattan Bagel (Hashbrown, 140), Cumberland Farms (Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Muffin, 310), Mountain Mike's Pizza (Buffalo Wings (6), 460), Checkers & Rally's (Philly Cheesesteak Bites (4), 220), Godfather's Pizza (Garlic Bread, 200), Burger King (Chicken Fries (4), 110), Royal Farms (Mashed Potatoes (Small), 180), Church's Texas Chicken (Bacon Slices (2) (at select locations), 100), Maverik (Hashbrown Patty, 120), Braum's (English Muffin with Ham, 170), Pokeworks (Miso Soup, 110), TOGO'S (Chicken Noodle Soup, 120), Tous les Jours (Bulgogi Sausage Roll, 210), CAVA (Harissa BBQ Pita Chips (limited time), 280), Donatos Pizza (Italian Garlic Breadsticks with Marinara (2), 240), Dunkin' (Hash Browns, 110), Taco Cabana (Black Beans (Small), 120), A&W (Onion Rings (Regular), 180), Bruegger's Bagels (Twice Baked Hash Brown, 170), Jet's Pizza (Greek Salad without Dressing (Small), 180), In-N-Out Burger (Hamburger ProteinStyle (Bun Replaced with Lettuce), 210), Torchy's Tacos (Chips (Side), 149), Shake Shack (Garden Dog, 180), Del Taco (Grilled Chicken Street Taco, 110), Jollibee (Hashbrown Side, 120), Tim Hortons (Potato Bacon Soup (Regular), 110), Rubio's Coastal Grill (No-Fried Pinto Beans with Melted Cheese (Regular), 170), Taco John's (Crispy Taco, Beef, 150), Cicis (Spinach Alfredo Flatbread Pizza, 840), Quiznos (Chili (Small) (at select locations), 160), Einstein Bros. Bagels (Sea Salt Potato Chips, 150), Paris Baguette (Curry Croquette, 240), QDOBA (Street Style Pork Carnitas Tacos on Flour Tortillas (3), 370), Pizza Hut (Penne with Marinara (Half-Size), 420), Round Table Pizza (Guinevere's Garden Delight Pizza (Original Crust, Personal, Whole Pizza), 720), Blaze Pizza (Spring Green Side Salad without Dressing, 120), Lou Malnati's Pizzeria (French Fries, 339), Bubbakoo's Burritos (Fit Body Burrito Bowl with Shrimp (Online Only), 380), Papa John's (Unsauced Boneless Wings (10), 590), Clean Juice (Avocado Toast (Multigrain), 290), Little Caesars (Oven Roasted Caesar Wings (8), 510), Hunt Brothers Pizza (Home Style WingBites (Single), 330), Steak 'n Shake (Chili Cup, 280), Marco's Pizza (Plain Wings (6), no dip, 370), Wienerschnitzel (Corn Dog, 230), Five Guys (Bulk Peanuts (1 oz), 170), White Castle (The Original Slider, 140), Pei Wei (Chicken Dumplings (4), 120), Krystal (Krystal, 150), Jamba (Chicken Empanada (1), 190), Dave's Hot Chicken (Kale Slaw, 270), Krispy Krunchy Chicken (Red Beans & Rice (Regular), 190) and Wingstop (Cajun Fried Corn (Regular), 200), and at Popeyes, QuickChek, Arby's, Cousins Subs, Chipotle, Which Wich, Mountain Mike's Pizza, Jet's Pizza, In-N-Out Burger, Shake Shack, Del Taco, Taco John's, Cicis, QDOBA, Pizza Hut, Round Table Pizza, Bubbakoo's Burritos, Papa John's, Clean Juice, Little Caesars, Hunt Brothers Pizza, Marco's Pizza, Wienerschnitzel, White Castle and Krystal it is an entrée rather than a side. The CSV carries both figures for every chain: the lowest-calorie order, and the lightest order that is actually meal-sized — at least 150 calories or 10 g of protein.

What the numbers cannot tell you

The figures are as published, not as served. A chain's guide is a national average; the store you walk into varies with portioning, the day's prep and a regional menu, so treat a 495-calorie order as a plan, not a measurement. 1 of the 123 chains here are read from a copy of the guide hosted by a third party rather than from the chain's own domain: Hardee's. Each is labelled on its own page and on the sources page; its figures are as that copy prints them, which we could not check against the chain's own document. 2 chains have no qualifying order under 500 calories at all: Krispy Krunchy Chicken, because no entrée it publishes comes in under the cap; and Wingstop, because no entrée it publishes comes in under the cap. And the index measures one thing — protein in a complete order under a cap — not sodium, not saturated fat, not fiber, and not whether anyone wants to eat it twice.

Cite this

Quote any figure on this page with attribution. The suggested citation for the October 2026 edition:

MinMax, “The 500-Calorie Index (October 2026)”, eatminmax.com/report/500-calorie-index, data refreshed October 24, 2026.

The whole index is one CSV — a row per chain, the same four columns at 500, 400, 600 and 800 calories, then the source tier, the refresh date and the garnish figures: 500-calorie-index.csv (123 rows). Every chain's underlying table, including the rows the validation gate dropped and the reason each was dropped, is published as JSON:

• McDonald's (JSON)
• Burger King (JSON)
• Wendy's (JSON)
• Taco Bell (JSON)
• Chipotle (JSON)
• Subway (JSON)
• Chick-fil-A (JSON)
• KFC (JSON)
• Popeyes (JSON)
• Arby's (JSON)
• Sonic Drive-In (JSON)
• Jack in the Box (JSON)
• Carl's Jr. (JSON)
• Hardee's (JSON)
• Five Guys (JSON)
• Shake Shack (JSON)
• In-N-Out Burger (JSON)
• Whataburger (JSON)
• Culver's (JSON)
• Raising Cane's (JSON)
• Panda Express (JSON)
• Panera Bread (JSON)
• Jersey Mike's (JSON)
• Jimmy John's (JSON)
• Firehouse Subs (JSON)
• Domino's Pizza (JSON)
• Pizza Hut (JSON)
• Papa John's (JSON)
• Little Caesars (JSON)
• Dairy Queen (JSON)
• Freddy's (JSON)
• Del Taco (JSON)
• El Pollo Loco (JSON)
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe (JSON)
• Dunkin' (JSON)
• Wawa (JSON)
• Cumberland Farms (JSON)
• Habit Burger & Grill (JSON)
• White Castle (JSON)
• Tim Hortons (JSON)
• Sarku Japan (JSON)
• Pei Wei (JSON)
• Bojangles (JSON)
• Zaxby's (JSON)
• Chester's Chicken (JSON)
• Mission BBQ (JSON)
• Bonchon (JSON)
• bb.q Chicken (JSON)
• Pollo Campero (JSON)
• WaBa Grill (JSON)
• Checkers & Rally's (JSON)
• Krystal (JSON)
• Wienerschnitzel (JSON)
• Einstein Bros. Bagels (JSON)
• Bruegger's Bagels (JSON)
• Manhattan Bagel (JSON)
• TOGO'S (JSON)
• Taco Cabana (JSON)
• Starbucks (JSON)
• Paris Baguette (JSON)
• Tous les Jours (JSON)
• Biggby Coffee (JSON)
• Just Salad (JSON)
• Schlotzsky's (JSON)
• Jason's Deli (JSON)
• Charleys Cheesesteaks (JSON)
• McAlister's Deli (JSON)
• Potbelly (JSON)
• A&W (JSON)
• QuickChek (JSON)
• Port of Subs (JSON)
• Taco John's (JSON)
• Steak 'n Shake (JSON)
• Skyline Chili (JSON)
• Rubio's Coastal Grill (JSON)
• Torchy's Tacos (JSON)
• Bubbakoo's Burritos (JSON)
• Capriotti's (JSON)
• Donatos Pizza (JSON)
• Godfather's Pizza (JSON)
• QuikTrip (JSON)
• Kwik Trip (JSON)
• Maverik (JSON)
• Casey's (JSON)
• Royal Farms (JSON)
• Allsup's (JSON)
• Pilot Flying J (JSON)
• Love's Travel Stops (JSON)
• Krispy Krunchy Chicken (JSON)
• Hunt Brothers Pizza (JSON)
• Church's Texas Chicken (JSON)
• Blaze Pizza (JSON)
• Jet's Pizza (JSON)
• Buffalo Wild Wings (JSON)
• CAVA (JSON)
• Cicis (JSON)
• Wingstop (JSON)
• Dave's Hot Chicken (JSON)
• Noodles & Company (JSON)
• QDOBA (JSON)
• Mountain Mike's Pizza (JSON)
• Round Table Pizza (JSON)
• Sheetz (JSON)
• Marco's Pizza (JSON)
• Mellow Mushroom (JSON)
• Hungry Howie's (JSON)
• Which Wich (JSON)
• Quiznos (JSON)
• LaRosa's Pizzeria (JSON)
• Papa Gino's (JSON)
• Portillo's (JSON)
• Cousins Subs (JSON)
• Pokeworks (JSON)
• Farmer Boys (JSON)
• Braum's (JSON)
• Lou Malnati's Pizzeria (JSON)
• Jollibee (JSON)
• Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken (JSON)
• Biscuitville (JSON)
• Runza (JSON)
• Piada Italian Street Food (JSON)
• Jamba (JSON)
• Clean Juice (JSON)

The compiled dataset is published under CC BY 4.0 — reuse it, commercially included, with attribution to MinMax (eatminmax.com). The underlying figures are facts from each chain's nutrition publication (or, where labelled, a third-party copy of it); the document behind every chain is linked on the sources page, and how a figure gets from that document into this table is on the methodology page. Corrections: support@eatminmax.com.

The same data, kept current

This page is the dated edition. The live ranking, the per-chain pages behind it and the cap pillars are rebuilt from the same tables every Sunday.

• The live protein-per-calorie leaderboard
• Fast food under 300 calories
• Fast food under 400 calories
• Fast food under 500 calories
• What changed this week