What to Eat at Jack in the Box: Healthy Menu Choices and Nutrition Facts

Jack in the Box

Verywell / Christian Alzate

While Jack in the Box is most closely associated with burgers and fries, there are nutritious, balanced meals to be had at this popular chain. For instance, the Chicken Fajita Pita has 330 calories, 9 g fat, 35 g carbohydrate, and 27 g protein. And their grilled chicken salad (ordered with no dressing or croutons) has 230 calories, 8 g fat, 12 g carbohydrate, and 30 g protein.

With a focus on the classic pairing of burgers and fries, Jack in the Box has always been geared toward speed, value, and convenience. Even the salad options are designed to be portable. If you’re looking for something quick and easy, Jack in the Box no doubt fits the bill.

Like many modern eateries, you can check the Jack in the Box menu online before you go—since the wide array of options can be overwhelming. Knowing the nutrition facts, ingredients, and allergen information of the food featured on Jack in the Box's menu helps you choose a meal that best aligns with your unique dietary needs and preferences, as well as your overall goals.

What Experts Say

"Jack in the Box has several items that use whole grains and vegetables. You can also order a side salad to add veggies to your meal if it doesn’t come with them. Many options are lower in fiber and higher in sodium, so if eating here often, balance your nutrition by choosing lower sodium foods and adding veggies to your other meals."

Willow Jarosh, MS, RD

Navigating the Menu 

Jack in the Box notes certain items on its "Better For You" menu. While these choices are lower in calories than other options, they may not suit your specific dietary needs. Consider the entire menu, as well as the ingredients lists, when you're making a decision.

What to Order & Avoid at Jack in the Box
 Most Nutritious Options Least Nutritious Options
Mini Pancakes (Breakfast) Grande Sausage Breakfast Burrito (Breakfast)
Hamburger (Burgers) Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger (Burgers)
Chicken Fajita Pita (Chicken) Homestyle Ranch Chicken Club (Chicken)
Grilled Chicken Salad (Salads) Crispy Chicken Club Salad (Salads)
Regular Taco (Tacos) Tiny Loaded Tacos (Tacos)
Treetop Applesauce Pouch (Sides) Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges (Sides)
NY Style Cheesecake (Desserts)  Oreo Cookie Ice Cream Shake (Desserts)
Fresh Brewed Iced Tea (Beverages) Mocha Iced Coffee (Beverages)

Most Nutritious Option

If you're looking at the Jack in the Box menu and searching for the most nutritious option, look to the regular hamburger, which boasts the best nutritional profile for an entree.

Breakfast

Jack in the Box offers a full menu of breakfast items, including egg sandwiches with sausage, ham, or bacon; hash browns; meat, egg, and cheese burritos; and even a mini stack of pancakes.

Breakfast sandwich options at Jack in the Box can be customized to feature egg, cheese, and meat on a roll, croissant, sourdough slices, or biscuits, but none are low in calories, fat, or sodium.

✓ Mini Pancakes

Though low in protein and high in carbs, the mini pancakes offer the best nutrition stats among the breakfast options. Without syrup, eight mini pancakes come in at 143 calories, 2 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 28 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 6 g sugar, and 350 mg sodium. If you opt for the syrup, expect to add another 117 calories and 21 g sugar.

✗ Grande Sausage Breakfast Burrito

Jack in the Box's grande sausage breakfast burrito comes in at 1,070 calories, 72 g total fat, 21 g saturated fat, 70 g carbohydrate, 36 g protein, 5 g sugar, and 2,210 mg sodium.

If you want to start your day with a little protein and are trying to keep your sugar intake low, the Breakfast Jack is a lower-calorie breakfast sandwich option with 350 calories, 18 g of fat, and 16 g of protein.

Burgers

Jack in the Box is perhaps best known for its burgers, with 14 options regularly available. Its fancier burgers, like the Jumbo Jack and Buttery Jack, are packed with calories and fat. For the lowest calorie burger option, you’ll want to ask for just a plain hamburger.

✓ Hamburger

A plain hamburger at Jack in the Box offers 340 calories, 18 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 32 g carbohydrate, 14 g protein, 5 g sugar, and 570 mg sodium. Making it a basic cheeseburger adds only another 40 calories, 3 g fat, and 2 g protein.

✗ Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger

Jack in the Box's bacon ultimate cheeseburger comes in at 930 calories, 65 g total fat, 25 g saturated fat, 3 g trans fat, 32 g carbohydrate, 55 g protein, 6 g sugar, and 1,590 mg sodium.

If you're craving bacon, opt for a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger instead, which has nearly half of the calories, fat, and sodium of the bacon ultimate cheeseburger. It comes in 480 calories, 31 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 1 g trans fat, 32 g carbohydrate, 19 g protein, 5 g sugar, and 860 mg sodium.

Chicken

In addition to its classic burger options, Jack in the Box also has chicken favorites like nuggets and tenders, chicken burgers, and sourdough chicken sandwiches.

You can choose from a variety of toppings and dipping sauces. Just be aware that these add varying amounts of additional calories, fat, and hidden sugars.

✓ Chicken Nuggets

The 5-piece chicken nuggets (77 g) provides 238 calories, 17 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 13 g carbohydrate, 9 g protein, and 604 mg sodium.

A close second is the chicken fajita pita (247 g), which contains more calories and sodium, but less fat and more protein. It's also likely more a filling option overall given its larger portion size. It provides 330 calories, 9 g total fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 35 g carbohydrate, 27 g protein, 4 g sugar, and 790 mg sodium.

✗ Homestyle Ranch Chicken Club

Jack in the Box's homestyle ranch chicken club contains 630 calories, 28 g total fat, 8 g saturated fat, 61 g carbohydrate, 34 g protein, 12 g sugar, and 1,690 mg sodium. If you're craving a chicken sandwich, consider the chicken sandwich with bacon instead, which has less sugar and sodium providing 560 calories, 35 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat, 42 g carbohydrate, 21 g protein, 4 g sugar, and 1,210 mg sodium.

Salads

Most salads on the Jack in the Box menu provide 500 calories or less, but that’s not including dressing. Ordering a salad with creamy dressing or vinaigrette, or other fixings like corn sticks and croutons, can easily add 100 to 200 extra calories.

✓ Grilled Chicken Salad

The grilled chicken salad (ordered with no dressing or croutons) offers 230 calories, 8 g total fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 12 g carbohydrate, 30 g protein, 5 g sugar, and 590 mg sodium. Adding the balsamic dressing and croutons will add another 95 calories, 4.5 g fat, 3 g sugar, and 530 mg sodium.

✗ Crispy Chicken Club Salad

The crispy chicken club salad (with no dressing or croutons) provides 230 calories, 28 g total fat, 9 g saturated fat, 34 g carbohydrate, 32 g protein, 3 g sugar, and 1,230 mg sodium.

With the ranch dressing and croutons, the total comes to 730 calories, 55 g total fat, 13 g saturated fat, 47 g carbohydrate, 35 g protein, 5 g sugar, and 1,790 mg sodium.

Featured on its "Better for You" menu is Jack’s teriyaki bowl. With brown rice, this option has 630 calories and 34 g of protein. However, compared to the salad, it’s a choice that’s almost twice as high in sodium with 2,120 mg per bowl.

Tacos

While they’re not a menu centerpiece, Jack in the Box does offer a few other popular fast food options, such as tacos, which can be ordered in singles, pairs, or part of boxed meals on the chain’s Late Night menu.

✓ Regular Taco

A single regular taco comes in at 172 calories, 9 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 16 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein, 1 g sugar, and 362 mg sodium. Note, however, that the regular tacos are served in packs of two.

✗ Loaded Tiny Tacos

Jack in the Box's loaded tiny tacos provide 470 calories, 22 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 51 g carbohydrate, 17 g protein, 5 g sugar, and 1,340 mg sodium. This taco option is definitely best to share. The regular tiny tacos (with no additional toppings) come in at 350 calories, 13 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 45 g carbohydrate, 12 g protein, 3 g sugar, and 780 mg sodium.

Sides

In addition to the classic fast-food side of French fries, Jack in the Box also offers other options like onion rings, egg rolls, and stuffed jalapenos.

✓ Treetop Applesauce Pouch

Jack in the Box offers one fruit side which is the Treetop applesauce pouch. With 45 calories, 0 g fat, 10 g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, 10 g sugar, and 0 g sodium, this option is one of the more nutritious sides.

✗ Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges

The bacon cheddar potato wedges pack the most punch with 650 calories, 40 g total fat, 9 g saturated fat, 57 g carbohydrate, 17 g protein, 2 g sugar, and 1,170 mg sodium.

If you’re looking for fries, Jack in the Box has multiple sizes of regular and curly fries. A small order of curly fries has slightly fewer calories than the traditional cut (280 calories versus 300) but is higher in sodium. An order of curly fries from the Jack in the Box kid’s menu, however, has just 200 calories and 410 mg of sodium and makes a good choice for most meals.

Dessert

Compared to its meals, the Jack in the Box dessert menu is pretty simple. The main focus of the restaurant's sweet treats is ice cream shakes, which come in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry as well as special flavors like Oreo.

✓Chocolate Overload Cake

Among the sweet treats, the Chocolate Overload cake provides the lowest calorie count and least saturated fat with 320 calories, 11 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 53 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 40 g sugar, and 320 mg sodium.

Though the Chocolate Overload cake has fewer calories, a close second is a slice of the NY style cheesecake, which has more protein, less sodium, and less sugar for the same serving size.

✗ OREO Cookie Shake

The regular OREO cookie shake (16 oz) comes in at 690 calories, 28 g total fat, 18 g saturated fat, 1 g trans fat, 100 g carbohydrate, 13 g protein, 78 g sugar, and 470 mg sodium.

If you size up to the large (24 oz), you'll see a spike: 990 calories, 39 g total fat, 25 g saturated fat, 1 g trans fat, 145 g carbohydrate, 19 g protein, 113 g sugar, and 680 mg sodium.

Beverages

Jack in the Box offers a wide variety of fountain drinks and bottled beverages—including water, which is always the healthiest option. Depending on your needs and tastes, there are several sugar-free, no-calorie, and caffeine-free soft drinks by Coca-Cola and Pepsi, as well as customizable "freestyle" beverage machines.

The restaurant also has its own brand of hot and cold beverages. Here’s how the nutrition content of Jack in the Box’s own line of drinks stacks up.

✓ Fresh Brewed Ice Tea (Unsweetened)

If not opting for water, the next most nutritious option is the fresh brewed ice tea (unsweetened). With 0 calories, 0 g fat, 1 g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, 0 g sugar, and 0 mg sodium (and no artificial sweeteners) in a 16-ounce serving, it's a solid choice.

If you drink coffee, a regular 12-oz cup of Jack in the Box’s High Mountain arabica coffee (black) has just 9 calories, no fat, no sugar, and 2 g of carbohydrate, making it another relatively healthy beverage choice for breakfast or lunch.

✗ Mocha Sweet Cream Iced Coffee

A regular mocha sweet cream iced coffee (16 oz) contains 190 calories, 6 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 32 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 30 g sugar, and 83 mg sodium.

Make it a large (24 oz) and you'll get 320 calories, 11 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 55 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 50 g sugar, and 1,420 mg sodium.

Diet-Specific Options

Jack in the Box offers limited choices for gluten-free, low-fat, low-carb, vegetarian, and vegan diets, but does not offer choices for people following a low-sodium diet.

Gluten-Free

  • Grilled chicken, southwest, side, or club salad (without croutons)
  • French fries
  • Vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry shake
  • Spicy corn sticks

For a protein- and veggie-packed meal that's also gluten-free, order the grilled chicken salad. It's one of the most nutritious items on the entire menu.

Low-Carb

  • Side salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing (no croutons) (8 g carbs)
  • Grilled chicken salad (with no dressing or corn sticks) (12 g carbs)
  • Chicken club salad with grilled chicken (no toppings or dressing) (13 g carbs)
  • 5-piece chicken nuggets (13 g carbs)

Make your own low-carb meal by ordering the grilled chicken salad. Just make sure to ask for no dressing or the included corn sticks. In total, the dish will contain 12 grams of carbs.

Diabetes-Friendly

  • Side salad (no croutons or dressing)
  • 5-piece chicken nuggets
  • Southwest chicken salad with grilled chicken (no croutons, corn sticks, or dressing)
  • Chicken club salad with grilled chicken (no croutons, corn sticks, or dressing)
  • Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Dipping Sauce

A diabetes-friendly meal at Jack in the Box is possible. Pair a 5-piece chicken nugget order with a side salad (just eliminate the croutons and dressing).

Low-Fat

  • Treetop applesauce pouch (0 calories from fat)
  • 8-piece mini pancakes (16 calories from fat)
  • Chicken teriyaki bowl (60 calories from fat)
  • Grilled chicken salad (with no dressing or corn sticks) (70 calories from fat)

If you're feeling a savory dish, the chicken teriyaki bowl is a nutritious option for a low-fat diet. If you're craving sweet, the 8-piece mini pancakes with a side of the Treetop applesauce make for a good combination.

Vegetarian & Vegan

Jack in the Box has a few vegan options on the menu, including:

  • Side salad
  • Spicy corn sticks
  • Homestyle potatoes, hash browns, fries, and curly fries

You can also ask for the teriyaki rice bowl with extra veggies instead of chicken. Otherwise, the side salad and side of fries are your best bet.

Vegetarians can choose from the vegan options plus:

  • Grilled cheese (kid’s menu)
  • Mini pancakes
  • Stuffed jalapenos
  • Onion rings

To enjoy a vegetarian dish at Jack in the Box, opt for the grilled cheese from the kid's menu. For a more filling dish, add the stuffed jalapenos to your order.

Food Allergies and Safety

The Jack in the Box menu features foods that may contain or be prepared with allergens including soy, egg, fish, milk, and wheat. The complete ingredients list is available for each menu item but may not include information about how the ingredients were produced, transported, stored, or prepared.

Jack in the Box Ingredients and Allergen Statement

Like most restaurants, our restaurants prepare and serve products that contain Soy, Egg, Fish, Milk, and Wheat. While a particular ingredient statement may not list one of these allergens, our products may be prepared with equipment that is shared with products containing one or more of these allergens.

If you have a food allergy, please consult with your physician before deciding which Jack in the Box products are right for you. We also recommend checking our Ingredient and Allergen information frequently as our menu and ingredients may change.

The restaurant's website notes that when present, allergens are listed at the end of each ingredient statement for individual menu items. If you have a food allergy, you'll want to review this information prior to ordering.

Jack in the Box’s allergy statement also includes a special warning about an ingredient used in many of its dishes you'll want to be aware of if you're avoiding soy.

Butter Flavored Vegetable Oil

Please note: Grilled vegetables, eggs, and some bakery items are prepared in our restaurants with BFVO (butter flavored vegetable oil). This ingredient will add soy allergen to these prepared items.

A Word From Verywell

Hitting the drive-thru at a fast-food restaurant like Jack in the Box doesn't have to throw you off your diet plan or health goals. When you understand the nutrition content of the various menu choices and know how to make sense of portions and serving sizes, you can make informed decisions about the foods you eat, whether you're at home or on the road.

By Malia Frey, M.A., ACE-CHC, CPT
 Malia Frey is a weight loss expert, certified health coach, weight management specialist, personal trainer​, and fitness nutrition specialist.