In-N-Out is by far one of my favorite fast food chains, and it can be keto-friendly if you know how to order right.

As a secret gem of the American Southwest, it can only be found in California, Arizona, Texas, Utah, and Nevada. However if you plan on visiting any of these states, you’ll definitely want to know how to order keto once you find one.

In this article I’ll be explaining exactly how to order at In-N-Out while sticking to a low carb diet.

Tips for Ordering Low Carb at In-N-Out

• Protein style every time

This one should go without saying, and is pretty much a golden rule of keto when eating at any restaurants that serve burgers.

Ordering ‘Protein Style’ at In-N-Out allows you to get your burger lettuce wrapped, which cuts way down on the net carb count you’ll be getting. Most In-N-Out burgers are around 36 net carbs, with the majority of that just coming from the bun.

Getting it protein style might be a little messier (they haven’t quite figured out the tub delivery method like Five Guys and Jersey Mike’s have), but it’s definitely worth getting to enjoy a classic In-N-Out burger without any of the carb related guilt.

• Watch out for that extra cheese

While normally doubling up on cheese in usually a great and healthy way to get more fat into your keto meals, In-N-Out has a bit of a caveat.

They use American style cheese that’s similar to that of a Kraft single, which has roughly 3 net carbs per slice! That means if you’re trying to double up with an In-N-Out double double, triple triple, or four by four, you’re risking an extra 3 net carbs per slice.

Even with protein style selected, it’s clear to see how this could be problematic for having a keto-friendly meal if enough cheese is added on.

You don’t have to stay away from In-N-Out cheese altogether, but I wouldn’t recommend getting more than a standard single slice.

• Don’t go overboard on Animal Style

Animal style is a great way to take advantage of In-N-Out’s secret menu. It adds a ton of flavor to sandwiches and fries in a cool and unique way that other restaurants simply can’t offer.

However the literal secret sauce that goes into animal style burgers is a bit of a mystery, and it can make tracking net carbs a bit more complicated.

In a nut shell, ordering something ‘animal style’ means that you’re getting it with a patty that’s grilled in mustard, topped with the extra spread (comparable to Thousand Island dressing), along with extra chopped pickles and grilled onions.

While this isn’t so bad, it’s hard to tell just how many extra grams of sugar you’re adding with the secret sauce, pickles, and onions, so you may want to avoid it if you’re trying to minimize carbs while eating out.

• Take advantage of the secret menu when possible

Speaking of the secret menu, there are a ton of options worth taking advantage of that are still keto-friendly.

As I mentioned above, ordering a ‘double double’ (two beef patties and two slices of cheese), or a triple triple, or a four by four (you get the idea), can be a great way to pack on the fat and protein, as long as you always order it animal style, and ask them to limit the number of cheese slices they provide.

Other cool secret menu options (that are keto-friendly) include the grilled cheese, which in this case is just grilled cheese on lettuce because you’d have to get it protein style, and the Flying Dutchman, which is just two patties around a single slice of grilled cheese.

In-N-Out Keto-Friendly Options

The burgers from In-N-Out are made out of 100% American beef with no extra fillers, preservatives, or additives.

They pride themselves on using natural ingredients, and most burger options will come with American cheese, grilled onions, tomatoes, and pickles.

You can also order your burgers with their secret sauce that comes along with an ‘Animal Style’ order, but the net carb count is relatively unknown. When approximating it to that of thousand island, it looks like it could be about 8 net carbs in total.

They state that the blend is a combination of mayonnaise, ketchup, and sweet relish, which definitely will increase your net carb count. Opting for no secret sauce, onion, or tomato is the best way to get those net carbs to a minimum.

The nutrition facts of their burgers available on their menu, with onions and a lettuce wrap instead of a bun are as follows:

• • Hamburger with Onion, lettuce bun (8 net carbs, 17g fat, 16g protein)
  • Cheeseburger with Onion, lettuce bun (8 net carbs, 25g fat, 18g protein)
  • Double-Double®with Onion, lettuce bun (10 net carbs, 39g fat, 33g protein) (You reduce to 8 net carbs by opting for only one slices of cheese)

Unfortunately, we don’t know what their secret menu items total in terms of net carbs because they aren’t on In-N-Out’s website, but we can guess that the triple triple, four by four, and flying dutchman are all in a similar ballpark, as long as you keep that American cheese to a minimum.

In terms of drinks, like most fast food restaurants, you’ll want to stay away from the majority of options. Their iced tea is unsweetened and therefore 0 net carbs, but I prefer to just stick to water anyway.

Foods to Avoid at In-N-Out on Keto

Now for foods that you can’t eat on keto, the list is obviously much longer. Let’s get into foods to definitely stay away from:

• French fries
• Cheese Fries
• Animal Style Fries
• All burgers with buns
• Grilled cheese with bun
• All Milkshakes
• Lemonade
• All fountain drinks

Obviously it’s a pretty small menu to begin with at In-N-Out, but the majority of options will definitely push you over the edge of your carbohydrate limits.

Keto Fast Food Tips to Remember

• Plan out your meal ahead of time

This rule is particularly vital when it comes to sticking with your keto diet plan when eating out an any restaurant, and especially at fast food chains like In-N-Out.

One of the best ways that you can set yourself up for success is simply by planning out your meal ahead of time, and when it comes time to place your order, sticking to that plan.

Most of the time I find that those that break keto do so simply by not having a plan in action. That’s why I like using macro counting apps like Noom to help keep me on course.

• Watch out for deep fried foods

Deep fried foods can be pretty dangerous on the keto diet, and unfortunately they’re very hard to avoid when eating out at most fast food chains, but it is possible.

Most restaurants try their foods in vegetable, soybean, or canola oil, which are all fine in terms of carbohydrates, but they can quickly lead to inflammation if eaten in large amounts.

Inflammation is bad for the keto diet because if your body experiences enough of it, you can actually get knocked out of ketosis, even if you’re keeping within your carb limits!

That’s why it’s best to avoid any foods that are deep fried, and always ask for grilled options when possible.

• Balance out the rest of your meals

If there’s just one tip you take away from this article, I hope it’s this one.

Eating out at fast food chains is perfectly fine in moderation, and even better if you can make it as low carb as possible while doing it, but ultimately balancing out the rest of your meals is the best way to achieve success with this diet.

If you decide to go off the rails and indulge in some fast food from time to time, it’s perfectly fine, but balancing your other meals of the day with nutrients that were lacking from your fast food meal will keep your body on a steady course for ketosis.

This means balancing your other meals with vitamin rich anti-inflammatory foods, and natural sources of healthy fats.

• Aim for high amounts of fat over protein

One mistake that a lot of early keto dieters make is focusing too much on protein, and not enough on healthy fats.

It’s easy to get hyper focused on protein options with most meal replacement bars and shakes being protein based, but when eating out, you really should be striving to hit that 70-75% fat macro goal.

You can do this at restaurants by opting for more dairy options like cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and cream cheese. Additionally, anywhere that offers avocado or guacamole is a great way to add on some healthy fat.

If you’re re-cooking some leftovers, why not throw it in the pan with some coconut oil to really add in some healthy fat.

• Don’t get discouraged if you mess up

Lastly, I think it’s vital to remember not to get discouraged if you accidentally get knocked out of ketosis. Accidents happen, and while many people get in the mindset that once they break keto they’ve lost all of their progress, it simply isn’t true.

If your body has recently been far adapted, it will have a much easier time getting back to that state. Plus, there are lots of ways to get into ketosis quickly, especially right after breaking.

Additionally, a lot of people go extreme and minimize the food they eat to counteract any carbs they ate before. This will almost always result in binge eating, and eventually consuming even more carbs than you anticipated.

It’s best to just balance the rest of your meals, and always aim for the macro counts your body needs.

Whether you missed the mark by a meal or a whole day, balance is the best way to correct it.

Related Post: How to Order Low Carb at McDonald’s on Keto