If you know what to avoid, you can still eat take-out food by customizing your meals according to your dietary preferences. Whether you’re on a low-carb, low-sugar, Atkins, keto, or diabetic diet, you can take a break from preparing your own meals and order from your favorite fast food place instead.
Jack in the Box is one of many popular fast food joints that let their customers customize their meals and/or offer “healthier” alternatives. Let’s see what low-carb options are inside Jack’s box!
Overall Assessment
For low-carb meal options, Jack in the Box offers interesting and tasty choices – from bunless burgers and sandwiches to salads that remain within the required macros of a low-carb or keto diet. Below is a quick summary of what you can expect from your Jack in the Box low-carb meals.
- Low-carb diet friendly? Yes.
- Low-carb entrees available on menu? Yes. You can get their Grilled Chicken Club Salad, which contains only 360 calories and 8 net carbs.
- Satiety level of low-carb entrees? Above average.
- Palatability of low-carb entrees? Above average.
- Quality and price value? Average.
- Bacon & Swiss Buttery Jack – $5.19 for about 690 calories.
- Double Jack – $5.49 for about 660 calories.
- Grilled Chicken Club Salad – $6.19 for 360 calories.
- Extreme Sausage Sandwich – $3.29
- Loaded Breakfast Sandwich – $3.69
- Meat Lovers Breakfast Burrito – $3.39
- Overall customer experience? Average. Drive-thru attendants are generally friendly. Although phone calls are not always answered. If you’re craving for something different, i.e. not McD’s or Wendy’s, and willing to make the drive, Jack in the Box has tasty, low-carb offerings.
Low-Carb Lunch Entree Test
These choices were made based on what entrees the fast food is most prominent in their promotions.
Bunless Bacon & Swiss Buttery Jack
The Buttery Jack is Jack in the Box’s specialty burger. The Bunless Bacon & Swiss Buttery Jack has a quarter-pounder beef patty, bacon, Swiss cheese, garlic herb butter, and bacon mayo.
This bunless burger stands out because of the unique flavor combination of the garlic herb butter and bacon mayo. It may be an acquired taste for some, but it is quite enjoyable once your palate adjusts to it. You may also want to order a double patty as the “quarter-pound” patty may seem too small to be filling.
- Price: $5.19
- Nutrition: 690 calories and 0 net carbs
- Taste: Average.
- Food highlight: The grilled patty was tender, juicy, and firm – firmer than Mickey D’s low-carb burger. The bacon was not fried to a dry crisp, although if this is what you prefer, you can request for it.
Bunless Double Jack
Although bunless, double cheeseburgers are usually filling and offer good value for your money. The Bunless Double Jack is a keto-friendly and delicious option – it tastes as great as it looks! Or it might taste better than it looks, depending on the server’s mood. This was the most tasteful among the three lunch entrees listed on this review.
- Price: $5.49
- Nutrition: 660 calories and 2 net carbs
- Taste: More than above average.
- Food highlight: The No-bun Double Jack was an immensely satisfying low-carb entree. The patties were grilled just right, and the veggies were crisp and fresh.
Grilled Chicken Club Salad
This is a common low-carb entree in most fast food restaurants and, as a salad, it’s expectedly light – in satiety factor, calories, and flavor. But Jack in the Box’s Grilled Chicken Club Salad has bacon and ranch dressing, which makes it more satisfying. Of course, you have to take note of the added calories.
- Price: $6.19
- Nutrition: 360 calories and 8 net carbs
- Taste: Above average.
- Food highlight: The chicken was tender and full of flavor. The veggies were crisp and fresh. You can eat it sans the bacon and substitute Italian dressing for the ranch and it will still taste great but with fewer calories. This is definitely a must-try!
Low-Carb Breakfast Entree Test
Bunless Extreme Sausage Sandwich
The “Extreme” in this bunless sausage breakfast sandwich refers to the two sausage patties. It also has American cheese and a fried egg patty. It’s a classic sandwich that delivers in satisfaction.
- Price: $3.29
- Nutrition: About 490 calories and 0 net carbs.
- Taste: Beyond above average.
- Food highlight: This was a no-frills, no-mess, and filling sandwich even without the buns. A highly recommended keto breakfast that is comparable to Mickey D’s low-carb breakfast options.
Bunless Loaded Breakfast Sandwich
A low-carb and filling option packed with a variety of meats, including bacon, ham, and sausage, plus fried egg and American cheese.
- Price: $3.69
- Nutrition: About 540 calories and 4 net carbs.
- Taste: Above average.
- Food highlight: Satisfying to the palate and the stomach, but not better than the Extreme Sausage Sandwich.
No-Tortilla Meat Lovers Breakfast Burrito
Almost the same as the Loaded Breakfast Sandwich, with bacon, ham, and sausage; but it has scrambled eggs instead of the fried egg patty, plus pepper jack and cheddar cheese.
- Price: $3.39
- Nutrition: About 490 calories and 1 net carb
- Taste: Average.
- Food highlight: A hearty enough breakfast, but not the best among the three breakfast entrees. But if you like the combination of meats and two different cheeses, then this can be an enjoyable low-carb “burrito” meal for you.
Recommendations
The Bunless Double Jack Cheeseburger is the best low-carb option for lunch or dinner, with around 660 calories and 2 net carbs and for its no-mess tastiness. The Extreme Sausage Sandwich should be your top pick for a low-carb breakfast, with only about 490 calories and zero net carbs.
You can also choose from Jack in the Box’s other low-carb/keto offerings, which include 2 kinds of chicken sandwiches, 11 different burgers, and around 20 breakfast entrees that you can easily modify and turn keto.
Please note that the nutritional info provided in this review are only well-informed estimates based on research, as the Jack in the Box online menu does not provide nutrition stats in an easy-to-read font size nor do they provide macros for every ingredient they use.
What You Should Not Order
Needless to say, you should avoid the buns, tortillas, tacos, fries, or desserts if you’re on a low-carb diet. Below are the specific items you should skip:
- Stuffed Jalapenos – 20 net carbs
- Hashbrown – 15 net carbs
- Southwest Chicken Salad Crispy – 44 net carbs
- Chicken Nuggets 10+ pieces – 26+ net carbs
- Crispy Chicken Strips – 50 net carbs
- Crispy Chicken Club Salad – 31 net carbs
- Barbecue Dipping Sauce – 10 net carbs
- Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce – 11 net carbs
- Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce – 11 net carbs
- Teriyaki Dipping Sauce – 11 net carbs
With a bit more research on nutritional info for individual ingredients, you can modify other meals to fit your macro needs.
