Those on the paleo diet know how difficult it can be to find a truly paleo-friendly meal at a restaurant, or especially a fast food joint.
But while there will always be required modifications, it’s not completely impossible to enjoy a meal at your favorite fast food spot that’ll fly as paleo-friendly. Luckily, In-N-Out is one of the chains that can accommodate the paleo diet a bit more than most others.
If you’re eating paleo at In-N-Out, take a look at everything on the menu you can order for a paleo-friendly bite.
Paleo-friendly food and drink choices on the In-N-Out menu
Something that differentiates In-N-Out from its many burger chain counterparts is the quality of its meat, and this is good news for those trying to stick to a paleo diet. In-N-Out uses 100% American beef patties for their burgers with no additives, fillers, or preservatives, which are delivered fresh and never frozen. This means the meat is higher quality and less processed than most other fast food options out there.
So the burger meat itself is a decent option for those on a paleo diet – and because no other proteins or processed meats are even offered on the menu, ordering is pretty easy and straightforward. It’s just a matter of removing the few items that aren’t paleo-friendly.
One of the big no-nos – the hamburger bun – is taken care of when you simply order your meal “protein-style” at In-N-Out. As an option on the “not so secret menu”, this ordering style will replace the bun with leafed lettuce, making it easy to eliminate those refined grains.
In-N-Out only has a handful of items on the menu, and most of them are made up of various quantities and combinations of the following ingredients: the beef patty, American cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, and the restaurant’s signature spread (which is similar to a Thousand Island dressing).
The only ingredients that aren’t paleo-friendly are the spread, due to its added sugar, and the cheese – although dairy is a bit of a gray area and some people on the paleo diet choose to include it, so that’s ultimately up to you.
The other main items on the In-N-Out menu that won’t pass the paleo test are the French Fries and the various shakes available, as well as the Grilled Cheese on the not so secret menu. Other than that, the burgers are all fair game assuming you modify them accordingly, and you have a handful of beverages to choose from as well.
Below is the complete list of items on the current In-N-Out menu that you can modify to be paleo-friendly so you can enjoy some of your favorite fast food while on the paleo diet.
| Paleo Food Items | Notes |
| Hamburger | Order Protein-Style, no spread |
| Cheeseburger | Order Protein-Style No spread No cheese |
| Double Double | Order Protein-Style No spread No cheese |
| Double Meat | Order Protein-Style, no spread |
| 3×3 | Order Protein-Style No spread No cheese |
| 4×4 | Order Protein-Style No spread No cheese |
| Paleo Beverages | |
| Coffee | |
| Unsweetened Iced Tea |
No, while potatoes themselves are often approved on the paleo diet, french fries are not considered paleo-friendly because they are typically deep fried in highly processed oils.
A popular offering at In-N-Out on their “not so secret menu”, ordering your burger “Protein Style” means that the hamburger bun will be replaced with hand-leafed lettuce.
No, the spread that In-N-Out uses as the main condiment on their burgers and animal-style items is not paleo-friendly because it contains added sugar and processed ingredients (like ketchup).
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