Buc-ee’s is a chain of travel centers known for things like their clean restrooms, tons of snack options, and even gifts and apparel. If you’re on the road and looking for a bite to eat when you stop to gas up (or charge) your vehicle, Buc-ee’s has a few options – but are any of them healthy?
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- Buc-ee’s is a bit tricky because they don’t post nutrition information for their menu items – in fact, they don’t even have an official menu posted. Unofficial sites list some of the menu items at Buc-ee’s, so that’s what I had to go off of when looking at the 7 best meals. Oh, who am I? Good question!
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I’m a Registered Dietitian (also known as an RD). RDs are known as the nutrition experts in the healthcare industry.
Using the (albeit little) information I had to work with, I perused the popular menu items at Buc-ee’s and am narrowing down my top seven recommendations given all of the options.
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Let’s get this out there: I’m not endorsing any of Buc-ee’s menu items as nutritious or healthy, which isn’t any shade towards Buc-ee’s – they’re a travel center, not a farm-to-table restaurant. (They likely have some decent snack options, but we’re talking about meals, here!)
What I am doing is suggesting the menu items that are the most likely to be lower in calories, saturated fat, and sugar compared to the rest of the food options. Let’s dig in!
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Buc-ee’s offers burritos with ingredients like sausage and bacon, which are high in calories and saturated fat. While it’s fine to enjoy these foods on occasion (and in moderation), adding them to a burrito that is likely already high in fat can be a little overkill.
It includes at least some vegetables, as well as beans for protein (beans are great because they’re rich in protein, fiber, and iron). It’s likely to be slightly lower in fat and calories (as well as sodium) than the burritos loaded with processed meat.
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Out of all of the sandwiches on the menu, the turkey sandwich is probably your best bet at Buc-ee’s. Turkey is a lean protein, and unlike the burritos, you can always remove one of the pieces of bread (likely made from refined flour) to make it a bit lower-carb/calorie.
I’d suggest keeping the cheese to keep the protein content high, and swapping out the mayo for mustard if you’re watching your fat intake.
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Like turkey, chicken is a lean protein source when compared to red meat and processed meat. If Buc-ee’s offers a choice between corn or flour tortillas, I always recommend corn because they are higher in fiber and lower in carbohydrates than flour tortillas. (They’re also gluten-free, for those following a gluten-free diet).
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Okay, hear me out here. A plain hot dog (maybe with some mustard) is better than similar menu items Buc-ee’s has, such as their “Sausage on a Stick”, which is a sausage in a tortilla … um, on a stick.
A key benefit of ordering a hot dog is that you can ditch the bun and just eat the hot dog, which is where the filling protein is. It’ll be a little salty, but pair it with some fruit or veggies, and it’s not the worst option in a pinch!
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Kolaches are stuffed puff pastries traditionally filled with fruit. But Buc-ee’s offers different fillings like savory meat or the more traditional sweet fruit fillings.
If you’re going for a kolache, I’d suggest egg and cheese filling (if available) or other savory filling. I recommend meat over fruit filling since the pastry is already high in refined carbs from the dough, so adding a sweetened fruit filling only raises the carb and sugar content without contributing protein to help balance it out.
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The brisket sandwich at Buc-ee’s is one of their most famous. Brisket can be lean or fattier depending on the cut, but I can’t know which cuts are used, and it probably varies among locations and suppliers..
Assuming it’s a leaner cut of brisket, I’d recommend this sandwich over Buc-ee’s pulled pork sandwich. The reason? Pulled pork is often coated in BBQ sauce or another high-sugar sauce, so it’s better to skip the unnecessary sugar and keep the protein.
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You’ll have a few options on what to include in the breakfast tacos at Buc-ee’s. Of the ingredients I could find (remember, Buc-ee’s doesn’t have an official menu, let alone nutrition information), I’d suggest choosing egg and cheese to keep the protein sources as lean as possible. (This means skipping the higher-fat processed meats like bacon and sausage.)
I’d also suggest not including potatoes in the taco since the flour tortilla is already a source of carbohydrates.
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Let’s look at those seven meals again:
#1: Vegetarian burrito
#2: Turkey sandwich
#3: Chicken fajita taco
#4: Plain hot dog
#5: Egg and cheese kolache
#6: Brisket sandwich
#7: Egg and cheese breakfast taco
My pick might be easy to guess…
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…and that would be the turkey sandwich! Given the options, which one would you choose? Or do you prefer something from a Buc-ee’s competitor? Drop it in the comments!
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