5 Of The Unhealthiest Items You Can Order At Shake Shack

When you choose to go to Shake Shack — or any fast food place, for that matter — you know that you are not choosing a healthy meal. Of course, there's nothing wrong with indulging from time to time, and for many, Shake Shack is too delicious to give up entirely. However, some items at Shake Shack are much more unhealthy than others — and it doesn't hurt to know exactly what you're getting yourself into if you order one of these items.

For example, ordering the Chicken Shack is not the unhealthiest meal choice you could make, especially if you skip the side of fries. Or, you may have noticed that Shake Shack's hot dog is only 350 calories, which is less than most burgers from any fast food chain. But while these items at Shake Shack fall into the "fast food but not too bad" category, there are other items that lean much further on the unhealthy scale. Here are five of the unhealthiest of them.

This one shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Milkshakes aren't exactly known for being healthy. It's a dessert, after all. However, the Cookies and Cream Shake may be the worst of the milkshake options at Shake Shack (at least not including the seasonal items). To start with, it has 850 calories, which is more than some of the burgers on the menu. However, it's the amount of sugar that will likely raise some eyebrows.

The shake contains a whopping 86 grams of sugar, the most of the shakes from the regular menu. To put that into perspective, it's recommended that women consume no more than 25 grams of sugar per day and men no more than 36 grams per day. So, the shake contains more than triple the amount of sugar recommended for women and more than double what's recommended for men in an entire day. That's a whole lot of sugar for just one treat.

Consuming too much sugar — and, specifically, added sugar — on a regular basis can not only lead to gaining weight, but can also have serious impacts on your heart health. Specifically, having a high-sugar diet can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. You can also learn about the signs that your body has had too much sugar to be more aware of the effects. 

When it comes to the food items of Shake Shack, one of the worst culprits is the Shack Stack. For anyone unfamiliar, the Shack Stack features both a burger patty and the 'Shroom Burger (a fried portobello mushroom that's used as a meat alternative), along with lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce.

The Shack Stack has 770 calories, which is one of the higher amounts amongst the burger options. You also have the option to add bacon, which tacks on an extra 70 calories. When it comes to calorie intake, it's recommended that adult women consume somewhere between 1,800 and 2,400 calories per day, while the range for adult men is between 2,400 and 3,000. With this in mind, the Shack Stack's calorie count is pretty adequate, but for some individuals, this may be more than they want for one meal (especially if they combine it with fries, which adds on another 470 calories), so it's worth noting — even if it doesn't completely overdo it on calories, like some fast food options do.

However, what's most notable with the Shack Stack is the amount of sodium: the burger contains 1700 milligrams. It's recommended that individuals consume no more than 2,300 milligrams per day, so the Stack Shack contains almost an entire day's worth of sodium. Regularly consuming too much sodium can increase your risk of stroke, heart issues, and high blood pressure, amongst other long-term effects.

As the name suggests, this side dish consists of Shake Shack's crinkle fries, which are topped with cheese sauce and bacon bits. These fries probably don't sound too healthy — and they aren't.

To start with, the Bacon Cheese Fries contain 840 calories — or, in other words, more than the Shack Stack. Over time, if you eat an excessive amount of calories on a regular basis, it can lead to weight gain, affect your sleeping patterns, and impair your brain function. With all that in mind, you may not want to indulge in such a high amount of calories in just one side dish — at least not frequently. This may be a dish that you save for when you're craving a more filling snack, rather than use it as a side to a full burger, if you want to keep an eye on your calorie intake.

Meanwhile, these fries are also high in sodium, containing 1,570 milligrams. So, these fries contain nearly the amount of sodium that's recommended for an entire day. Of course, all that sodium is part of what makes them so delicious and something that you want to indulge in — which is totally fine from time to time, as long as it doesn't become too regular.

Sometimes you're in the mood for a Creamsicle Float, and you don't want to make your own cold and creamy ice cream float. However, just like with the milkshakes, it's no surprise that the floats are not very good for you. After all, they're meant to be an indulgent dessert. But this one is especially indulgent, especially when it comes to the amount of sugar.

The Creamsicle Float contains 74 grams of sugar, which, as we learned from the Cookies and Cream Milkshake, is a lot more than individuals are recommended to be eating in a day (between 25 and 36 grams). It's worth noting that the Creamsicle Float is the worse of the two floats from the regular menu, but not by much: The Root Beer Float contains 69 grams of sugar, so just five grams less. Just like with the shakes, the Creamsicle Float is definitely a treat you don't want to have too often to avoid the risks of eating too much sugar regularly.

Additionally, the Creamsicle Float contains 440 calories, which is nearly half of the Cookies and Cream milkshake, so, at the very least, the float is a bit more mild in the category of calories. Still, it's best to save the Creamsicle Float for a special occasion.

Another burger option that is one of the unhealthier options is the Bacon Cheeseburger, which can be ordered as a single, double, or triple. As a single, the burger isn't the worst — it contains just 500 calories and 1,480 milligrams of sodium. Sure, the sodium is a little high, but not as bad as other items.

However, the Bacon Cheeseburger becomes more unhealthy if you make it a double or a triple, both of which are options when you go to order it. The double contains 760 calories and a whopping 2,510 milligrams of sodium. In other words, the sodium level exceeds what's recommended that an individual eat in a day (2,300 milligrams) in just one burger.

Finally, the triple Bacon Cheeseburger contains 1,020 calories and 3,540 milligrams of sodium, making this item easily the unhealthiest on the menu. The sodium level is over 1,000 more milligrams than an individual should be eating in an entire day, while the amount of calories is over half what an adult woman might be trying to eat in a day. As with all of the other menu items on this list, there's nothing wrong with having a triple Bacon Cheeseburger from Shake Shack from time to time, but if you indulge in it too often, you may be putting yourself at risk for health complications.