A&W Seed Oil Report Card
Source: A&W Interactive Nutrition Menu, August 3, 2026. Canola Oil: High Oleic Canola Oil and Dimethylpolysiloxane, an antifoaming agent, added.
Based on our menu research, A&W cooks with: high-oleic canola oil. Across the 149 menu items we analyzed, it averages 3.9g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of A (Low Risk).
What oil does A&W fry in? The full answer
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Safest Orders at A&W
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
Cleanest full order: Cheeseburger Single + A&W Root Beer Regular, 3.2g total
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Cheeseburger Single | 3.2g |
| Corn Dog Nuggets 5 Piece | 3.6g |
| Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders 2 Piece | 4.3g |
| Hamburger Single | 4.5g |
| Hot Dog | 5.0g |
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Build my orderWhat to Avoid at A&W
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Nashville Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich | 16.9g |
| Nashville Hot Grilled Chicken Sandwich | 16.2g |
| Papa Sauce | 14.4g |
| Dill Pickle Ranch Cheese Curds Large | 14.0g |
| Spicy Papa Sauce | 13.8g |
Every A&W item, ranked
All 149 items we have for A&W, safest first. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Kids Apple Sauce | 0.0g |
| A&W Root Beer Regular | 0.0g |
| A&W Root Beer Large | 0.0g |
| A&W Root Beer Zero Sugar Regular | 0.0g |
| Fountain Drink | 0.0g |
| Ketchup | 0.0g |
| A&W Root Beer Zero Sugar Small | 0.0g |
| Diet Pepsi Small | 0.0g |
| Diet Pepsi Regular | 0.0g |
| Mt. Dew Regular | 0.0g |
| Mt. Dew Kids | 0.0g |
| Pepsi Large | 0.0g |
| A&W Root Beer Small | 0.0g |
| Starry Small | 0.0g |
| Dr. Pepper Large | 0.0g |
| BBQ Sauce | 0.0g |
| A&W Root Beer Zero Sugar Kids | 0.0g |
| Pepsi Small | 0.0g |
| Starry Large | 0.0g |
| A&W Root Beer Kids | 0.0g |
| Diet Pepsi Kids | 0.0g |
| Pepsi Kids | 0.0g |
| Dr. Pepper Small | 0.0g |
| Mt. Dew Small | 0.0g |
| Dr. Pepper Regular | 0.0g |
| A&W Root Beer Zero Sugar Large | 0.0g |
| Mt. Dew Large | 0.0g |
| Starry Kids | 0.0g |
| Dr. Pepper Kids | 0.0g |
| Pepsi Regular | 0.0g |
| Diet Pepsi Large | 0.0g |
| Starry Regular | 0.0g |
| Caramel Dirty Root Beer Regular | 0.2g |
| Ice Cream Cone Kids | 0.3g |
| A&W Root Beer Float Regular | 0.3g |
| Caramel Dirty Root Beer Large | 0.3g |
| A&W Zero Sugar Root Beer Float Regular | 0.3g |
| Kid's Milk | 0.3g |
| Ice Cream Cone Regular | 0.4g |
| Strawberry Sundae | 0.5g |
| A&W Root Beer Float Large | 0.5g |
| A&W Root Beer Cream Freeze Regular | 0.5g |
| Mustard | 0.5g |
| Marinara | 0.5g |
| Cheese Sauce | 0.5g |
| A&W Zero Sugar Root Beer Cream Freeze Regular | 0.5g |
| A&W Zero Sugar Root Beer Float Large | 0.5g |
| Chocolate Sundae | 0.6g |
| Hot Caramel Sundae | 0.6g |
| Caramel Root Beer Cream Freeze Regular | 0.6g |
| Hot Fudge Sundae | 0.8g |
| Waffle Cone (Soft Serve) | 1.0g |
| Hot Fudge Shake Regular | 1.0g |
| A&W Root Beer Cream Freeze Large | 1.0g |
| Coney Sauce | 1.0g |
| A&W Zero Sugar Root Beer Cream Freeze Large | 1.0g |
| Vanilla Shake Regular | 1.1g |
| Strawberry Shake Regular | 1.1g |
| Root Beer Shake Regular | 1.1g |
| Caramel Root Beer Cream Freeze Large | 1.1g |
| Chocolate Shake Regular | 1.2g |
| Hot Caramel Shake Regular | 1.2g |
| Hot Fudge Shake Large | 1.3g |
| M&M Polar Swirl (12 oz) | 1.4g |
| Onion Rings (Regular) | 1.6g |
| M&M Shake Regular | 1.6g |
| Chocolate Shake Large | 1.7g |
| Vanilla Shake Large | 1.7g |
| Strawberry Shake Large | 1.7g |
| M&M Polar Swirl (16 oz) | 1.7g |
| Root Beer Shake Large | 1.7g |
| Hot Caramel Shake Large | 1.7g |
| Oreo Shake Regular | 1.8g |
| Cookie Dough Polar Swirl (12 oz) | 1.8g |
| Kids Fries | 2.0g |
| Cookie Dough Shake Regular | 2.0g |
| Cookie Dough Polar Swirl (16 oz) | 2.0g |
| Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders 1 Piece | 2.2g |
| Oreo Polar Swirl (16 oz) | 2.3g |
| Oreo Polar Swirl (12 oz) | 2.4g |
| M&M Shake Large | 2.5g |
| Cookie Dough Shake Large | 2.9g |
| Oreo Shake Large | 2.9g |
| Fries Regular | 3.1g |
| Onion Rings (Large) | 3.2g |
| Cheeseburger Single | 3.2g |
| Cheese Fries Regular | 3.6g |
| Chili Cheese Fries Regular | 3.6g |
| Corn Dog Nuggets 5 Piece | 3.6g |
| Reese's Shake Regular | 3.9g |
| Cheese Curds (Regular) | 4.0g |
| Reese's Polar Swirl (12 oz) | 4.1g |
| Chili Fries Regular | 4.2g |
| Fries Large | 4.3g |
| Reese's Polar Swirl (16 oz) | 4.3g |
| Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders 2 Piece | 4.3g |
| Hamburger Single | 4.5g |
| Hot Dog | 5.0g |
| Kids Hot Dog | 5.0g |
| Cheeseburger Double | 5.5g |
| Mushroom Onion Melt Single | 5.7g |
| Mushroom Onion Melt Double | 5.7g |
| Chili Dog | 5.8g |
| Coney Dog | 5.8g |
| Honey Mustard | 6.0g |
| Reese's Shake Large | 6.1g |
| Cheese Fries Large | 6.2g |
| Chili Cheese Fries Large | 6.3g |
| Chicken Strips (3 pc) | 6.4g |
| Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders 3 Piece | 6.4g |
| Hamburger Double | 6.5g |
| Spicy Papa Grilled Chicken Sandwich | 6.6g |
| Papa Burger Single | 6.7g |
| Spicy Papa Burger Single | 6.7g |
| Coney Cheese Dog | 6.8g |
| Corn Dog | 7.0g |
| Spicy Papa Chicken Sandwich | 7.0g |
| 3 Piece Pub Battered Cod | 7.0g |
| Chili Fries Large | 7.2g |
| Corn Dog Nuggets 10 Piece | 7.4g |
| Texas Toast Melt Single | 7.5g |
| Bacon & Swiss Burger with Garlic Aioli Single | 8.0g |
| BBQ Bacon Crunch Burger Single | 8.0g |
| Cheese Curds (Large) | 8.0g |
| Texas Toast Melt Double | 8.3g |
| Seafood Fried Shrimp | 8.3g |
| Papa Burger Double | 8.9g |
| Spicy Papa Burger Double | 8.9g |
| Tartar Sauce | 9.0g |
| Footlong Coney Dog | 9.2g |
| Grilled Chicken Filet Sandwich | 9.6g |
| Deluxe Grilled Chicken Sandwich | 9.6g |
| Dill Pickle Ranch Cheese Curds Regular | 10.0g |
| Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders 5 Piece | 10.7g |
| Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich | 11.0g |
| Bacon & Swiss Burger with Garlic Aioli Double | 11.0g |
| Bacon Cheeseburger Single | 11.1g |
| Crispy Chicken Sandwich | 11.2g |
| Deluxe Crispy Chicken Sandwich | 11.2g |
| BBQ Bacon Crunch Burger Double | 11.3g |
| Ranch | 11.4g |
| Pork Tenderloin Sandwich | 12.8g |
| Seafood Fish Sandwich | 13.2g |
| Bacon Cheeseburger Double | 13.4g |
| Spicy Papa Sauce | 13.8g |
| Dill Pickle Ranch Cheese Curds Large | 14.0g |
| Papa Sauce | 14.4g |
| Nashville Hot Grilled Chicken Sandwich | 16.2g |
| Nashville Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich | 16.9g |
Frequently asked
Does A&W use seed oils?
Based on our menu research, A&W cooks with: high-oleic canola oil. Across the 149 menu items we analyzed, it averages 3.9g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of A (Low Risk).
What oil does A&W cook with?
Our research indicates: Fryer oil is high-oleic canola, not soybean. A&W's own ingredient statement on every fried item in its Interactive Nutrition Menu (awrestaurants.com/nutrition, data feed generated 2026-08-03) reads "Canola Oil: High Oleic Canola Oil and Dimethylpolysiloxane". Soybean oil remains in the buns and the mayo-style sauces. Preparation can vary by location, so treat PUFA numbers as estimates.
Does A&W use beef tallow?
No. Our research indicates A&W cooks with high-oleic canola oil, not beef tallow. For chains that fry in tallow or other real fats, see Tallow Watch.
Is A&W seed oil free?
No. Our research indicates A&W cooks with high-oleic canola oil, which includes seed oils. See the lower-PUFA orders above for the cleanest picks.
What is the safest thing to order at A&W?
Cheeseburger Single is the lowest-PUFA item we analyzed at A&W, at an estimated 3.2g PUFA. See the Safest Orders list on this page for more options.
What should I avoid at A&W?
Nashville Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich is the highest-PUFA item we analyzed at A&W, at an estimated 16.9g PUFA. Fried items and creamy, mayo-based sauces are usually the heaviest.
What are seed oils?
Seed oils — canola, soybean, sunflower, corn, and similar vegetable oils — are extracted from seeds using high heat and chemical solvents. They are very high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), which are unstable at cooking temperatures and can oxidize easily. Many health-conscious eaters choose to minimize seed oils and prefer foods cooked in beef tallow, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil instead. This page shows estimated PUFA grams per menu item to help you make more informed choices. These are estimates — actual values vary by preparation and location. New to the topic? Start with what seed oils are and the complete list, or read the evidence on why people avoid them.
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See where A&W lands on the full Seed Oil Index, or check which chains cook in real fats on Tallow Watch. Wondering about a specific dish instead? The Is It Seed Oil food guide answers it for 200+ everyday foods, and the distributor oils page covers what independent restaurants fry in.