The Seed Oil Freedom Index
Which states eat cleanest? This ranks all 50 states by how their most iconic local and regional restaurant chains cook, seed oils versus real fats like beef tallow, peanut, and avocado oil. Here is the honest part: we do not have a restaurant-by-state map. Instead we hand-picked the chains that are famously tied to each state or its region, then scored each state by the average seed-oil cleanliness of those chains in our database. It is an editorial take on each state's signature chains, not a count of every restaurant in the state. National chains that are everywhere, like McDonald's and Subway, are left out on purpose so they do not flatten the differences between states.
The states ranked, cleanest first
| # | State | Grade | Signature chains |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Idaho | A | Arctic Circle 6.0g, Dutch Bros Coffee 0.6g, Burgerville 5.2g |
| #2 | Minnesota | B | Caribou Coffee 1.4g, Leeann Chin 5.1g, Culver's 5.3g, Pizza Ranch 5.4g |
| #3 | Montana | B | Arctic Circle 6.0g, MOD Pizza 6.5g, Dutch Bros Coffee 0.6g, Wendy's 4.4g |
| #4 | Washington | B | Dick's Drive-In 0.9g, Burgerville 5.2g, Ivar's 9.0g, Dutch Bros Coffee 0.6g, Shari's 6.6g |
| #5 | Oregon | B | Burgerville 5.2g, Dutch Bros Coffee 0.6g, Voodoo Doughnut 8.4g, Salt & Straw 2.4g, Shari's 6.6g |
| #6 | Arizona | B | Filiberto's 6.4g, In-N-Out Burger 5.0g, Eegee's 5.6g, Dutch Bros Coffee 0.6g, Del Taco 6.2g |
| #7 | Wyoming | B | Taco John's 7.4g, Arctic Circle 6.0g, Dutch Bros Coffee 0.6g, Runza 6.3g |
| #8 | North Dakota | B | Pizza Ranch 5.4g, Caribou Coffee 1.4g, Culver's 5.3g, Casey's 9.0g |
| #9 | New Mexico | B | Blake's Lotaburger 5.6g, Filiberto's 6.4g, Del Taco 6.2g, Sonic 3.1g |
| #10 | Florida | B | Pollo Tropical 6.7g, Checkers & Rally's 9.1g, Tropical Smoothie Cafe 5.1g, Bahama Buck's 0.7g |
| #11 | Maine | B | Honey Dew Donuts 3.4g, Friendly's 11.1g, Tim Hortons 1.8g |
| #12 | Colorado | B | Smashburger 7.7g, Carl's Jr. 8.5g, Dutch Bros Coffee 0.6g |
| #13 | Arkansas | B | Sonic 3.1g, Slim Chickens 7.3g, Whataburger 6.5g |
| #14 | Iowa | B | Maid-Rite 4.5g, Pancheros Mexican Grill 4.8g, Casey's 9.0g, Culver's 5.3g, Pizza Ranch 5.4g |
| #15 | California | B | In-N-Out Burger 5.0g, Del Taco 6.2g, El Pollo Loco 6.1g, The Habit Burger Grill 6.7g, Original Tommy's 5.2g |
| #16 | Kansas | B | Freddy's 5.5g, White Castle 8.6g, Sonic 3.1g, Braum's 6.4g |
| #17 | Wisconsin | B | Culver's 5.3g, Kopp's Frozen Custard 3.3g, Cousins Subs 9.1g |
| #18 | Indiana | C | Steak 'n Shake 4.8g, Penn Station East Coast Subs 6.1g, Culver's 5.3g, White Castle 8.6g |
| #19 | Alaska | C | Arctic Circle 6.0g, Dutch Bros Coffee 0.6g, Carl's Jr. 8.5g, Subway 9.8g |
| #20 | Utah | C | Cafe Rio 6.1g, Costa Vida 5.1g, Arctic Circle 6.0g, Maverik 7.9g |
| #21 | South Dakota | C | Pizza Ranch 5.4g, Runza 6.3g, Culver's 5.3g, Casey's 9.0g |
| #22 | Texas | C | Whataburger 6.5g, P. Terry's Burger Stand 3.6g, Torchy's Tacos 6.7g, Taco Cabana 10.4g, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q 5.4g |
| #23 | Vermont | C | Friendly's 11.1g, Honey Dew Donuts 3.4g, Tim Hortons 1.8g, Subway 9.8g |
| #24 | Kentucky | C | Gold Star Chili 5.8g, Skyline Chili 5.3g, Snappy Tomato Pizza 8.5g, Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken 7.3g |
| #25 | Connecticut | C | Sonic 3.1g, Shake Shack 5.9g, Friendly's 11.1g |
| #26 | Louisiana | C | Popeyes 5.0g, Raising Cane's 9.7g, PJ's Coffee 1.6g, Piccadilly 6.4g, Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken 10.9g |
| #27 | West Virginia | C | Tudor's Biscuit World 7.6g, Sheetz 8.4g, Cook Out 4.4g |
| #28 | Nebraska | C | Runza 6.3g, Culver's 5.3g, Casey's 9.0g |
| #29 | Missouri | C | Imo's Pizza 10.8g, Steak 'n Shake 4.8g, Andy's Frozen Custard 1.6g, White Castle 8.6g, Casey's 9.0g |
| #30 | New York | C | Nathan's Famous 9.0g, The Halal Guys 10.5g, Shake Shack 5.9g, Carvel 2.5g |
| #31 | Rhode Island | C | Friendly's 11.1g, Honey Dew Donuts 3.4g, Bertucci's 6.9g |
| #32 | New Hampshire | C | Honey Dew Donuts 3.4g, Friendly's 11.1g, Tim Hortons 1.8g, Papa Gino's 13.2g |
| #33 | South Carolina | C | Bojangles 5.6g, Zaxby's 14.9g, Cook Out 4.4g, Waffle House 5.5g |
| #34 | North Carolina | C | Bojangles 5.6g, Cook Out 4.4g, Biscuitville 5.6g, Zaxby's 14.9g |
| #35 | Georgia | C | Chick-fil-A 4.8g, Zaxby's 14.9g, Krystal 8.7g, Waffle House 5.5g, Cook Out 4.4g |
| #36 | Massachusetts | D | Papa Gino's 13.2g, Honey Dew Donuts 3.4g, Wahlburgers 6.4g, Bertucci's 6.9g, Friendly's 11.1g |
| #37 | Alabama | D | Jack's 8.6g, Zaxby's 14.9g, Chick-fil-A 4.8g, Whataburger 6.5g |
| #38 | Virginia | D | Cook Out 4.4g, Sheetz 8.4g, Wawa 7.7g, Roy Rogers 14.8g |
| #39 | Oklahoma | D | Sonic 3.1g, Braum's 6.4g, Hideaway Pizza 20.7g, Golden Chick 6.4g |
| #40 | Maryland | D | Royal Farms 13.7g, Wawa 7.7g, Rita's Italian Ice 1.4g, Roy Rogers 14.8g |
| #41 | Ohio | D | Skyline Chili 5.3g, Gold Star Chili 5.8g, LaRosa's Pizzeria 12.8g, Graeter's 1.9g, Donatos Pizza 22.1g |
| #42 | Mississippi | D | Krystal 8.7g, Waffle House 5.5g, Zaxby's 14.9g |
| #43 | Pennsylvania | D | Sheetz 8.4g, Wawa 7.7g, Primanti Bros. 13.6g, Eat'n Park 9.7g, Charleys Cheesesteaks 9.2g |
| #44 | Tennessee | D | Pal's Sudden Service 5.2g, Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken 17.1g, Hattie B's Hot Chicken 8.4g, Krystal 8.7g |
| #45 | New Jersey | D | Wawa 7.7g, Bubbakoo's Burritos 13.9g, Rita's Italian Ice 1.4g, White Castle 8.6g, Jersey Mike's 17.6g |
| #46 | Michigan | D | Biggby Coffee 0.8g, Hot Head Burritos 7.0g, Jet's Pizza 25.4g, Marco's Pizza 14.9g, Tim Hortons 1.8g |
| #47 | Hawaii | D | L&L Hawaiian Barbecue 14.4g, Jack in the Box 6.4g |
| #48 | Nevada | F | In-N-Out Burger 5.0g, Capriotti's 33.5g, Del Taco 6.2g, The Habit Burger Grill 6.7g |
| #49 | Illinois | F | Portillo's 7.5g, Lou Malnati's 28.3g, Giordano's 12.8g, Home Run Inn 6.9g, Aurelio's Pizza 11.6g |
| #50 | Delaware | F | Wawa 7.7g, Royal Farms 13.7g, Capriotti's 33.5g, Rita's Italian Ice 1.4g |
Grade colors match the rest of the site: A is cleanest (under 4g average), B is 4g to 6g, C is 6g to 8g, D is 8g to 12g, and F is over 12g. The grams after each chain are its average estimated PUFA (seed-oil polyunsaturated fat) per menu item. Lower is cleaner.
How we score each state
For every state we list the chains most associated with it or its tight region. For each of those chains we already estimate the average PUFA (the seed-oil fat) across its whole menu, using the same method as the Seed Oil Index: published nutrition data plus each chain's disclosed cooking oils. We then average those chain scores to get the state's score. Lower is cleaner. We only use chains that are actually in our database with enough menu items, so a few well-known picks get skipped, and a few states do not have enough to rank yet. Some regional favorites are shared by neighboring states, so you will see the same chain help more than one state. These are estimates, and real cooking varies by location, so treat this as a fun, directional picture rather than the final word.