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 | Florida | B | Pollo Tropical 4.6g, Checkers & Rally's 7.9g, Tropical Smoothie Cafe 4.1g, Bahama Buck's 1.1g |
| #2 | Oregon | B | Burgerville 4.9g, Dutch Bros Coffee 2.3g, Voodoo Doughnut 6.4g, Salt & Straw 2.3g, Shari's 6.4g |
| #3 | Maine | B | Honey Dew Donuts 2.3g, Friendly's 7.5g, Tim Hortons 4.1g |
| #4 | Washington | B | Dick's Drive-In 1.8g, Burgerville 4.9g, Ivar's 8.4g, Dutch Bros Coffee 2.3g, Shari's 6.4g |
| #5 | Idaho | B | Arctic Circle 7.4g, Dutch Bros Coffee 2.3g, Burgerville 4.9g |
| #6 | Vermont | B | Friendly's 7.5g, Honey Dew Donuts 2.3g, Tim Hortons 4.1g, Subway 5.7g |
| #7 | Minnesota | B | Caribou Coffee 2.1g, Leeann Chin 5.8g, Culver's 5.6g, Pizza Ranch 6.8g |
| #8 | Indiana | B | Steak 'n Shake 3.3g, Penn Station East Coast Subs 5.7g, Culver's 5.6g, White Castle 5.8g |
| #9 | Wisconsin | B | Culver's 5.6g, Kopp's Frozen Custard 3.1g, Cousins Subs 6.6g |
| #10 | California | B | In-N-Out Burger 4.7g, Del Taco 5.6g, El Pollo Loco 4.2g, The Habit Burger Grill 7.0g, Original Tommy's 4.3g |
| #11 | Arizona | B | Filiberto's 6.3g, In-N-Out Burger 4.7g, Eegee's 7.0g, Dutch Bros Coffee 2.3g, Del Taco 5.6g |
| #12 | Rhode Island | B | Friendly's 7.5g, Honey Dew Donuts 2.3g, Bertucci's 6.2g |
| #13 | Texas | B | Whataburger 7.2g, P. Terry's Burger Stand 4.3g, Torchy's Tacos 4.7g, Taco Cabana 7.1g, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q 3.7g |
| #14 | Maryland | B | Royal Farms 8.9g, Wawa 5.4g, Rita's Italian Ice 1.4g, Roy Rogers 5.9g |
| #15 | Montana | B | Arctic Circle 7.4g, MOD Pizza 5.4g, Dutch Bros Coffee 2.3g, Wendy's 6.6g |
| #16 | Missouri | B | Imo's Pizza 9.0g, Steak 'n Shake 3.3g, Andy's Frozen Custard 1.4g, White Castle 5.8g, Casey's 8.0g |
| #17 | New Jersey | B | Wawa 5.4g, Bubbakoo's Burritos 8.1g, Rita's Italian Ice 1.4g, White Castle 5.8g, Jersey Mike's 7.2g |
| #18 | North Dakota | B | Pizza Ranch 6.8g, Caribou Coffee 2.1g, Culver's 5.6g, Casey's 8.0g |
| #19 | West Virginia | B | Tudor's Biscuit World 4.6g, Sheetz 7.5g, Cook Out 4.8g |
| #20 | Ohio | B | Skyline Chili 5.0g, Gold Star Chili 6.0g, LaRosa's Pizzeria 9.6g, Graeter's 1.4g, Donatos Pizza 6.1g |
| #21 | Wyoming | B | Taco John's 7.2g, Arctic Circle 7.4g, Dutch Bros Coffee 2.3g, Runza 5.8g |
| #22 | Delaware | B | Wawa 5.4g, Royal Farms 8.9g, Capriotti's 7.3g, Rita's Italian Ice 1.4g |
| #23 | Alaska | B | Arctic Circle 7.4g, Dutch Bros Coffee 2.3g, Carl's Jr. 7.7g, Subway 5.7g |
| #24 | New York | B | Nathan's Famous 7.2g, The Halal Guys 7.8g, Shake Shack 6.0g, Carvel 2.1g |
| #25 | Virginia | B | Cook Out 4.8g, Sheetz 7.5g, Wawa 5.4g, Roy Rogers 5.9g |
| #26 | Kansas | B | Freddy's 6.0g, White Castle 5.8g, Sonic 6.8g, Braum's 5.1g |
| #27 | Iowa | B | Maid-Rite 4.4g, Pancheros Mexican Grill 5.0g, Casey's 8.0g, Culver's 5.6g, Pizza Ranch 6.8g |
| #28 | New Hampshire | B | Honey Dew Donuts 2.3g, Friendly's 7.5g, Tim Hortons 4.1g, Papa Gino's 9.9g |
| #29 | Colorado | C | Smashburger 8.1g, Carl's Jr. 7.7g, Dutch Bros Coffee 2.3g |
| #30 | Nevada | C | In-N-Out Burger 4.7g, Capriotti's 7.3g, Del Taco 5.6g, The Habit Burger Grill 7.0g |
| #31 | Oklahoma | C | Sonic 6.8g, Braum's 5.1g, Hideaway Pizza 7.1g, Golden Chick 5.9g |
| #32 | New Mexico | C | Blake's Lotaburger 6.7g, Filiberto's 6.3g, Del Taco 5.6g, Sonic 6.8g |
| #33 | Georgia | C | Chick-fil-A 5.2g, Zaxby's 10.4g, Krystal 6.5g, Waffle House 5.0g, Cook Out 4.8g |
| #34 | Massachusetts | C | Papa Gino's 9.9g, Honey Dew Donuts 2.3g, Wahlburgers 6.1g, Bertucci's 6.2g, Friendly's 7.5g |
| #35 | Nebraska | C | Runza 5.8g, Culver's 5.6g, Casey's 8.0g |
| #36 | South Dakota | C | Pizza Ranch 6.8g, Runza 5.8g, Culver's 5.6g, Casey's 8.0g |
| #37 | Kentucky | C | Gold Star Chili 6.0g, Skyline Chili 5.0g, Snappy Tomato Pizza 7.7g, Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken 7.9g |
| #38 | Connecticut | C | Sonic 6.8g, Shake Shack 6.0g, Friendly's 7.5g |
| #39 | Michigan | C | Biggby Coffee 2.2g, Hot Head Burritos 7.7g, Jet's Pizza 10.0g, Marco's Pizza 10.1g, Tim Hortons 4.1g |
| #40 | South Carolina | C | Bojangles 7.2g, Zaxby's 10.4g, Cook Out 4.8g, Waffle House 5.0g |
| #41 | Utah | C | Cafe Rio 6.2g, Costa Vida 5.3g, Arctic Circle 7.4g, Maverik 8.9g |
| #42 | North Carolina | C | Bojangles 7.2g, Cook Out 4.8g, Biscuitville 5.4g, Zaxby's 10.4g |
| #43 | Louisiana | C | Popeyes 7.7g, Raising Cane's 12.0g, PJ's Coffee 2.0g, Piccadilly 4.3g, Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken 10.5g |
| #44 | Mississippi | C | Krystal 6.5g, Waffle House 5.0g, Zaxby's 10.4g |
| #45 | Hawaii | C | L&L Hawaiian Barbecue 7.1g, Jack in the Box 7.7g |
| #46 | Alabama | C | Jack's 7.1g, Zaxby's 10.4g, Chick-fil-A 5.2g, Whataburger 7.2g |
| #47 | Arkansas | C | Sonic 6.8g, Slim Chickens 8.5g, Whataburger 7.2g |
| #48 | Illinois | C | Portillo's 6.0g, Lou Malnati's 7.7g, Giordano's 8.0g, Home Run Inn 6.7g, Aurelio's Pizza 9.1g |
| #49 | Pennsylvania | C | Sheetz 7.5g, Wawa 5.4g, Primanti Bros. 10.5g, Eat'n Park 6.1g, Charleys Cheesesteaks 8.1g |
| #50 | Tennessee | D | Pal's Sudden Service 4.4g, Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken 15.1g, Hattie B's Hot Chicken 7.8g, Krystal 6.5g |
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.