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 | Washington | B | Dick's Drive-In 1.3g, Burgerville 6.9g, Ivar's 9.3g, Dutch Bros Coffee 1.6g, Shari's 6.6g |
| #2 | Oregon | B | Burgerville 6.9g, Dutch Bros Coffee 1.6g, Voodoo Doughnut 8.5g, Salt & Straw 2.4g, Shari's 6.6g |
| #3 | Montana | B | Arctic Circle 7.2g, MOD Pizza 5.7g, Dutch Bros Coffee 1.6g, Wendy's 6.4g |
| #4 | Idaho | B | Arctic Circle 7.2g, Dutch Bros Coffee 1.6g, Burgerville 6.9g |
| #5 | Arizona | B | Filiberto's 6.4g, In-N-Out Burger 5.6g, Eegee's 6.8g, Dutch Bros Coffee 1.6g, Del Taco 6.9g |
| #6 | Florida | B | Pollo Tropical 7.5g, Checkers & Rally's 9.8g, Tropical Smoothie Cafe 5.1g, Bahama Buck's 0.8g |
| #7 | Colorado | B | Smashburger 7.5g, Carl's Jr. 8.3g, Dutch Bros Coffee 1.6g |
| #8 | Minnesota | B | Caribou Coffee 2.2g, Leeann Chin 5.3g, Culver's 6.3g, Pizza Ranch 9.4g |
| #9 | Maine | B | Honey Dew Donuts 4.5g, Friendly's 10.1g, Tim Hortons 3.0g |
| #10 | Wyoming | B | Taco John's 8.9g, Arctic Circle 7.2g, Dutch Bros Coffee 1.6g, Runza 6.2g |
| #11 | North Dakota | C | Pizza Ranch 9.4g, Caribou Coffee 2.2g, Culver's 6.3g, Casey's 7.6g |
| #12 | Wisconsin | C | Culver's 6.3g, Kopp's Frozen Custard 3.3g, Cousins Subs 9.9g |
| #13 | Utah | C | Cafe Rio 6.0g, Costa Vida 5.2g, Arctic Circle 7.2g, Maverik 7.7g |
| #14 | Iowa | C | Maid-Rite 4.6g, Pancheros Mexican Grill 4.8g, Casey's 7.6g, Culver's 6.3g, Pizza Ranch 9.4g |
| #15 | Alaska | C | Arctic Circle 7.2g, Dutch Bros Coffee 1.6g, Carl's Jr. 8.3g, Subway 9.2g |
| #16 | Nebraska | C | Runza 6.2g, Culver's 6.3g, Casey's 7.6g |
| #17 | Vermont | C | Friendly's 10.1g, Honey Dew Donuts 4.5g, Tim Hortons 3.0g, Subway 9.2g |
| #18 | Texas | C | Whataburger 7.5g, P. Terry's Burger Stand 3.6g, Torchy's Tacos 6.9g, Taco Cabana 10.2g, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q 5.5g |
| #19 | New Mexico | C | Blake's Lotaburger 5.8g, Filiberto's 6.4g, Del Taco 6.9g, Sonic 8.1g |
| #20 | California | C | In-N-Out Burger 5.6g, Del Taco 6.9g, El Pollo Loco 7.9g, The Habit Burger Grill 8.7g, Original Tommy's 5.2g |
| #21 | New York | C | Nathan's Famous 7.4g, The Halal Guys 11.2g, Shake Shack 5.5g, Carvel 3.4g |
| #22 | Rhode Island | C | Friendly's 10.1g, Honey Dew Donuts 4.5g, Bertucci's 6.1g |
| #23 | Indiana | C | Steak 'n Shake 5.0g, Penn Station East Coast Subs 6.2g, Culver's 6.3g, White Castle 10.7g |
| #24 | Missouri | C | Imo's Pizza 10.8g, Steak 'n Shake 5.0g, Andy's Frozen Custard 1.6g, White Castle 10.7g, Casey's 7.6g |
| #25 | West Virginia | C | Tudor's Biscuit World 9.2g, Sheetz 7.7g, Cook Out 4.9g |
| #26 | South Dakota | C | Pizza Ranch 9.4g, Runza 6.2g, Culver's 6.3g, Casey's 7.6g |
| #27 | Kentucky | C | Gold Star Chili 6.1g, Skyline Chili 6.0g, Snappy Tomato Pizza 8.5g, Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken 9.8g |
| #28 | New Hampshire | C | Honey Dew Donuts 4.5g, Friendly's 10.1g, Tim Hortons 3.0g, Papa Gino's 13.2g |
| #29 | Hawaii | C | L&L Hawaiian Barbecue 7.9g, Jack in the Box 7.5g |
| #30 | Connecticut | C | Sonic 8.1g, Shake Shack 5.5g, Friendly's 10.1g |
| #31 | Georgia | C | Chick-fil-A 5.7g, Zaxby's 14.9g, Krystal 8.0g, Waffle House 6.3g, Cook Out 4.9g |
| #32 | Pennsylvania | D | Sheetz 7.7g, Wawa 5.6g, Primanti Bros. 10.0g, Eat'n Park 7.2g, Charleys Cheesesteaks 9.6g |
| #33 | Massachusetts | D | Papa Gino's 13.2g, Honey Dew Donuts 4.5g, Wahlburgers 6.4g, Bertucci's 6.1g, Friendly's 10.1g |
| #34 | Virginia | D | Cook Out 4.9g, Sheetz 7.7g, Wawa 5.6g, Roy Rogers 14.8g |
| #35 | Kansas | D | Freddy's 8.2g, White Castle 10.7g, Sonic 8.1g, Braum's 6.3g |
| #36 | Maryland | D | Royal Farms 12.4g, Wawa 5.6g, Rita's Italian Ice 1.3g, Roy Rogers 14.8g |
| #37 | South Carolina | D | Bojangles 8.2g, Zaxby's 14.9g, Cook Out 4.9g, Waffle House 6.3g |
| #38 | North Carolina | D | Bojangles 8.2g, Cook Out 4.9g, Biscuitville 7.1g, Zaxby's 14.9g |
| #39 | Arkansas | D | Sonic 8.1g, Slim Chickens 11.0g, Whataburger 7.5g |
| #40 | Michigan | D | Biggby Coffee 2.0g, Hot Head Burritos 7.0g, Jet's Pizza 20.1g, Marco's Pizza 12.6g, Tim Hortons 3.0g |
| #41 | Alabama | D | Jack's 7.8g, Zaxby's 14.9g, Chick-fil-A 5.7g, Whataburger 7.5g |
| #42 | Ohio | D | Skyline Chili 6.0g, Gold Star Chili 6.1g, LaRosa's Pizzeria 12.0g, Graeter's 1.8g, Donatos Pizza 18.9g |
| #43 | Tennessee | D | Pal's Sudden Service 5.4g, Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken 17.1g, Hattie B's Hot Chicken 8.4g, Krystal 8.0g |
| #44 | Mississippi | D | Krystal 8.0g, Waffle House 6.3g, Zaxby's 14.9g |
| #45 | Delaware | D | Wawa 5.6g, Royal Farms 12.4g, Capriotti's 20.9g, Rita's Italian Ice 1.3g |
| #46 | New Jersey | D | Wawa 5.6g, Bubbakoo's Burritos 10.4g, Rita's Italian Ice 1.3g, White Castle 10.7g, Jersey Mike's 22.5g |
| #47 | Oklahoma | D | Sonic 8.1g, Braum's 6.3g, Hideaway Pizza 20.6g, Golden Chick 6.5g |
| #48 | Nevada | D | In-N-Out Burger 5.6g, Capriotti's 20.9g, Del Taco 6.9g, The Habit Burger Grill 8.7g |
| #49 | Louisiana | D | Popeyes 7.8g, Raising Cane's 30.1g, PJ's Coffee 1.8g, Piccadilly 6.4g, Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken 10.9g |
| #50 | Illinois | F | Portillo's 8.1g, Lou Malnati's 27.9g, Giordano's 12.4g, Home Run Inn 6.9g, Aurelio's Pizza 14.3g |
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.