It’s no secret that fast foods are among some of the most unhealthy things you can eat, but some choices are better than others and many restaurants are offering low fat, low-carb options… but these 15 foods are not those options. High in calories, loaded with saturated fat and teeming with more sodium than any person should eat…these menu items from popular fast food chains in North America are some of the worst on the market today.
Serving Size: 279g
Calories: 730
Fat: 35g
Saturated Fat: 9g
Sodium: 1970mg
At only 279g in size, the “Big Crunch” isn’t actually very big –but it does contain some big levels of sodium, fat and calories.
Serving Size: 532g
Calories: 740
Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Sodium: 1540mg
The 6inch version of this popular Subway sandwich is actually on the restaurants “Fresh Fit” menu of subs with under 6g of fat. It’s not the fat we’re concerned about here though, as the footlong version contains a shocking 1540mg of sodium.
Serving Size: 457g
Calories: 780
Fat: 42g
Saturated Fat: 10g
Sodium: 1590mg
Even the salads are a poor choice at popular tex-mex restaurant Taco Bell. The Fiesta Taco Salad with beef has 780 calories and almost 70% of your recommended daily sodium intake.
Serving Size: 400g
Calories: 790
Fat: 45g
Saturated Fat: 37g
Sodium: 1970mg
Quite possibly one of the worst menu options on the KFC menu, the chicken pot pie has tons of calories and sodium but what’s more alarming is the amount of saturated fat.
Serving Size: 344g
Calories: 800
Fat: 35g
Saturated Fat: 9g
Sodium: 2250mg
A roast turkey sandwich sounds healthy enough right? Wrong. Arby’s Roast Turkey Bacon Ranch Sandwich has 800 calories and almost 100% of your daily recommended sodium intake. You’re actually better off eating the classic Beef ‘n Cheddar sandwich instead.
Serving Size: 434g
Calories: 840
Fat: 36g
Saturated Fat: 12g
Sodium: 2100mg
When any menu item has “XXL” in the name you just know it’s going to be unhealthy. It’s not just the steak version of this Taco Bell burrito that’s bad either; all 3 varieties on the menu contain over 2000mg of sodium and 800 calories.
Serving Size: 268g
Calories: 850
Fat: 48g
Saturated Fat: 18g
Sodium: 2170mg
A thin crust pizza with tomato sauce and cheese isn’t really all that horrible, but with a doughy thick crust and a staggering 6 types of meats, the personal size meat lover’s pizza from Pizza Hut contains an artery-clogging 48g of fat and almost 95% of your recommended sodium intake.
Serving Size: 20oz
Calories: 970
Fat: 27g
Saturated Fat: 17g
Sodium: 610mg
Burger King’s Oreo shake isn’t quite as bad as another Oreo flavored beverage mentioned later on in this list but it still has close to 1000 calories and a surprising amount of sodium for a sweet dessert.
Serving Size: 2 cups
Calories: 980
Fat: 61g
Saturated Fat: 26g
Sodium: 2030mg
This favorite side dish at popular lunch chain Panera Bread has an artery-clogging 980 calories and 61g of fat in the large size portion. What’s even worse (if you can believe it) is that this dish has over 2000mg of sodium. We hope those ordering the large size of this calorie-laden creation are eating it as their only meal!
Serving Size: 32oz
Calories: 990
Fat: 47g
Saturated Fat: 29g
Sodium: 170mg
Millions of people start their day with a morning coffee, and in the summer, maybe a frozen coffee but you might want to think twice if you’re ordering from Dunkin Donuts. The large frozen mocha coffee Coolatta starts your day with nearly 1000 calories and roughly the same amount of fat as 14 strips of bacon.
Serving Size: 698g
Calories: 1160
Fat: 29g
Saturated Fat: 18g
Sodium: 860mg
McDonald’s Triple Thick Chocolate shake is available at Canadian locations and (somewhat surprisingly) contains more calories, fat and sodium than the chocolate shakes available in the US restaurants. At 1160 calories for a large size, we suggest only indulging in this ice creamy treat once in a blue moon (if ever).
Serving Size: 455g
Calories: 1160
Fat: 75g
Saturated Fat: 27g
Sodium: 1050mg
This mega-burger has a whopping 75g of fat (pun absolutely intended) in its 3 quarter-pound beef patties topped with tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, onions and mayonnaise and surprisingly its calories even outweigh the sodium (which is still high). Add cheese and you basically have a heart attack on a bun.
Serving Size: 427g
Calories: 1230
Fat: 88g
Saturated Fat: 33g
Sodium: 2340mg
If you thought the triple Whopper was unhealthy, cover your eyes; because the ½ pound Mile High Bacon Thickburger from Carl’s Jr packs in more fat, calories and sodium in a smaller size. This Carl’s creation has more calories, 13g more fat, and over TWICE the amount of sodium as the BK burger above.
Serving Size: 396g
Calories: 1240
Fat: 87g
Saturated Fat: 35g
Sodium: 1690mg
Watch out BK and Carl’s Jr; while your burgers are supremely unhealthy, there’s still another heart-stopper that takes the place of worst burger on this list. The SuperSonic bacon double cheeseburger from America’s Drive-In is smaller than both the triple Whopper and mile high Thickburger in size and yet it contains more calories and saturated fat. Scary.
Serving Size: 830g
Calories: 1780
Fat: 93g
Saturated Fat: 60g
Sodium: 1270mg
You probably thought a burger would be the worst menu item on this list. Well… SURPRISE! The most unhealthy item is actually a dessert. The large Oreo Blast from Sonic contains nearly a full day’s worth of calories, a staggering amount of sodium for a sweet treat and as much fat as 28 strips of bacon.
Few things in life give us greater pleasure than quenching our hunger with some freshly made fast food. But whether it's a bag of hot, crispy fries, a juicy burger, or a giant slushy, more often than not, you're signing up to indulge. And you can assume that the better something tastes, the more nutritionally devastating secrets it holds.
For more fast-food news, check out 8 Worst Fast-Food Burgers to Stay Away From Right Now.
While the vast majority of fast-food orders are less than healthy, we set out to find that #1 unhealthiest fast-food item, one everyone's eating right now but shouldn't. We teamed up with dietitian Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, to answer that complicated question. She broke it down for us, explaining that when she considers an order's nutritional value, she looks at four factors: calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e
"These four things are contributors to heart disease when consumed in excess," Goodson explained. "And typically when foods are extremely high in these categories, they are likely low in fiber and other nutrients. A good rule of thumb is that if you are eating half your daily calories and more than half of the recommended daily fat and sodium intake in one item, it is likely not the best choice."
So, based on these standards, what is the unhealthiest fast-food item in America?
And the unhealthiest fast-food item is . . .
Goodson pointed to both Wendy's Big Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger Triple and Shake Shack's Link Burger Triple as runner-ups, but ultimately it was the relatively new Burger King offering that took the crown. The Spicy Ch'King Deluxe Sandwich, which came out just last summer, is just about as unhealthy as an item can get. It rings in at 1,499 calories, 149 grams of total fat, and 4,755 milligrams of sodium.
"This chicken sandwich is the worst, nutritionally speaking," Goodson says, explaining that the exorbitant calories and fat and sodium levels come from the fried chicken's breading and the mayonnaise-based sauce, which, unfortunately, also seem to be the most delicious parts of this sandwich.
The calories here represent three-fourths of what an average adult should be ingesting in a day, and the sodium is over double the daily recommended amount (2,300 milligrams), according to regulations set by the American Heart Association.
Of course, chicken sandwiches are generally high in fat and sodium, but even among the unhealthiest options out there right now, the Spicy Ch'King stands out as an over-the-top option in every aspect. For comparison's sake, Popeyes' spicy chicken sandwich has 700 calories, 42 grams of fat, and 1,473 milligrams of sodium, while Wendy's Classic Big Bacon Cheddar clocks in at 810 calories, 45 grams of fat, and 2,250 milligrams of sodium, even with all the fried stuff it holds between the bun.
"Pair Burger King's Spicy Ch'King with a fried side item and this is a calorie and sodium nightmare," Goodson says. "Just way too much for one meal! And the challenge? Many people are eating like this every day of the week, maybe even multiple times a day."
To build a better burger or sandwich at a fast-food pit stop, Goodson recommends replacing any creamy, mayo-based spread with ketchup, choosing just a single beef or chicken patty, and adding all the veggies you are able to. Bonus points if you can get it on a whole grain bun!
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