The 5 Worst "Healthy" Fast-Food Menu Items in America

Studies show that people tend to perceive (and in turn, overeat) not-so-wholesome meals as healthy if they are labeled with certain buzzwords—and Quiznos has marketed this wrap with a bunch of them: "apple", "acai" and wrap, to name but a few. Brace yourself for the truth: This dish actually has more calories than a Whopper covered with bacon and cheese and a day's worth of sugar. Yikes! Order the Small Chicken Bacon Ranch Flatbread instead to save 470 calories and 20 grams of fat. The only catch? The Flatbread is a bit higher in sodium, so be sure to limit your salt the rest of the day.

This dish is a prime example of how fast-food chains turn beds of leafy greens into junk food. High-fat toppings like fried chicken and shredded cheese make this salad one of the most caloric entrées on the menu. You may be surprised to see a breaded chicken sandwich on the "Eat This" side of the equation, but Chick-fil-A's take on the classic dish is a surprisingly modest indulgence for something that's been in the fryer. In fact, opting for this over the salad will save you 300 calories and 36 grams of heart-harming fat.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

We know what you're thinking: "But I make turkey and cheese sandwiches all the time at home. How can this be on this list? It's healthy!" Well, yes, typically they are. Arby's is a bit more heavy-handed with the mayo and honey mustard than you likely are at home, which is why the calorie and fat count is so high. To lose your gut, order the Ham & Swiss Melt instead. Coming in at just 300 calories, it's the best bang for your nutritional buck at this fast-food chain. It's not only low in calories and fat, but also delivers 19 grams of protein that can help keep hunger pangs at bay.

Going meatless is a great way to cut back on calories and fat–generally. In this case, not so much. Carl's not only managed to shove 46 grams of health-harming fat into their Meatless Guacamole Thickburger–which is what you'd find in 15 McNuggets–but also had the nerve to advertise this nutritional nightmare as a "better for you option." Oddly enough, even after taking the guac, cheese and Santa Fe Sauce off the sandwich, there are still 18 grams of fat, which makes us wonder what they're putting in the bun. Last time we checked, lettuce, tomato and onion don't carry that much fat. Opt for the Guacamole Turkey Burger to save 190 calories, 330 milligrams of blood pressure-raising sodium and add an additional 18 grams of hunger-busting protein to your plate.

Believe it or not, you'd be better off ordering a Double Stack Burger (430 calories) than this sugar-laden, fat-packed bed of lettuce. The blue cheese crumbles, sugar-coated cranberries and super-sweet dressing cancel out any nutritional benefits the apples and greens slip into this salad. See if they can hold the blue cheese crumbles to save 120 calories, or opt for the Asian Cashew Chicken Salad instead. It's the only salad with a reasonable nutritional profile on the menu.