Every Fast Food Breakfast Item—Ranked
"My body is completely confused," my friend Rachel said as she sat down in my office. "I had dinner for breakfast."
She'd tried one of Taco Bell's new Croissant Tacos, which are available in limited release in certain outlets in Ohio—part of Taco Bell's ongoing all-day breakfast menu experiment. They're competing head-to-head with McDonald's in the battle to make bacon and eggs a 24-hour affair.
As someone who grew up with an overworked mom who occasionally served "breakfast for dinner," I know the appeal of bacon and eggs at the end of a long day. And it seems to be working: Taco Bell registered about 20 percent more visits in the week following its all-day breakfast launch, while Mickey D's visits increased by 9 percent, according to an analysis by Foursquare.
But which of these breakfasts will start your day—or your afternoon or your evening—off right? Our team at Eat This, Not That! magazine took every fast food breakfast into our food lab and uncovered the ingredients. And if you want to stay at home and cook, grab a copy of Zero Belly Breakfasts to get over 100 healthy breakfast ideas that help you lose weight and stay slim.
We'll Start With…Burger King
BK was the first chain to go after McDonald's crown, and they did so the old-fashioned way: by going bigger, greasier and Croissan'wich-ier. First, let's examine the least healthy menu items, ranked from worst to absolute worst.
Ham, Egg & Cheese Biscuit
430 calories, 23 g fat (15 g saturated, 0.5 trans), 1,630 mg sodium, 6 g sugar, 18 g protein
There's a reason this classic is on every fast food breakfast menu—it tastes good. There's also a reason why you shouldn't eat too many: It tastes good because of the salt. Burger King's version has a full day's worth, thanks to biscuit soaked in it. Click here to discover how salt plays a role in the top reason you can't lose belly fat!
Sausage, Egg & Cheese Muffin
430 calories, 26 g fat (8 g saturated, 0 trans), 1,140 mg sodium, 3 g sugar, 20 g protein
Let's play a drinking game: Every time you see a sausage at in a Burger King, you have to swallow a full shot of salt. Each one is made of pork, salt, sugars and MSG, which increases appetite by blocking the message to the brain that you've eaten your fill. In fact, one group of researchers found that giving laboratory rats MSG increased their food intake by a whopping 40 percent!
Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit
440 calories, 27 g fat (16 g saturated, 0.5 trans), 1,490 mg sodium, 4 g sugar, 16 g protein
"Rise and shine with our Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit," crows Burger King. Then be prepared to fall right back asleep. The little sandwich features a full day's worth of sodium, thanks to the bacon and eggs, and the biscuit is full of trans-fatty palm oil and corn syrup. As a result, it has less calories than the same sandwich at McDonald's, but more sodium and sugar, and less protein.
Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissan'Wich
500 calories, 33 g fat (12 g saturated), 930 mg sodium, 5 g sugar, 19 g protein
Remember what we said about this same sandwich when it was on a muffin? This one has 7 grams more fat thanks to the croissant. BK's signature morning roll may taste "buttery" but it's actually made with 32 ingredients, including white flour, margarine, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial butter flavors and azodicarbonamide, the additive famously found in yoga mats. It's new name: The Croissan't.
Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit
540 calories, 36 g fat (19 g saturated, 0.5 g trans), 1,480 mg sodium, 4 g sugar, 20 g protein
You ever notice how fast food joints make as many meals as possible from the same ingredients? In this case, sausage, egg and cheese pair up (again), this time inside a biscuit, for yet another full's day's worth of salt—and more fat than the Croissan'wich. Instead, balance salt and protein perfectly with these soups that burn fat!
King Croissan'Wich with Sausage & Bacon
570 calories, 38 g fat (16 g saturated), 1,330 mg sodium, 5 g sugar, 23 g protein
When was the last time you could say your breakfast was worse than a Big Mac? Order one of these and you'll have your chance. Compared to the King Croissan'Wich with Sausage & Bacon, a Big Mac has 7 less calories, 5 grams less fat (and 8 grams less saturated fat), 300 grams less sodium and three greams more belly-filling protein.
Pancakes & Sausage Platter
590 calories, 23 g fat (6 g saturated), 960 mg sodium, 36 g sugar, 13 g protein
You'd have to eat three and a half bowls of Frosted Flakes to equal the sugar count in these pancakes—and top it with a Jimmy Dean sausage and a half to equal the fat and sodium. If you need something sweet before work, indulge in a French Toast stick and walk away. Got a sweet tooth? Indulge instead in these best chocolates for weight loss!
King Croissan'Wich with Ham & Sausage
600 calories, 39 g fat (15 g saturated, 0.5 trans), 1,580 mg sodium, 7 g sugar, 27 g protein
"Twice the Satisfaction" for twice the fat, as this mouthful combines ham and sausage into one sandwich. Our tip: replace em both with bacon and save 10 g of fat.
Fully Loaded Croissan'Wich
640 calories, 42 g fat (16 g saturated), 1,740 mg sodium, 7 g sugar, 17 g protein
Loaded questions, loaded weapons, getting loaded—the word never leads to good things. Take this "fully loaded" disaster, which wedges three kinds of pork (ham, sausage, bacon) into some eggs and cheese, sandwiched between a croissant. Also hidden inside: More than a day's worth of sodium! That's as much as you'll find in 64 Rold Gold pretzels! Speaking of which, don't miss this list of the foods that aren't worth the calories!
King Croissan'Wich with Double Sausage
680 calories, 48 g fat (19 saturated fat, .5 trans), 1,390 mg sodium, 5 g sugar, 27 g protein
If this were Game of Thrones, the King Croissan'Wich would be King Richard (spoiler alert: he doesn't make it past season one). Thanks to the two sausages, it has more fat than another other 'Wich on the menu. In general, avoid items with the word double in them, especially before 9am.
And the #1 Worst Breakfast at Burger King is The… BK Ultimate Breakfast Platter
1,130 calories, 55 g fat (12 g saturated), 2,380 mg sodium, 38 g sugar, 27 g protein
Take the worst of BK's breakfast items—hash browns, a sausage, thee syrupy pancakes, a biscuit and eggs—and put them all on one plate, and a new king is crowned: The Worst Breakfast at Burger King. Eat this, and you'll consume a day and a half's worth of sodium before work. Just be grateful it's not a Croissan'Platter. Skip it, and instead got for these healthiest fast food orders.
And Now…The Best Breakfasts at Burger King
Sausage Biscuit
420 calories, 27 g fat (15 g saturated, 0.5 g trans), 1,090 mg sodium, 3 g sugar, 13 g protein
The two fattiest, saltiest items on the BK morning menu team up to make the least-best breakfast on the menu. Put that in the ad campaign.
Sausage & Cheese Muffin
380 calories, 23 g fat (9 g saturated, 0 g trans), 1,130 mg sodium, 2 g sugar, 17 g protein
It kills us to call a dish with more than 1,000 mg of sodium a best anything, but at Burger King, where every day's a sausage fest, that counts of OK.
Ham, Egg and Cheese Croissan'Wich
390 calories, 20 g fat (8 g saturated, 0 g trans), 1,080 mg sodium, 7 g sugar, 17 g protein
Another sandwich that has ¾ a day's worth of sodium, this one gets a #6 spot simply because—hey, at least it doesn't have sausage. Instead, why not try—at least once a week—one of these best foods for muscle definition.
French Toast Sticks
Per 3 pieces: 230 calories, 11 g fat (2 g saturated), 260 mg sodium, 8 g sugar, 3 g protein
A breakfast without at least 10 grams of protein is like The Last Witch Hunter or a MySpace relaunch: Just, why? But at least the sugar count is relatively low for a serving of three. Up it to 5 and you have 11 grams of sugar and 49 g of carbs, for a piddling 5 g of protein.
Bacon, Egg and Cheese Croissan'Wich
*370 calories, 21 g fat (9 g saturated), 770 mg sodium, 6 g sugar, 13 g protein
The Golden Rule the Golden Arches—and here at BK—is: Avoid the breakfast meats, except for bacon, which usually has less sodium than sausage or ham. Here, it adds a salty kick to the plan egg and cheese, and an extra 2 grams of muscle-building protein.
Egg and Cheese Croissan'Wich
330 calories, 18 g fat (8 g saturated), 620 mg sodium, 5 g sugar, 11 g protein
The classic Egg and Cheese is the way to go any any breakfast joint.
Original Maple Flavored Oatmeal
170 calories, 19 fat (1.5 g saturated), 260 mg sodium, 12 g sugar, 4 g protein
Slow to digest and full of belly-filling fiber, oatmeal is one of the best breakfast on the planet. And while Eat This, Not That! normally advises against sugared varieties, this Quaker bowl is the lesser of many evils at Burger King. (Although you can make it yourself at home, in seconds, for just pennies a day—use these overnight oat recipes.)
And the #1 Breakfast at Burger King is The…Sausage Breakfast Burrito
290 calories, 17 g fat (7 g saturated, 0g trans), 740 mg sodium, 1 g sugar, 14 g protein
It's ironic that America was shocked when Taco Bell started offering breakfast—when in fact, the most famous breakfast at Burger King is one associated with "south of the border." By replacing a "buttery" croissant, trans-fatty biscuit and or marginal English muffin with a tortilla wrap, this sausage-and-egg delivery system cuts calories in half, and keep the sodium count decent. Bonus points for white onions and peppers. Believe it or not, they're the only vegetables on the BK morning menu! (And speaking of veggies, when you're in the produce aisle—or any aisle—save cash, money and calories thanks to these best supermarket shopping tips to lose weight!
And Now…the Breakfasts at Hardee's / Carl's Jr.
With sodium counts nearly all over 1,000 mg—nearly half a day's worth—every breakfast item at Hardee's or Carl's Jr is a Not That! Here they are, in order from least-worst to worst-worst.
Small Hash Rounds or Cinnamon 'N' Raisin Biscuit
Per small Hash Rounds: 260 calories, 15 g fat (3 g saturated), 320 mg sodium, 1 g sugar, 2 g protein
Per Biscuit: 340 calories, 15 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 680 mg sodium, 26 g sugar, 3 g protein
Nutritionally void, both the Hash Rounds and the Biscuit feel like leftovers from a bad 1980's school cafeteria. But even you in your Z Cavariccis would turn them down: A large Hash Rounds has 510 calories, more than the Loaded Omelet Biscuit!
Frisco Breakfast Sandwich
450 calories, 19 g fat (8 g saturated), 1,570 mg sodium, 5 g sugar, 24 g protein
San Franciscans love their sourdough. But true San Franciscans wouldn't toast it in salty, buttery-flavored oil, and wedge fatty ham inside. (It took you 5 seconds to read this blurb. Now read how to lose weight in 5 seconds!)
Biscuit 'N' Gravy
460 calories, 26 g fat (7 g saturated), 1,390 mg sodium, 2 g sugar, 9 g protein
Photo. Look at the photo. This plate of bread and hot sausage gravy has more calories than a Quarter Pounder with Cheese!
Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit
480 calories, 27 g fat (9 g saturated), 1,350 mg sodium, 3 g sugar, 19 g protein
The fat count is high here because the Hardee's biscuit is made with liquid margarine, along with the gooey cheese and bacon.
Loaded Omelet Biscuit
490 calories, 28 g fat (10 g saturated), 1,310 mg sodium, 3 g sugar, 18 g protein
Just because they've crumbled up the sausage, ham, bacon and cheese doesn't mean it's any less bad for you—especially when it's in between a biscuit. This sandwich has more fat than two servings of Pop Secret butter-flavored popcorn! Just don't pair it with any of these 36 Top Diet Sodas—Ranked!
The Grilled Pork Chop Biscuit with Egg and Cheese
510 calories, 27 g fat (9 g saturated), 1,430 mg sodium, 3 g sugar, 28 g protein
You don't have to have a Food Lab to determine where the fat and salt come from here. Then again, if you're eating a pork chop from Hardee's for breakfast, perhaps you don't care.
The Cinnamon Swirl French Toast Breakfast Sandwich
With Sausage: 560 calories, 31 g fat (12 g saturated), 1,140 mg sodium, 16 g sugar, 21 g protein
With Bacon: 390 calories, 14 g fat (6 g saturated), 880 mg sodium, 16 g sugar, 17 g protein
With Ham: 400 calories, 14 g fat (6 g saturated), 1,130 mg sodium, 16 g sugar, 20 g protein
Take one Big Mac. Add half a bag of Skittles. Consume for breakfast. That's what you'd be doing if you eat the Sausage version of this dessert-for-breakfast. If you gotta do it, do it with bacon.
Sausage & Egg Biscuit
560 calories, 37 g fat (12 g saturated), 1,230 mg sodium, 3 g sugar, 17 g protein
The sausage party continues. RSVP in the negative. But if you think this is bad, wait until you see the Top 3 Worst! Keep reading!
Loaded Breakfast Burrito
580 calories, 30 g fat (12 g saturated), 1,320 mg sodium, 2 g sugar, 30 g protein
Oh, that poor tortilla wrap. It's got to be hurting, stuffed with eggs, sausage, ham, bacon bits, hash brown nuggets, two types of cheese and salsa! And people think Taco Bell's breakfast is gross.
Monster Biscuit
730 calories, 49 g fat (18 g saturated), 2,190 mg sodium, 3 g sugar, 31 g protein
"It starts with bacon," is usually a sentence we can get behind, but then this sandwich adds a sausage patty, folded egg, ham slices and cheese into a fatty biscuit. The result is a monster indeed, with a day and a half's worth of sodium!!!
And the #1 Worst Breakfast at Hardee's or Carl's Jr. is The….Breakfast Platter with Bacon
830 calories, 50 g fat (13 g saturated), 2,160 mg sodium, 4 g sugar, 24 g protein
If you saw that sausage with gravy earlier and thought, This needs an egg, bacon and hash browns, then congrats: You've just invented the Worst Breakfast at Hardee's. You're also craving something that has nearly a full stick of margarine's worth of fat.
Time for Taco Bell!
The Bell has a reputation for committing serious dietary sins: They invented the "taco waffle," almost single-handedly making morning the most nutritionally hazardous time of day. And then they tried to sell us on the idea that we needed a "fourth meal," as if we hadn't gained enough weight from the first three. Here, we concentrate on their morning meals, and try to find the best of the worst.
First, The Worst Breakfasts at Taco Bell
"Taco Bell breakfast" is sort of like "Fritos Pizza." It's an inherently bad idea, proven by the insane products the Bell brought out in its attempt to start charging you money earlier and earlier. Generally, we're fans of the Bell—just limit yourself to lunch and dinner, and keep the wee hours sacred.
Sausage & Cheese Biscuit Taco
370 calories, 23 g fat (10 g saturated), 650 mg sodium, 29 g carbs, <1 g fiber, 7 g sugars, 11 g protein
Surprisingly, adding sausage to the Biscuit Taco cuts 60 calories and 5 grams of fat.
Biscuit Taco
430 calories, 28 g fat (11 g saturated), 740 mg sodium, 30 g carbs, <1 g fiber, 7 g sugars, 14 g protein
The Biscuit Taco is heavy on the fat and skimpy on size. And with 7 grams of processed sugar, it won't take long for blood sugar levels to take a dive, leading to mid-morning cravings.
Cheesy Burrito
490 calories, 28 g fat (11 g saturated), 1090 mg sodium, 37 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 3 g sugars, 23 g protein
A BLT burrito sounds pretty boss (we admit it), until you consider the saturated fat content. At least it has a hefty 26 grams of protein and provides 35% of your DV for calcium.
Grande Scrambler
630 calories, 30 g fat (8 g saturated), 1460 mg sodium, 65 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 4 g sugars, 26 g protein
The highest in sodium and carbs. If you want to uncover that six pack, steer clear.
AM Crunchwrap California
630 calories, 38 g fat (11 g saturated), 1400 mg sodium, 52 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 3 g sugars, 21 g protein
Taco Bell's first Crunchwrap includes cheddar, egg, hash browns and guacamole. Refrain from asking for extra. You're already consuming as much fat as one-and-a-quarter Big Macs.
A.M. Crunchwrap Country
660 calories, 41 g fat (13 g saturated), 1290 mg sodium, 54 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 5 g sugars, 21 g protein
The country version of the A.M. Crunchwrap adds gravy and substitutes a sausage patty for the bacon. The first three ingredients are bleached enriched wheat flour, whey and modified corn starch.
And the #1 Worst Breakfast Is…A.M. Crunchwrap
670 calories, 42 g fat (12 g saturated), 1300 mg sodium, 51 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 21 g protein
Fried potatoes topped with creamy jalapeno cheese and cheddar—it's no shock that the Crunchwrap is by far the worst breakfast option. Consuming a full day's allowance of sodium and saturated fat at breakfast is the worst possible way to start your day. Avoid these even on cheat days—and start losing weight for pennies a day thanks to these best foods for abs under $1.
And Now the 'Best' of the Worst Breakfasts at Taco Bell
Grilled Breakfast Burrito Country
440 calories, 23 g fat (7 g saturated), 930 mg sodium, 45 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 5 g sugars, 14 g protein
Gravy, crispy potato bites, a sausage patty and empty processed carbs. Yum?
Grilled Breakfast Burrito
400 calories, 22 g fat (7 g saturated), 790 mg sodium, 37 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 3 g sugars, 13 g protein
Just an egg, "nacho cheese sauce," and a sausage patty inside a soft flour tortilla. If this sounds appetizing to you, take comfort in the fact that it's 400 calories.
And the #1 Best Breakfast Is…A.M. Grilled Taco
230 calories, 14 g fat (5 g saturated), 590 mg sodium, 15 g carbs, <1 g fiber, 1 g sugars, 12 g protein
The best-of-the-worst of Taco Bell's breakfast lineup has the lowest saturated fat and sugar content. Small victory: It contains cheddar cheese, not a cheese sauce. And to blast even more belly fat, start your morning with tea. A study published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism showed that white tea can simultaneously boost lipolysis (the breakdown of fat) and block adipogenesis (the formation of fat cells). The tea's combination of caffeine and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) seems to set fat cells up for defeat.
And Finally, the Breakfasts at McDonald's
in McDonaldLand, a chicken sandwich can pack twice as many calories as a double hamburger, and a salad can deliver more sodium than a Big Mac. Fortunately, their breakfasts are a little easier to read, although you won't guess which shocker is the worst.
Sausage Biscuit and Sausage McMuffin with Egg
Sausage Biscuit: 430 calories, 27 g fat (12 g saturated), 1,080 mg sodium, 34 g carbs, 11 g protein
Sausage McMuffin with Egg: 450 calories, 28 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 860 mg sodium, 30 g carbs, 21 g protein
Imagine putting five Jimmy Dean Fully Cooked Original Pork Sausage Links between a big ol' slab of greasy bread, and holding the whole shebang. Because that's the saturated fat equivalent you're getting with this Biscuit and that is no way to lose belly fat. At least the McMuffin has 10 more grams of protein (yet is still a bit high in calories).
Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles and Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit
For the Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles: 460 calories, 21 g fat (9 g saturated), 1,250 mg sodium, 48 g carbs, 19 g protein
For the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit: 460 calories, 26 g fat (13 g saturated), 1,300 mg sodium, 38 g carbs, 19 g protein
It doesn't matter if it's wrapped between a pancake or a biscuit, the ooey, gooey goodness of a bacon, egg and cheese ain't good for you. The McGriddle features more than half a day's sodium and nearly half a day's saturated fat—that's as much saturated fat as 117 Funyuns! Meanwhile, the Biscuit has 83% of the day's cholesterol, or as much as you'd find in 28 slices of bacon—and also more than a half day's of sodium. You'll need a drink after all that salt—just don't make it a Coke. Learn more about the health benefits of giving up soda.
Cinnamon Melts
460 calories, 19 g fat (9 g saturated), 370 mg sodium, 66 g carbs, 6 g protein
Mickey D's calls this "the best part of a cinnamon roll" but it's the worst thing for your waistline. You want to start each day with belly-filling protein, not a bowl full of cake topped with cream cheese icing. The Cinnamon Melts have 32 grams of sugar, far more than a Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar.
Sausage Biscuit with Egg
510 calories, 33 g fat (14 g saturated), 1,170 mg sodium, 36 g carbs, 18 g protein
Like the sandwiches above, these have way too much sodium (half a day's) and almost three-quarters of your daily allowance of saturated fat. Unless you're getting your McDonald's sausage from a burrito, run. Looking for a breakfast that will help you lose weight? Try one of these best breakfast foods for weight loss.
Hotcakes and Sausage
520 calories, 24 g fat (7 g saturated), 930 mg sodium, 61 g carbs, 15 g protein
Sugary bread and salty meat? You probably thought this would be #1. And with as many carbs as four slices of white bread, it could be, especially if you add the whipped margarine and hotcake syrup. Then you're looking at 740 calories and 106 g carbs, which is the carb equivalent of nearly seven slices of white bread. And yet there is one meal even worse coming up next. (Rather than eat either, stay home and whip up one of the quick 5-minute breakfasts among the 150+ weight-loss recipes in the Zero Belly Cookbook, based on the New York Times-bestselling Zero Belly Diet!)
And the #1 Worst Breakfast at Mcdonald's Is…Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel
670 calories, 35 g fat (13 g saturated, 1.5 trans fat) 1,510 mg sodium, 56 g carbs, 33 g protein
Like most of the sandwiches here, the Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel has more than half a day's fat—but more sodium than the rest. In fact, it has as much sodium as 16 Chicken McNuggets! Start your day instead with our top pick—the Egg McMuffin—and a cup of warm tea. It worked for Tracy Durst, age 45, of Lewistown, PA, when she bought our Tea Diet book. "I went from a size 20 to a size 16, and I'm alive with energy," she told Eat This, Not That! For the complete plan—which includes delicious weight-loss smoothies—click on The 7-Day Flat-Belly Tea Diet and Cleanse!
AND NOW…THE BEST!
Fruit 'N Yogurt Parfait
150 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated), 80 mg sodium, 30 g carbs, 4 g protein
Not really a full meal as much as a grab-and-go starter, this relatively new addition to McDonald's menu does what it's meant to do: offer a light and lively choice on a menu otherwise devoted to bacon and eggs. "With 4 grams of protein, it's a good snack," says Gina Consalvo, MA, RD, LDN, emphasis on snack. And if you're looking to make your own at home, turbocharge your fat burn with one of these best yogurts for weight loss!
Sausage Burrito
300 calories, 16 g fat (7 g saturated), 790 mg sodium, 26 g carbs, 12 g protein
Unlike the Mexican mierda you'll find at Taco Bell—home of the "Biscuit Taco"—McDonald's spin on the breakfast burrito won't have you running for the border (or the bathroom). Theirs is made with peppers, onions, eggs, sausage and cheese all wrapped in a soft tortilla, and it contains 15% of your day's calcium, which is about what you'll find in a Greek yogurt (albeit with far more sodium).
Fruit and Maple Oatmeal
290 calories, 4 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 160 mg sodium, 58 g carbs, 5 g protein
"If you feel that you're low on energy and McDonald's is your only bet, try getting the fruit and maple oatmeal—just skip the calorie-laden brown sugar, cream, raisins and Craisins," advises Jim White, RD, ACSM HFS, owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios. "This will most likely curb your appetite until your next meal because the carbohydrates will take longer to digest than your typical high-sugar donut or pastry." We agree.
Egg White Delight McMuffin
250 calories, 8 g fat (3 g saturated), 770 mg sodium, 30 g carbs, 18 g protein
Made with grilled egg whites, white cheddar and extra-lean Canadian bacon on a muffin made with eight grams of whole grain, this is McDonald's living up to its own marketing hype. It's healthy, tastes fresh and only misses out on #1 because of a technicality. Order one. Then brush up and the best and worst breakfast sandwiches out there.
And the #1 Breakfast Item at McDonald's is The…Egg McMuffin
300 calories, 13 g fat (5 g saturated), 750 mg sodium, 31 g carbs, 17 g protein
Yup, the classic. "Not only do I eat guilt-free at McDonald's," says Christine M. Palumbo, MBA, RDN, FAND, a Chicago area registered dietitian and nutrition communications consultant, "I think they get a bad rap all too often." She recommends a staple Eat This, Not That! has approved for years—more so now that they're being made with real butter, in some locations: "When I'm flying in the morning, I typically get an Egg McMuffin and a coffee," she says. "The sandwich only has 300 calories and it offers 17 grams of satiety-providing protein." And it beats the Egg White Delight because….? "I stick with the whole egg sandwich because the yolk contains carotenoids, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals," says Palumbo. Eggs also boast choline, a potent flab-fryer, which is why eggs are one of our 14 Ways to Lose Your Belly in 14 Days!
And the #1 Worst Breakfast of Them All is The…BK Ultimate Breakfast Platter
1,130 calories, 55 g fat (12 g saturated), 2,380 mg sodium, 38 g sugar, 27 g protein
With 50% more calories than McDonald's or Taco Bell's worst nightmares—and 300 more than Hardee's monster breakfast—the BK Ultimate Breakfast Platter is the Ultimate something alright. Thanks for reading Eat This, Not That's ultimate list of Every Fast Food Breakfast—Ranked. To discover more of the best and worst, click here to see every menu item at McDonald's—ranked!
