10 Unhealthiest Fast-Food Breakfast Sandwiches

Picture this: You're getting ready for bed and looking forward to a relaxed morning where you can enjoy a leisurely homemade breakfast and coffee before starting your day…and then you wake up and realize you slept through your alarm. Now it's a race against time to get yourself out the door, and instead of that healthy breakfast you were planning on, you decide to hit the drive-through for a quick breakfast sandwich.

Whether you prefer McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, or Chick-fil-A, there are plenty of reasonably healthy fast-food breakfast options—but there are also some unhealthy fast-food breakfast sandwiches that could derail your health goals and leave you feeling sluggish. Knowing the difference can help you make the best choice for yourself.

How We Chose the Unhealthiest Fast-Food Breakfast Sandwiches:

Here are some key nutritional facts to consider when evaluating whether your breakfast sandwich is unhealthy:

• Saturated fat: Fast food is notoriously high in saturated fat and sometimes high in trans fat, too. According to the American Heart Association, the average adult should limit their consumption of saturated fat to about 13 grams per day. For trans fats, the World Health Organization suggests less than 2.2 grams per day. You'll see that most of the sandwiches on this list either surpass these limits altogether or come painfully close.
• Sodium: Another factor to note is the high levels of sodium in these breakfast sandwiches, with most reaching at least half of the recommended 2,300-milligram daily limit. Meaning, if you do order them, you may want to avoid other salty snacks and meals for the rest of the day.
• Calories: Pay attention to the total number of calories in these fast-food breakfast sandwiches. Your daily intake of calories depends on your own needs and varies from person to person, but the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that adults get anywhere from 1,600–3,000 per day, and most fall into the 2,000 calories per day range. Depending on your own caloric needs, some of these sandwiches come close to reaching the halfway point, which won't give you much wiggle room for the rest of the day.

It is worth noting that many of these sandwiches are quite high in protein, as they contain ingredients like eggs, cheese, and meat. Getting enough protein at every meal is important, but the high levels of fat, calories, and sodium in these unhealthy fast-food orders are too excessive to make them a good choice, especially given that there are much healthier high-protein fast-food meals you can choose from.

Now that you know some of the qualities to look out for, read on for 10 unhealthy fast-food breakfast sandwiches to avoid.

McDonald's Sausage, Egg, & Cheese McGriddle

There are a handful of better-for-you breakfasts at McDonald's, but the Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddle isn't one of them. This one is made with processed American cheese, butter, eggs, and a sausage patty, all sandwiched between two griddle cakes—which increases the fat, calories, and sugar significantly. And with more than half your daily recommended sodium and an entire day's worth of saturated fat in one breakfast sandwich, it just isn't worth it.

 The Entire McDonald's Menu, Ranked by Nutrition

McDonald's Sausage Biscuit With Egg

At first glance, you may assume this breakfast sandwich is a healthier option because it doesn't have cheese, but the Sausage Biscuit With Egg is still not a healthy choice. It has more saturated fat than you should consume in an entire day, so you're better off opting for something like the Egg McMuffin or even the Sausage McGriddle.

Dunkin' Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Sandwich

We all know Dunkin' is known for its donuts, but if you think their breakfast sandwiches are a healthier option, think again. The Dunkin' Sausage, Egg, & Cheese, for example, has almost 700 calories and is just one gram shy of accounting for a full day of saturated fat content. And then there's the sodium: with 1,500 milligrams in just one sandwich, you're burning 65% of your recommended daily sodium with the first meal of the day. You're much better off opting for the Turkey Sausage, Egg & Cheese Sandwich next time you hit up Dunkin'.

 9 Healthy Dunkin' Breakfasts That Dietitians Order

Dunkin' Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich

Another option at Dunkin', the Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich is an unhealthy fast-food breakfast sandwich that you may want to reserve as a treat every once in a while. While the nutritional values here may look better than the Dunkin' Sausage, Egg, & Cheese, this one features five half-slices of bacon, white cheddar cheese, and two eggs between two pieces of sourdough. In exchange, you'll be getting more than half the amount of daily recommended sodium, almost all your saturated fat, and quite a lot of calories to consume at breakfast.

Burger King Double Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Croissan'wich

If a sandwich with sausage, eggs, and cheese has extra saturated fat and sodium, imagine how much a doubled version would have. The Double Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Croissan'wich from Burger King is one of the unhealthiest fast-food breakfast sandwiches on the list with nearly 900 calories, more than twice the amount of saturated fat that's recommended for a day, and close to the amount of daily total fat that's suggested, too.

 11 Healthiest Menu Items at Burger King, According to Dietitians

Burger King Fully Loaded Buttermilk Biscuit

Piled up with three types of meat (sausage, ham, and bacon) and an entire day's worth of sodium, you're better off enjoying the Burger King Fully Loaded Buttermilk Biscuit on rare occasions. Unfortunately, most of Burger King's breakfast sandwiches are high in both total and saturated fat, as well as sodium, but you can try their Egg & Cheese Biscuit for something a little lighter.

Burger King Double Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit

With an extraordinarily high amount of calories, total fat, saturated fat, and sodium, the Burger King Double Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit is perhaps the #1 unhealthiest fast-food breakfast sandwich on the list. Once again, if BK is your only option, go for the relatively healthier Egg & Cheese Biscuit instead.

 10 Healthy Fast-Food Meals With 30+ Grams of Protein

Wendy's Breakfast Baconator

It's safe to say that when a breakfast menu item is called the Baconator, it's probably not going to be healthy. This is certainly true for the popular Wendy's breakfast sandwich, which is piled high with cheese, sausage, egg, and bacon. Ditch this fancy, calorie-loaded item and opt for the classic Bacon, Egg, & Cheese on an English muffin instead.

 The Entire Wendy's Breakfast Menu, Ranked by Nutrition

Chick-fil-A Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit

When you're heading to Chick-fil-A, you may be better off sticking to the chicken. Their version of a Sausage, Egg, & Cheese isn't as terrible as something like the Burger King Double Sausage, Egg, & Cheese, but the saturated fat, calories, and sodium levels make for a not-so-healthy choice.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

 12 Healthy Chick-fil-A Orders, According to Dietitians

Sonic Sausage Breakfast Toaster

Compared to some of the others on the list, this Sonic Breakfast Toaster Sandwich isn't too bad. Unfortunately, that isn't saying much. The Breakfast Toaster still has a day's worth of saturated fat, almost an entire day's worth of sodium, and only 3 grams of total fiber. It's okay to enjoy this one as a treat from time to time, but do your health a favor and try not to make it a part of your regular breakfast routine. For healthier options, consult our dietitian-approved guide to the full Sonic menu.

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