86 Unhealthiest Fast Foods On the Planet
Americans have a love-hate relationship with fast food. It's affordable, convenient, delicious, and accessible, but at the same time, we know it doesn't do our health any favors. Even though there are ways to find healthier alternatives when you're at your favorite chains, some of the unhealthiest fast-food items can still totally derail your health goals.
For starters, the portion sizes are getting bigger, so it's easy to overindulge and consume excess calories, sodium, fat, and sugar—basically, all the things that make you sluggish at best and susceptible to coronary heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses at worst. In fact, many of your favorite fast-food menu items will contain more calories, saturated fat, sodium, and trans fat than what you should eat in an entire day.
Not to mention, you'll be hard-pressed to find an actual nutritious component in most fast foods, like a fruit or vegetable in its raw form (besides, sure, that sad leaf of lettuce and tomato in your burger.)
We know fast food as a whole isn't great, but there sure are some unhealthy fast-food items that are the absolute worst, most reprehensible representations of it. We're talking breakfasts that zap your energy, burgers that clog your arteries, and desserts that are so rich they should be eaten over the course of several days.
To that end, we've scoured the menus of America's biggest quick-service restaurants to find and call out these super unhealthy items.
How we chose the unhealthiest fast-food items
We judged these foods by looking at their nutritional panel and taking note of a few key traits:
Sodium content: The FDA suggests limiting your total sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams per day, even though most Americans get an average of 3,400 milligrams daily. Keeping your sodium intake at bay can help prevent high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Unfortunately, many fast-food menu items contain almost (if not more than) a day's worth of sodium, which will send your levels skyrocketing.
Saturated fat and trans fat: You'll also want to pay attention to the types of fat (and the quantity) you find in your fast food. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting your intake of saturated fats to around 13 grams on a 2,000-calorie diet, which can help prevent heart disease, but many burgers, fries, sandwiches, pizza, and breakfast items far exceed this number in just one serving. Trans fats are an even more dangerous type of fat found in many fast-food orders, but the World Health Organization says to avoid these fats completely if you can. If you can't avoid them entirely, they recommend sticking to 2 grams as a daily limit—a number that many fast-food orders will surpass.
Overall calories: Calorie needs vary depending on the person and their personal health goals, but an average starting number is around 2,000 calories per day. Eating too many calories consistently can lead to weight gain and increase your risk of chronic disease. When you look at many popular fast-food meals, you'll see that many of them get close to this daily limit, with some even fully exceeding the 2,000-calorie mark.
Added sugars: When you order milkshakes, ice cream, desserts, or frozen coffee drinks from a fast-food chain, you'll be getting more added sugar than you may want. The AHA recommends women stick to around 25 grams of added sugar per day and men stick to no more than 36 grams because eating too much added sugar can lead to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. However, you'll see that some of your favorite fast-food sweet treats have close to 100 grams of added sugar in one sitting!
To further judge the nutritional information in this article, you can refer to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines set forth by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The following unhealthy fast-food orders are popular breakfasts, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, burritos, desserts, and coffee drinks that we recommend staying away from or at least limiting to very special occasions. Read on, then check out the 100 Unhealthiest Foods on the Planet.
Wendy's Breakfast Baconator
Starting your day off on the right foot is important, but unfortunately, this Breakfast Baconator from Wendy's won't allow you to do that. With 19 grams of saturated fat, you're already getting more than is recommended to have in one day, and the 1,600 milligrams of sodium is getting you close to the daily limit before you've even fully begun your day.
McDonald's Big Breakfast With Hotcakes
When it comes to fast-food breakfasts, this is about as big as you can go. McDonald's diner-style plate has all the breakfast classics: eggs, hash browns, sausage, pancakes with butter and syrup, and a biscuit. And it also has enough calories, sodium, and fat to make your body feel like it's under attack first thing in the morning. With over 2,000 milligrams of sodium and 24 grams of saturated fat, you're already maxing out on the "bad stuff" for the day.
Chick-fil-A's Hash Brown Scramble Burrito With Sausage
Sure, this burrito isn't as horrible as the McDonald's Big Breakfast, but it's still one of the most calorific things on Chick-fil-A's menu—and considering this place serves fried chicken, that says a lot! If starting your day off with processed meat and deep-fried potatoes doesn't seem like such a terrible idea, take a look at the calories and fat content, which are pretty high for this relatively small item. At this rate, you're better off eating their famous chicken sandwich.
Burger King's Double Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit
If one sausage patty wasn't bad enough, this small sandwich has two! It also comes on a biscuit, which contributes to the insanely high amount of fat (almost as much as in McDonald's entire Big Breakfast platter) and the crazy level of sodium. You're better off eating anything else off Burger King's breakfast menu.
Dunkin's Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissant
This isn't a great breakfast option because of the sodium and saturated fat, but this sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich from Dunkin' can be made lighter by swapping the buttery croissant for an English muffin if you'd like.
Taco Bell's Breakfast Crunchwrap With Sausage
Taco Bell's tortilla stuffed with breakfast goodies may be called a Crunchwrap, but it's still just as bad for you as any other breakfast burrito—especially if you get the option with the sausage. By getting bacon in it instead, you'll shave off a few dozen calories and some fat (not sodium, though.)
Burger King's Egg-Normous Burrito
This burrito is slightly better for you than the Double Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, but that doesn't mean it isn't a terrible breakfast option. If Burger King is your breakfast destination, you're better off getting a simple Egg & Cheese Croissan'wich, which has half the calories.
Jack in the Box Jumbo Breakfast Platter w/ Bacon & Sausage
Eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes and syrup, and hashbrowns…you don't need it all at once to have a filling breakfast. This Jumbo Breakfast Platter from Jack in the Box serves up over 1,200 milligrams of sodium, which is more than half of your daily limit in just one meal. Plus, you're getting 0.5 grams of trans fat, and the World Health Organization recommends staying away from this type of fat completely, whenever you can.
Carl's Jr. Breakfast Burger
A burger for breakfast may sound tasty, but with an amount of saturated fat that exceeds your daily limit and sodium levels that come far too close to the daily max, eating this burger will start your day off on the wrong foot.
Jack in the Box Meat Lover's Breakfast Burrito
A burrito with more saturated fat than is recommended to eat in an entire day, this Meat Lover's Burrito from Jack in the Box is one you may want to skip. Not only that, but with over 1,600 milligrams of sodium, this burrito gets too close to your recommended daily limit before even getting to lunchtime.
Whataburger's Pancake Platter With Sausage
Whataburger's Pancake Platter with Sausage may look innocent enough—it's just a stack of flapjacks and a protein on the side. But if you look at the calories, you're getting a lot more of them than you bargained for. Especially considering the fact that you aren't even eating any eggs, which would keep you stay fuller a bit longer.
Hardee's Breakfast Platter With Sausage
Are you starting to sense a theme here? Let's just say that all the unhealthiest fast-food breakfasts include sausage, and this one is no exception. To top it off, this plate has the added bonus of gravy with the biscuit, which means additional fat, sodium, and calories. In fact, the fat is particularly problematic here. At 26 grams of saturated fat, you're getting more than you should consume in a day. And not to mention the 2 grams of trans fat—the worst kind of fat you could consume—which is particularly harmful to your cardiovascular health.
Taco John's Potato Olés Scrambler With Sausage
Sure, there may be a small portion of vegetables brightening up this otherwise heavy and indulgent combo of fried potatoes, sausage, and melted cheese. But those traces of peppers, onions, and tomatoes can't make up for the fact that you're eating more than half your daily calories and well over your daily allowance of sodium.
Wendy's Chili Cheese Fries
This plate of Chili Cheese Fries from Wendy's may not seem all that bad at first glance, but when you think of fries as a side item or appetizer to your meal, you can see how quickly all of the calories, fat, and sodium will add up. And the fact that this plate alone serves up more than half of your daily sodium limit makes it an unhealthy menu option that you may want to skip over.
Burger King's Large Hash Browns
Don't fall into the trap of mindlessly finishing a whole large portion of these tasty hash browns. They're meant to be shared!
Five Guys' Large Fries
Five Guys' boardwalk-style fries are cooked in peanut oil, which makes them completely addictive. But skip the high levels of fat and sodium by opting to pace yourself with a much smaller portion—the large size comes in at a whopping 1,314 calories!
Popeyes' Large Cajun Fries
We all know that Popeyes serves some of the tastiest fries in the industry, coating them in a blend of Cajun spices that kick their flavor profile up a notch. But the large serving of these fries also comes with 2 grams of trans fats and a bunch of sodium, so pace yourself and opt for a smaller portion.
Wingstop's Large Louisiana Voodoo Fries
Another major nutritional pitfall with fries is the condiments. No one wants a dry fry, but you also might want to avoid options that come pre-doused in rich sauces. These Voodoo Fries from Wingstop come with a triple whammy of cheese sauce, ranch, and cajun seasoning. And while certainly a delicious combo, it's one high in fat and sodium. You should opt for regular fries and leave some room for those sauced-up wings.
Del Taco's Queso Loaded Fries
Del Taco's Queso Loaded Fries are basically like nachos, but you likely won't treat them as a main event. Instead, you'll order them as a side, and end up consuming as much fat and sodium as if you were eating a second burrito.
Shake Shack's Bacon Cheese Fries
Few things in life are better than hot cheese sauce on crispy potatoes. Add some bacon to it, and you'll have a real trifecta of crave-able flavors. But indulge in these loaded fries from Shake Shack with caution—they pack more calories and fat than most of the burgers and shakes on the chain's menu, and they'll likely put you in a food coma.
Domino's Cheddar Bacon Loaded Tots
The Loaded Tots from Domino's come in three different varieties and are quite delicious. But considering their high levels of calories, fat, and sodium, they shouldn't be treated as a harmless appetizer to enjoy alongside your pizza. Instead, pace yourself and share them with a larger group, or just skip altogether and focus on that 'za!
Sonic's Large Chili Cheese Tots
Pssst, we'll let you in on a little secret: toppings on your tots usually spell trouble. And you can bet it's big trouble when your spuds are doused in chili. These Large Chili Cheese Fries from Sonic pack way too much sodium and fat to be eaten on the side of a burger.
Zaxby's Chicken Bacon Ranch Loaded Fries
If you're topping your fries with other fried stuff, like chunks of crispy chicken and bacon, be prepared to make that your whole meal. This is one of the unhealthiest items you can get from Zaxby's menu, thanks to all the toppings and additions.
Carl's Jr. Jalapeño Poppers
You can order these tasty Jalapeño Poppers as a side item in either a 6-count or 9-count, but eating these treats as a side to an already calorie-laden meal will send your calorie, saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium levels soaring. If you're craving some of these, make sure to split an order among friends.
Buffalo Wild Wings' Buffalo Chicken Tots
These tots are big and shareable. And they're also topped with everything but the kitchen sink. From shredded chicken to blue cheese, Fresno chile peppers, green onions, and a heavy drizzle of ranch and buffalo sauces. And while they make for a tasty snack or appetizer, they're also very high in fat (including 6 grams of trans fat!), sodium, and calories.
A&W's Large Cheese Curds
These bites from A&W are made with 100% real Wisconsin cheddar cheese, but that doesn't change the fact that said cheese is breaded and fried to a golden crisp. A large order of these curds has more than a day's worth of sodium, even though it doesn't taste like it! You're better off getting a regular-sized side of anything else.
Dairy Queen's Large Cheese Curds
If you're looking for a salty bite to go along with that blizzard from DQ, you should avoid these cheese curds. A large size will set you back 1,000 calories and will have you consuming 67 grams of fat and almost an entire day's worth of sodium for no good reason.
Freddy's Large Cheese Curds
Fried cheese is clearly trouble, no matter what menu it comes from. These curds from Freddy's have more fat, including trans fat, than either of the other large portions of curds mentioned in this article. Add to that some Freddy's Famous Fry Sauce and you're looking at a really hefty side dish.
White Castle's Sack of Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
White Castle's "sack" strikes again! White Castle's largest side dish size should serve three people, but considering it only includes 10 mozz sticks, it would be incredibly easy to go over the allotted 3.3 sticks per person. And if you do, you're looking at downright a downright scary nutrition panel: high in calories, sodium, and fat.
Popeyes' Large Homestyle Mac & Cheese
Popeyes Mac & Cheese is a very tricky side dish. It has more calories than a large order of those tasty Cajun Fries, but it also might be more addictive.
Chipotle's Chips & Queso Blanco
Looking for a side that will complement your Chipotle burrito? You might want to skip the Chips & Queso Blanco. If you compare a regular serving of queso with a regular serving of guacamole, you'll see they're similar in calories. But keep in mind that not all calories are equal—the guac has less saturated fat and sodium, and a lot more fiber.
Chipotle's Carnitas Burrito
Everything at Chipotle is customizable, but you'll likely rake up the highest number of calories with a burrito. This burrito, which includes regular portions of white rice, black beans, guac, roasted chili corn salsa, tomatillo-red chili salsa, sour cream, and cheese, has a whopping 1,430 calories and a pretty crazy amount of sodium. Stick to a chicken burrito bowl instead.
Taco Bell's Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito
Taco Bell's menu features all kinds of wonders and novelties, but one of its current unhealthiest options is the Grilled Cheese Burrito with double servings of ground beef or steak, which clocks in at over 900 calories and well over 2,000 milligrams of sodium. This steak version has even more sodium when you get it spicy.
Del Taco's Epic Cali Bacon Burrito With Carne Asada
Epic Burritos are the worst option at Del Taco and Carne Asada is the chain's protein option with the highest amount of sodium. But there are other problematic things in here as well: crispy bacon, chipotle sauce, sour cream, cheddar . . . oh, and fries! Does anyone really need fries in their burrito?
Del Taco's Queso Loaded Nachos With Seasoned Beef
These nachos might as well be a burrito, they're basically loaded with all the same ingredients: seasoned beef, slow-cooked beans, Queso Blanco, sour cream, diced tomatoes, and jalapeño slices. However, unlike a burrito, they're served on a bed of fried tortilla chips, which means they are far higher in calories, fat, and sodium than most of the burritos on Del Taco's menu.
El Pollo Loco's Double Chicken Tostada Salad
A salad that has more calories than most burgers? Don't sign us up! This creation from El Pollo Loco starts with a deep-fried tostada shell and features rice, beans, cheese, toppings, and a double portion of grilled chicken—not a salad you can look to when you want to go easy on the carbs, fat, or sodium.
Qdoba's Quesabirria Burrito
Qdoba's new Brisket Birria made waves when it was first launched in 2022—the general consensus being that it's really delicious. But the crave-able new items that feature the brisket come at a steep nutritional price: high sodium. The Quesabirria Burrito combines this meat with Queso sauce, more cheese, and all the other usual fillings, which adds up to a whopping 95 grams of fat and 2,600 milligrams of sodium.
McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese
Arguably the most popular burger in the world, the classic double QPC from McDonald's isn't the unhealthiest burger you'll ever eat, but it's definitely the most calorific burger on the chain's menu. Thanks to double portions of meat and cheese, this burger packs way more saturated fat and sodium than you should have in one sitting—especially when you add those delicious crispy fries to the mix.
In-N-Out's 4×4 Burger
Nutrition information is unavailable.
If you find yourself on the West Coast, you certainly shouldn't miss out on the sinful pleasure that is an In-N-Out burger. But you may want to skip its heftiest and unhealthiest version: the Quad Quad. This monster burger features four beef patties and four slices of cheese, and while this is certainly the stuff of fast-food dreams, the chain's Double Double will also do the trick.
Burger King's Bacon King
When it comes to hefty burgers, Burger King delivers. The Bacon King, for example, comes with half a pound of beef, two cheese slices, crispy bacon, ketchup, and mayo. Sounds like a pretty classic, all-American burger, doesn't it? It sure does, which makes its scary high levels of fat and sodium even more startling. Considering the fact that the American Heart Association recommends limiting the daily intake of sodium to 2,300 milligrams a day, this truly is one of the worst things you can have for lunch.
Carl's Jr. Double El Diablo Burger
Exact nutrition information is unavailable.
This Double El Diablo Burger from Carl's Jr. is a new permanent addition to their menu, so the full nutritional information isn't available yet. What we do know, however, is that there is a total calorie count of 1,210, and this sandwich is loaded with two beef patties, bacon, jalapeño poppers, and pepper jack cheese—meaning it's guaranteed to also be loaded with saturated fat and sodium.
Burger King's Triple Whopper
The Triple Whopper is up there in calories, but it doesn't have nearly as much sodium as the Bacon King. Still, it's high in fat, and delivers 1.5 grams of trans fats (a number that should be 0).
Whataburger's Triple Meat Whataburger
You guessed it—three patties spell trouble! Whataburger's signature Triple-Meat Burger is another one that exceeds 1,000 calories. And since most of us want fries and soda with that, the hundreds of calories consumed can add up faster than you think. (Whataburger does offer apple slices and unsweetened iced tea as low-calorie alternatives).
Shake Shack Double SmokeShack Burger
With two patties instead of one, you'll get over 800 calories, 50 grams of fat, and 2 grams of saturated fat with this Shake Shack burger. This sandwich also serves up a whopping 3,000 milligrams of sodium—so you'll get well over the recommended daily limit in just one sandwich.
Carl's Jr.'s Spicy Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger
Not only does this burger feature two beef patties and bacon, but there's also the addition of fried onion rings and a good slather of BBQ sauce. All of this makes the Spicy Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger one to skip at Carl's Jr.
Carl's Jr.'s Bit Angus Guacamole Bacon Burger
The Big Angus Bacon Guacamole Burger from Carl's Jr. features several fresh and colorful ingredients that may make you think your meal is healthier than it really is. But this is one of the most calorific burgers on the chain's menu, so if you're going to eat it, eat it because you love guac, and not because you think its addition negates the bacon, cheese, and Santa Fe sauce that also come with it.
Wendy's Dave's Tripe
There is never really a good reason to order a triple burger, especially when it's the Dave's Triple from Wendy's. This sandwich puts you over 1,000 calories and has almost three times the saturated fat limit for an entire day.
Smashburger's Double Smoked Bacon Brisket Burger
You can get all of Smashburger's iconic signature burgers as doubles and none of them are the epitome of a healthy meal. However, this guy, piled high with brisket and bacon (on top of two burger patties), just about takes the cake when it comes to indulgence. It is about 200 calories heftier than the other Smashburger doubles, and will deliver a whopping 4 grams of artery-clogging trans fats to your system. The sodium also puts it up there with some of the unhealthiest burgers we've ever seen.
Rally's Triple Smoky BBQ Bacon Buford
This big boy, aka "the boss of all burgers," seems to be a proud menu moment at Rally's. And while the gluttonous creation inspires awe thanks to its sheer size, it inspires much less awe for those who are trying to be a bit more health-conscious. With three beef patties, a pile of bacon, and several slices of Swiss cheese all slathered with BBQ sauce and "smoky" mayo, this burger reads more like an assault on your health than a good lunch option.
Burger King's Texas Double Whopper
With two beef patties, American cheese, and slices of bacon, this Texas Double Whopper from Burger King serves up too many calories, grams of saturated fat and trans fat, and sodium. For the satisfying flavors of a Whopper, you're way better off sticking to the Whopper Jr. or regular Whopper.
Hardee's Monster Double Thickburger
This giant burger from Hardee's has about a day-and-a-half's worth of salt, a whole day's worth of calories, and way more trans fat than your average fast-food monstrosity. Avoid this one if you can.
Culver's Triple Bacon Deluxe
Culver's ButterBurgers are legendary—they come with a buttered bun which makes the whole affair extra delicious. But add several beef patties, bacon, cheese, and mayo to the mix and you have another burger that exceeds 1,000 calories, packs a bunch of trans fat, and should be consumed in moderation.
Also, to note, this burger comes in a single, double, or triple, but the double is what is pictured above.
Wendy's Big Bacon Classic Triple
We won't lie, Wendy's makes one heck of a burger. The buns are fresh, the meat is tasty, the whole thing is nice and juicy… it just works (this writer clearly isn't biased at all). But a triple with bacon, while not even the most indulgent option on the menu, is very high in calories, sodium, and fat (including trans fat, the worst kind of fat for your cholesterol). Why not get a single, or at the very least, a double, and save room for some fries?
Wendy's Pretzel Baconator
The Wendy's Baconator is an example of a burger that is unnecesarily loaded with calories, fat, and sodium. Instead of making a single burger with cheese and a slice or two of bacon, this monster of a sandwich piles on two beef patties, multiple slices of bacon, and two slices of cheese—all sandwiched between two buns.
Sonic's SuperSonic Bacon Double Cheeseburger With Mayo
Sonic throws its own bacon cheeseburger into the mix of fast food's most calorific options—and it's a double! And although loaded with fat and sodium, this isn't the worst menu option at Sonic—that honor is reserved for Sonic Blasts and milkshakes.
Firehouse Large Italian Sub
Ordering a large, 12-inch size of this Firehouse Italian Sub will give you more calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium than you need in an entire day. You're getting about three times the recommended limit of saturated fat and three times the recommended limit of sodium, all in just one meal.
Hardee's BLT Hand-Breaded Chicken Sandwich
This BLT Chicken Sandwich from Hardee's combines fried chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo, which kicks up the calorie, fat, and sodium count. The most shocking number here is the sodium—which far exceeds the daily recommended maximum in just one sandwich!
Domino's Chicken Bacon Ranch Oven-Baked Sandwich
If you're debating between pizza and a sandwich at Domino's, know that neither option is great for your health. Of the chain's oven-baked sandwiches, the Chicken Bacon Ranch packs the most calories and fat, and is pretty high in sodium. And while the recommended serving size here is half a sandwich, let's be real: that's like someone telling you to eat only one slice of pizza.
Jimmy John's Gargantuan on 16-Inch French Bread
This is the most humongous sandwich on Jimmy John's menu (and possibly on Earth). Piled high with salami, smoked ham, capicola, roast beef, turkey, and provolone, the chain boasts that it's "huge enough to feed the hungriest of humans." That's especially true if you get it on 16-inch bread, which is basically like getting two sandwiches in one. (Pro tip: Want to get double the meat on your giant gargantuan, to really put a nail in your own coffin? Ask for a Noah's Ark.) But just remember, if you finish this bad boy, you've eaten more than 2,000 calories and more than 7,750 milligrams of sodium in one sitting—and that can't be good for any human, no matter how hungry.
Whataburger's Patty Melt
The Patty Melt is a beloved staple at Whataburger. It features a couple of beef patties with cheese, smothered in grilled onions and Creamy Pepper sauce, all served on Texas toast. But just because this sandwich doesn't have the physical presence of a burger, doesn't mean it isn't higher in calories than the worst burger on the McDonald's menu.
Firehouse Subs' Large Steak & Cheese Sub
The large Steak & Cheese shockingly isn't the highest-calorie sandwich on the Firehouse Subs menu (that would be the large Smokehouse Beef & Cheddar Brisket), but it deserves a spot on this list for the amount of sodium it packs.
Burger King's Bacon and Swiss Royal Crispy Chicken
If you compare crispy chicken sandwiches across the industry, there aren't many that seem nutritionally unsound. They usually hover around 500-600 calories and are kept simple with the most common toppings being pickles and mayo. Not this guy at Burger King. The chain gives its crispy chicken sandwich the burger treatment by topping it with bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and a special sauce. Naturally, the calories add up.
Panera's Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich on Tomato Basil
There are a few other sandwiches on Panera's menu that are over 1,000 calories, but they belong in the melt category and are visibly hefty (looking at you, Green Goddess Caprese Melt). This sandwich is inconspicuously unhealthy and laden with sodium. You might think you're eating an innocent turkey club, but this is so much heavier than that. Why? Our money's on the signature sauce and the rich tomato basil bread.
Panera's Green Goddess Caprese Melt
The Green Goddess Caprese Melt comes on a baguette. It is another situation of mistaken identity—just as you think you're eating something healthy, it turns out, you're eating one of the most calorific options at Panera.
Quiznos' 12-Inch Chicken Carbonara Sub
This hefty footlong at Quiznos is actually much worse nutritionally than the worst footlong at Subway. And no wonder, since its ingredients read like a pasta dish on bread.
Arby's Half Pound Beef 'N Cheddar Sandwich
The fact that you can place an order at a fast-food restaurant and exceed the daily recommended limit of sodium is unnerving. This sandwich from Arby's is piled high with roast beef, which means sodium is par for the course.
Papa Johns' Parmesan Crusted Grilled Buffalo Chicken Papadia
Papadias have become all the rage at Papa Johns, marrying the concept of their richly topped pizzas with sandwich melts. But do some spatial math and you'll realize you're basically eating a folded-up personal-sized pizza, which will set you back more than 1,000 calories. Additionally, the Garlic Buffalo Chicken variety has more sodium than you should be eating in an entire day.
Popeyes' Spicy Chicken Sandwich
If you consider that the average fast-food fried chicken sandwich ranges between 500-600 calories (we're talking the likes of McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, and KFC sandwiches), then Popeyes' Chicken Sandwich is just a little bit extra. Must be all that tasty, thick breading. Both the classic and the spicy versions have the same nutrition profile, except for the fact that the spicy sandwich is a little higher in sodium.
KFC's Famous Bowl
The KFC Famous Bowl might bring together some of your favorite comfort foods, like mashed potatoes, corn, crispy chicken, gravy, and cheese, but it's a meal bursting with sodium.
Panera's Bacon Mac & Cheese Bread Bowl
Mmmmm, creamy, decadent pasta with cheese and pieces of bacon served in a crusty bread bowl—what could be better than that? And what could possibly pack more carbs?
Pizza Hut Meat Lover's Stuffed Crust Pizza
Just one slice of the Stuffed Crust Meat Lovers Pizza from Pizza Hut has 420 calories, 10 grams of saturated fat, and almost 1,000 milligrams of sodium, and we know just how difficult it is to limit yourself to one slice. When you eat two or three slices, these nutritional numbers can become scary high.
Domino's Medium ExtravaganZZa Pizza
As a general rule, anything that combines several different types of processed meat is bad news, and this pie certainly goes wild with the toppings. There's your basic ham and pepperoni, but there's also Italian sausage and beef, which makes for a cornucopia of sodium and fat. Not even the adorable little slivers of olives and bell peppers can make this any better.
Little Caesars' Pepperoni & Cheese Stuffed Crust
The novelty of the stuffed crust would almost make us forget that we're basically just eating more processed meat. This is one of the most sodium-laden pizzas in the world of fast food: just two slices will have you ingesting 2,187 milligrams of it.
Papa Johns' Extra Large Fiery Buffalo Chicken Pizza
This is a pretty big pizza (16 inches), but even if you eat just one slice, which is the recommended serving, you're ingesting 1,250 milligrams of sodium. And is it really possible to stop after one slice? Not to mention, if you add stuffed crust to the mix, the whole thing gets even worse.
Starbucks' Venti White Chocolate Mocha with Whole Milk and Whip
Starbucks sees items come and go on its menu often, but this long-standing classic is definitely one to avoid. If you don't, you'll be slurping on a whopping 58 grams of sugar and 20 grams of fat. Considering this isn't even your lunch, is it really worth the 480 calories?
Starbucks' Venti Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino
This frappuccino is made with, among other things, mocha sauce, two layers of whipped cream, and so much cookie crumble. It's no wonder that it'll deliver close to 600 calories and 75 grams of sugar to your system.
Dunkin's Large Frozen Chocolate
Frozen Chocolate is one of the worst things you can get from Dunkin', no matter what flavor (yes, there's more than one flavor of frozen chocolate, because the chocolate flavor wasn't enough).
Burger King's Chocolate Oreo Shake
This shake is unhealthy on its own, with 91 grams of added sugar, almost 700 calories, and unwanted trans fats. But when you consider that many people order this shake as a dessert item to go along with their burger and fries, you can see how it becomes even more harmful to your health. If you want the satisfaction of some chocolate, grab a couple of their Chocolate Chip Cookies instead.
McDonald's McFlurry With M&Ms
The McFlurry may be the most iconic dessert in fast food history, but it doesn't mean it's the best thing you can possibly treat yourself with, flavor- or nutrition-wise. It's a pretty small item that packs a lot of sugar, and most of it is added sugar (69 grams). It also has more calories than your Big Mac.
Sonic Cheesecake Master Shake
100 grams of added sugar, almost four times your daily saturated fat limit, 2 grams of trans fat, and almost 1,000 milligrams of sodium makes this Cheesecake Master Shake from Sonic one of the unhealthiest fast-food shakes you can find.
Panera's Kitchen Sink Cookie
As its name suggests, this cookie from Panera has everything: two types of chocolate, caramel, flaky salt, and even pretzels. Pick this as your dessert, and you'll double the calories for your lunch.
Sonic's Large Sonic Blast With M&Ms
Sonic's 20-ounce portion of vanilla ice cream with M&Ms has a whopping 138 grams of sugar and an incredible 1,540 calories—one of the worst things you can get at Sonic, burgers and fries included.
Freddy's Large Signature Turtle Concrete
Freddy's Turtle Concrete is a drool-inducing combo of vanilla custard, hot fudge, caramel, and toasted pecans. Sadly, not only is it high in sugar, but it also packs more salt than you'd expect from a dessert. All in all, it's nearly 2,000 calories mostly void of nutrition.
Dairy Queen's Large Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Party Blizzard
Another frozen dessert that features candy and toppings galore—chocolate chip cookie dough, peanut butter brittle, sprinkles, and a creamy peanut butter topping. So it isn't much of a surprise that the large size has the same amount of calories as two average cheeseburgers, more salt than most fried chicken sandwiches, and more sugar than the worst drinks at Starbucks or Dunkin'.
Jack In the Box's Large Oreo Cookie Shake With Whipped Topping
This super-sized sip packs the same amount of sugar you'd get from eating 10 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Donuts. That scary comparison should be enough to deter you from pairing it with your burger.
Culver's Chocolate Concrete Mixed with Reese's
With 86 grams of sugar, 27 grams of saturated fat, and 1.5 grams of trans fat, this Chocolate Concrete Mixer with Reese's from Culver's just isn't worth it. For a sweet treat with fewer calories, fat, and sugar, try a single scoop of their frozen custard in either vanilla or chocolate.
This story has been updated since its original publish date to include additional entries and remove outdated information
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- Source: Nutrition, C. F. F. S. a. A. (2024g, March 5). Sodium in your diet. U.S. Food And Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/sodium-your-diet
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- Source: How much sugar is too much? (2023h, May 10). www.heart.org. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/how-much-sugar-is-too-much
- Source: Home | Dietary guidelines for Americans. (n.d.-d). https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/
- Source: World Health Organization: WHO. (2024, January 24). Trans fat. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/trans-fat#:~:text=Among%20other%20dietary%20factors%2C%20high,has%20no%20known%20health%20benefits.
- Source: Shaking the salt habit to lower high blood pressure. (2023b, June 1). www.heart.org. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure/shaking-the-salt-habit-to-lower-high-blood-pressure#:~:text=The%20American%20Heart%20Association%20recommends,blood%20pressure%20and%20heart%20health.
