Every once in a while, hitting up the drive-thru or ordering your favorite indulgence from a fast food chain just slaps. A late-night cheeseburger and fries (obviously dipped in ice cream) is basically the stuff of dreams. Of course, I try to relegate myself to only a few treats a year (something that’s become progressively harder as an editor at Delish). Fast food doesn’t have a particularly healthy rap, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it from time to time. However, some chains are worse offenders than others. World Atlas to the rescue!
The site set out to find the unhealthiest fast food in America by reviewing “nutrition data, menu gimmicks, and marketing tactics at major chains,” to determine the biggest offenders—and the results might surprise you. According to World Atlas, the top 10 unhealthiest options “routinely serve meals that can eclipse daily calorie limits in a single sitting while encouraging visits through bargain pricing and around-the-clock service.” Sitting pretty at the top of the list? Wendy’s.
Both the chain’s burgers and beloved Frostys are calorie-dense, with some of its promotional meals exceeding daily calorie, sodium, and fat recommendations in one fell swoop. A spokesperson for Wendy’s responded to the report, pointing out the fact that the chain has other options like salads and baked potatoes. But how did the rest of America’s most iconic chains fare? Well, you can feel relatively good if you’re a devout fan of Burger King, Shake Shack, or Arby’s, which didn’t make it to the top 10. Here’s how the rest shook out.
Top Ten Unhealthiest Fast Food Chains In America
- Wendy’s: The Triple Baconator meal clocks in at over 2,000 calories, and the chain’s deals and late-night hours encourage frequent overindulgence.
- Sonic: With massive portions and sugary drinks, like the 44-ounce Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Master Shake, Sonic packs an alarming calorie and sugar punch.
- Taco Bell: Its loaded burritos and combos sneak in sky-high calorie and sodium levels.
- Dairy Queen: Blizzards and fried combo baskets often push a single meal past the 2,000-calorie mark.
- KFC: A three-piece Extra Crispy combo delivers about a full day’s worth of salt, saturated fat, and calories in one go.
- Quiznos: Oversized subs like the Classic Italian hit about 1,300 calories and pack in excessive sodium, making it a heavy nutritional load.
- McDonald’s: A standard Big Mac meal can hit 1,300 calories, thanks to its fries and soda pairings.
- Smashburger: Stacked burgers like the BBQ Bacon Cheddar burger, plus decadent shakes, make this chain a caloric heavyweight.
- Little Caesars: One pepperoni pizza—marketed as an everyday meal—can supply more calories and salt than most people should consume in a day.
- Chick-fil-A: Meals like the fried chicken sandwich with waffle fries quietly deliver major calorie counts, but not as high as others on this list.
