Fast Food Restaurants & Nutrition Facts Compared

Fast food is bad food. That's pretty much common knowledge these days. The majority of the foods served at fast food restaurants contain an insane amount of calories, tons of fat (including the very evil trans fat), and are high in pretty much everything else that you'd want your food to be low in. Long story short, it's the kind of food you want to avoid eating.

But, you probably know this already. The funny thing is, most of the world doesn't seem to care. The fast food restaurants continue to do just fine because people continue to eat their unhealthy food. So I figured, if you are still going to eat this junk, you might as well at least know which is the best of the worst, and which is the worst of the worst.

To show this, I've compared the nutrition facts of the most popular foods from over 20 popular fast food restaurants to see how each restaurant's version of the same food stacks up against the others. If this isn't enough to convince you to eat less (or none) of this stuff, it will at least give you the information you need to make the better choice and avoid making the worst one. Enjoy...

*NOTE #1* The tables below are sortable. Clicking a category (calories, fat, trans fat, etc.) will sort the data in that column from lowest to highest. Clicking it again will sort it from highest to lowest.

*NOTE #2* Any questions you may have about anything you see in this fast food comparison is most likely answered at the bottom of this very page or in the "Notes" of each comparison. Be sure to check it out for clarifications on anything that may seem unclear.

French Fries (Large) Compared

Fast Food Restaurant Type Serving Size

(g) Calories Total Fat

(g) Saturated Fat

(g) Trans Fat

(g) Carbs

(g) Sodium

(mg) McDonald's Regular 170 570 30 6 8 70 330 Burger King Regular 160 500 28 6 6 57 820 Burger King Salt Not Added 160 500 28 6 6 57 530 Wendy's Regular Unknown 540 26 4 1 69 550 Arby's Homestyle 213 566 37 7 1 82 1029 Arby's Curly 198 631 37 7 1 73 1476 Hardee's Regular 193 610 28 6 Unknown 78 370 Hardee's Crispy Curls 153 480 23 6 Unknown 60 1190 A&W Regular 156 430 18 4.5 5.5 61 640 A&W Chili 170 370 16 4.5 6 49 780 A&W Cheese 170 380 19 5 4 50 870 A&W Chili Cheese 198 400 19 5 4 51 990 In-N-Out Burger** Regular** 125** 400** 18** 5** 0** 54** 245** Jack In The Box Natural Cut 236 640 33 8 10 77 1180 Jack In The Box Seasoned Curly 170 550 31 6 10 60 1200 White Castle Regular 244 700 34 6 11 89 560 Sonic Regular 98 280 11 2 0 42 135 Sonic Cheese 125 380 19 7 0 44 600 Sonic Chili/Cheese 186 450 25 9 0.5 48 610 Dairy Queen Regular 280 730 33 6 5 100 1530 KFC* Potato Wedges* 102* 260* 13* 2.5* 0* 33* 740* Carl's Jr. Regular 198 620 29 6 Unknown 80 380 Popeyes** Regular** 88** 310** 17** 7** 1** 35** 660** Del Taco Regular 198 490 32 5 Unknown 47 380 * KFC does not have any "french fries." They do have "potato wedges" which is somewhat close, so I included this information above for comparison purposes. However, I did not take it into account when showing the best/worst since they are technically not "french fries." ** In-N-Out Burger and Popeyes had one item listed as just "French Fries." No actual size (large, small, etc.) was given. Therefore, they were also not taken into account when showing the best/worst french fries. Best: Sonic (regular)

Sonic's basic french fries are my pick for the best of this comparison. It's not hard to see why either. Due to having the smallest serving size of all of the other fast food restaurants, their large fries ended up being the lowest in every single one of the compared nutrition facts. Not to mention, with 0 grams of trans fat, it was one of just two large french fries that contained 0 grams. The other? Another one from Sonic... this time their cheese fries.

Sonic's basic french fries are my pick for the best of this comparison. It's not hard to see why either. Due to having the smallest serving size of all of the other fast food restaurants, their large fries ended up being the lowest in every single one of the compared nutrition facts. Not to mention, with 0 grams of trans fat, it was one of just two large french fries that contained 0 grams. The other? Another one from Sonic... this time their cheese fries. Worst: Dairy Queen (regular) & White Castle (regular)

It was hard to pick an official worst choice here, as there was a lot of trans fat being thrown around. In the end, I went with Dairy Queen's basic fries for being the highest in calories (seriously, 730 calorie fries? Yikes.) and sodium. White Castle's basic fries were also picked here not so much for calories (although at 700, it was right up there in second place) but because of it containing more trans fat (11 evil grams) than any of the others. Of all of the items being compared in this entire comparison, french fries are easily one of the worst all around trans fat offenders.

It was hard to pick an official worst choice here, as there was a lot of trans fat being thrown around. In the end, I went with Dairy Queen's basic fries for being the highest in calories (seriously, 730 calorie fries? Yikes.) and sodium. White Castle's basic fries were also picked here not so much for calories (although at 700, it was right up there in second place) but because of it containing more trans fat (11 evil grams) than any of the others. Of all of the items being compared in this entire comparison, french fries are easily one of the worst all around trans fat offenders. Notes: For this comparison, I tried to use each fast food restaurant's "Large" french fries. In two cases however, there was no "large" version. So, I instead used whatever that restaurant's largest size was. For White Castle it was "Sack," and for Del Taco it was "Medium."

Hamburgers Compared

Fast Food Restaurant Type Serving Size

(g) Calories Total Fat

(g) Saturated Fat

(g) Trans Fat

(g) Carbs

(g) Sodium

(mg) McDonald's Regular 100 250 9 3.5 0.5 31 520 Burger King Regular 121 290 12 4.5 0 30 560 Wendy's Jr. Hamburger Unknown 230 8 3 0 26 500 Hardee's Regular 118 310 12 4 Unknown 36 560 Carl's Jr Big Hamburger 209 470 17 6 Unknown 54 1060 Sonic Jr. Burger 117 310 15 5 0.5 30 610 White Castle Regular 58 140 7 2.5 0.5 14 210 Dairy Queen Homestyle Burger 140 350 14 7 0.5 33 400 Jack in the Box Regular 118 310 14 6 1 30 600 In-N-Out Burger Regular 243 390 19 5 0 39 650 Best: White Castle (regular) & Wendy's (Jr. Hamburger)

This one should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever seen a White Castle hamburger. They are tiny. And, when it comes to making the least-bad fast food choice, tiny = good. Due to the below average serving size, all but one of its nutrition facts were the lowest in this comparison. The one that wasn't? Trans fat. You'd think with a burger that size they would be able to pull off 0 trans fat per serving. Apparently not. Wendy's Jr. Hamburger on the other hand does pull it off, and combined with being the second lowest in nearly all of the other nutrition facts, they certainly end up as one of the better basic fast food hamburgers.

This one should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever seen a White Castle hamburger. They are tiny. And, when it comes to making the least-bad fast food choice, tiny = good. Due to the below average serving size, all but one of its nutrition facts were the lowest in this comparison. The one that wasn't? Trans fat. You'd think with a burger that size they would be able to pull off 0 trans fat per serving. Apparently not. Wendy's Jr. Hamburger on the other hand does pull it off, and combined with being the second lowest in nearly all of the other nutrition facts, they certainly end up as one of the better basic fast food hamburgers. Worst: Carl's Jr (Big Hamburger)

While the nutrition facts of each fast food restaurant's most basic hamburger were somewhat similar in some cases, the "Big Hamburger" from Carl's Jr is my pick for the worst in this comparison simply based on being the highest in calories and sodium.

While the nutrition facts of each fast food restaurant's most basic hamburger were somewhat similar in some cases, the "Big Hamburger" from Carl's Jr is my pick for the worst in this comparison simply based on being the highest in calories and sodium. Notes: For this comparison I used each restaurant's most basic hamburger. If the restaurant did not have anything simply called "Hamburger," I went with their next most similar and comparable product instead. For Wendy's, I used their "Jr. Hamburger." For Carl's Jr, I used their "Big Hamburger." For Sonic I used their "Jr. Burger." And for Dairy Queen, I used their "Homestyle Burger."

Sandwiches/Hamburgers Compared

Fast Food Restaurant Type Serving Size

(g) Calories Total Fat

(g) Saturated Fat

(g) Trans Fat

(g) Carbs

(g) Sodium

(mg) McDonald's Quarter Pounder 169 410 19 7 1 37 730 McDonald's Quarter Pounder (cheese) 198 510 26 12 1.5 40 1190 McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder (cheese) 279 740 42 19 2.5 40 1380 McDonald's Big Mac 214 540 29 10 1.5 43 1040 McDonald's Double Cheeseburger 165 440 23 11 1.5 34 1150 McDonald's Big N' Tasty 206 460 24 8 1.5 37 720 McDonald's Big N' Tasty (cheese) 220 510 28 11 1.5 38 960 Burger King Whopper 290 670 39 11 1.5 51 1020 Burger King Whopper (cheese) 315 760 47 16 1.5 52 1450 Burger King Double Whopper 373 900 57 19 2 51 1090 Burger King Double Whopper (cheese) 398 990 64 24 2.5 52 1520 Burger King Triple Whopper 456 1130 74 27 3 51 1160 Burger King Triple Whopper (cheese) 480 1230 82 32 3.5 52 1590 Burger King Whopper Jr. 158 370 21 6 0.5 31 570 Burger King Whopper Jr. (cheese) 170 410 24 8 1 32 780 Burger King Double Hamburger 164 410 21 9 1 30 600 Burger King Double Stacker 190 610 39 16 1.5 32 1100 Burger King Triple Stacker 250 800 54 23 2 33 1450 Burger King Quad Stacker 311 1000 68 30 3 34 1800 Burger King Double Cheeseburger 189 500 29 14 1.5 31 1030 Wendy's Single Unknown 430 20 7 1 37 900 Wendy's Double (cheese) Unknown 700 40 16 2.5 38 1500 Wendy's Triple (cheese) Unknown 980 59 25 3.5 38 2090 Wendy's Baconator Unknown 830 51 22 2.5 35 1920 Hardee's Thickburger 349 910 64 21 Unknown 53 1560 Hardee's Cheeseburger 254 680 39 19 Unknown 52 1450 Hardee's Mushroom N' Swiss Thickburger 276 720 42 21 Unknown 48 1570 Hardee's Bacon Cheese Thickburger 334 910 64 24 Unknown 50 1550 Hardee's Low Carb Thickburger 245 420 32 12 Unknown 5 1010 Hardee's Six Dollar Burger 412 1060 73 28 Unknown 58 1950 Hardee's Grilled Sourdough Thickburger 381 1030 77 28 Unknown 42 1910 Hardee's Double Thickburger 471 1250 90 35 Unknown 54 2160 Hardee's Double Bacon Cheese Thickburger 463 1300 97 38 Unknown 50 2200 Hardee's Monster Thickburger 413 1420 108 43 Unknown 46 2770 Hardee's Double Cheeseburger 186 510 26 5 Unknown 38 1120 Hardee's Double Hamburger 161 420 19 5 Unknown 37 670 A&W Papa Burger 288 720 42 15 4 46 1390 A&W Bacon Double Cheeseburger 303 800 48 17 4 47 1610 A&W Double Cheeseburger 288 720 42 15 4 46 1370 A&W Bacon Cheeseburger 223 570 33 10 3.5 41 1200 In-N-Out Burger Double-Double 330 670 41 18 1 39 1440 Jack in the Box Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger 338 1090 77 30 3 53 2040 Jack in the Box Bacon n' Cheese Ciabatta Burger 395 1120 76 28 3 66 1670 Jack in the Box Jumbo Jack 261 600 35 12 1.5 51 940 Jack in the Box Jumbo Jack (cheese) 286 690 42 16 1.5 54 1310 Jack in the Box Junior Bacon Cheeseburger 131 430 25 9 1 30 820 Jack in the Box Single Bacon n' Cheese Ciabatta Burger 308 870 54 18 1.5 66 1550 Jack in the Box Sirloin Cheeseburger 421 1070 71 25 1.5 61 1850 Jack in the Box Sirloin Bacon n' Cheese Burger 422 1120 73 24 2.5 63 2620 Jack in the Box Sourdough Jack 245 710 51 18 3 36 1230 Jack in the Box Sourdough Ultimate Cheeseburger 291 950 73 29 4.5 36 1360 Jack in the Box Ultimate Cheeseburger 323 1010 71 28 3 53 1580 White Castle Bacon Cheeseburger 71 200 11 5 1 15 480 White Castle Double White Castle 104 250 13 5 1 22 340 White Castle Double Cheeseburger 118 300 17 8 1.5 23 590 White Castle Double Jalapeno Cheeseburger 122 320 19 9 1.5 23 680 White Castle Double Bacon Cheeseburger 130 370 22 10 1.5 23 880 Sonic Bacon Cheeseburger 279 780 48 16 1.5 57 1300 Sonic SuperSonic Cheeseburger (mayo) 343 980 64 24 2.5 58 1430 Sonic Sonic Burger (mayo) 248 650 37 10 1 55 720 Sonic Sonic Cheeseburger (mayo) 266 720 42 14 1.5 56 1040 Sonic Dixie Burger 255 660 37 10 1 55 810 Sonic Dixie Cheeseburger 273 720 42 14 1.5 56 1120 Sonic California Cheeseburger 266 690 39 13 1.5 57 1060 Sonic SuperSonic Jalapeno Cheeseburger 313 890 53 22 2.5 56 1600 Sonic Thousand Island Cheeseburger 266 680 38 13 1.5 58 1130 Sonic Jalapeno Cheeseburger 215 610 31 12 1.5 53 930 Sonic Jalapeno Burger 197 550 26 9 1 52 610 Sonic Green Chili Cheeseburger 287 630 31 12 1.5 56 1070 Sonic Chili Cheeseburger 226 660 35 14 1.5 56 990 Sonic Hickory Cheeseburger 236 640 31 12 1.5 61 1170 Sonic Jr. Double Cheeseburger 190 570 35 16 1.5 33 1290 Dairy Queen Homestyle Double Cheeseburger 226 640 34 18 1 34 950 Dairy Queen Homestyle Bacon Double Cheeseburger 245 730 41 21 1 35 1270 Dairy Queen Ultimate Burger 259 780 48 22 1.5 33 1110 Dairy Queen 1/4 lb FlameThrower GrillBurger 245 780 54 14 3 41 1490 Dairy Queen 1/2 lb FlameThrower GrillBurger 344 1030 73 23 4 41 2020 Dairy Queen Classic GrillBurger 212 470 23 7 2.5 42 1020 Dairy Queen Classic GrillBurger (cheese) 231 560 30 11 2.5 42 1160 Dairy Queen 1/2 lb GrillBurger 297 670 37 12 3.5 42 1310 Dairy Queen 1/2 lb GrillBurger (cheese) 330 820 49 19 3.5 47 1510 Dairy Queen Bacon Cheddar GrillBurger 229 650 37 13 2.5 41 1480 Dairy Queen Mushroom Swiss GrillBurger 210 630 40 11 3 39 950 Carl's Jr. Six Dollar Burger 430 1010 68 27 Unknown 60 1980 Carl's Jr. Western Bacon Six Dollar Burger 382 1130 66 28 Unknown 83 2540 Carl's Jr. Bacon Cheese Six Dollar Burger 409 1070 76 30 Unknown 50 1910 Carl's Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger 602 1520 111 47 Unknown 60 2760 Carl's Jr. Low Carb Six Dollar Burger 267 490 37 15 Unknown 6 1290 Carl's Jr. Famous Star (cheese) 278 660 39 12 Unknown 53 1260 Carl's Jr. Super Star (cheese) 385 930 59 21 Unknown 54 1600 Carl's Jr. Philly Cheesesteak Burger 297 830 55 17 Unknown 52 1510 Carl's Jr. Western Bacon Cheeseburger 241 710 33 12 Unknown 70 1480 Carl's Jr. Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger 323 970 52 21 Unknown 71 1820 Carl's Jr. Jalapeno Burger 286 720 45 8 Unknown 50 1320 Del Taco Double Del Cheeseburger 202 560 35 12 Unknown 35 960 Del Taco Bacon Double Del Cheeseburger 212 610 39 14 Unknown 35 1130 Best: Burger King (Whopper Jr.) & White Castle (Bacon Cheeseburger)

Just like in the "basic" hamburger comparison, White Castle ends up looking like one of the better "advanced" hamburgers due to being relatively small compared to other fast food restaurant's versions. And, this translates into it being the lowest in most of the nutrition facts shown. Burger King's Whopper Jr. on the other hand is my other pick for a couple of reasons, the first obviously being that it contains the least trans fat out of all of the other similar items compared. Also, at just 370 calories, 6 grams of saturated fat, and 570mg of sodium, it also ranks as one of the lowest in many of the other important areas.

Just like in the "basic" hamburger comparison, White Castle ends up looking like one of the better "advanced" hamburgers due to being relatively small compared to other fast food restaurant's versions. And, this translates into it being the lowest in most of the nutrition facts shown. Burger King's Whopper Jr. on the other hand is my other pick for a couple of reasons, the first obviously being that it contains the least trans fat out of all of the other similar items compared. Also, at just 370 calories, 6 grams of saturated fat, and 570mg of sodium, it also ranks as one of the lowest in many of the other important areas. Worst: Carl's Jr. (Double Six Dollar Burger) & Too Many Others

Are you ready for this one? The Double Six Dollar Burger from Carl's Jr. contains an insane 1520 calories. That's not a typo. One sandwich contains more calories than some smaller females need... PER DAY. The 111 grams of fat isn't a typo either. That's more fat in one sandwich than most average sized men need per day. Carl's Jr. unfortunately does not provide the trans fat content of their foods, as I for one would have loved to have seen that number as well. Too bad. I wanted to make a second "worst" pick, but there was just too many to choose from. Obviously anything with any trans fat could make it, as well as the items with a ton of saturated fat. And calories... ha! For starters, how about anything with over 700 calories? Or 800? Or maybe 900? How about the nearly 20 items with over 1000 calories? Yikes.

Are you ready for this one? The Double Six Dollar Burger from Carl's Jr. contains an insane 1520 calories. That's not a typo. One sandwich contains more calories than some smaller females need... PER DAY. The 111 grams of fat isn't a typo either. That's more fat in one sandwich than most average sized men need per day. Carl's Jr. unfortunately does not provide the trans fat content of their foods, as I for one would have loved to have seen that number as well. Too bad. I wanted to make a second "worst" pick, but there was just too many to choose from. Obviously anything with any trans fat could make it, as well as the items with a ton of saturated fat. And calories... ha! For starters, how about anything with over 700 calories? Or 800? Or maybe 900? How about the nearly 20 items with over 1000 calories? Yikes. Notes: For this comparison I used each fast food restaurant's more "advanced" sandwiches/hamburgers. The previous comparison used only the most basic and simple hamburger (1 patty, nothing fancy). This comparison basically compares all of the other hamburger type items that exist. As you can tell, there were a lot of them.

Chicken (Individual Pieces) Compared

Fast Food Restaurant Type Serving Size

(g) Calories Total Fat

(g) Saturated Fat

(g) Trans Fat

(g) Carbs

(g) Sodium

(mg) McDonald's Chicken McNuggets (6pc) 96 250 15 3 1.5 15 670 McDonald's Chicken Selects Premium Strips (5pc) 221 630 33 6 4.5 46 1550 Burger King Chicken Tenders (6pc) 92 250 15 3.5 2.5 16 720 Burger King Chicken Fries (6pc) 85 260 15 3.5 3 18 650 Wendy's Chicken Nuggets (5pc) Unknown 230 15 3 0 12 520 Arby's Chicken Tenders (5pc) 218 630 31 5 0 47 1977 Arby's Popcorn Chicken (large) 184 531 26 6 1 39 1666 Hardee's Chicken Strips (5pc) 241 630 34 6 Unknown 45 2260 Dairy Queen Chicken Strip Basket (6pc) 531 1270 67 11 12 121 2910 KFC Popcorn Chicken (large) 160 550 35 6 0 30 1600 Carl's Jr. Chicken Breast Strips (5pc) 215 710 41 6 Unknown 46 2020 White Castle Chicken Rings (6pc) 110 340 23 4.5 4 15 670 Best: Wendy's Chicken Nuggets (5pc)

This one was as easy to pick as can be. The 5 piece chicken nuggets from Wendy's are, as far as fast food goes, fantastic! From its 0 grams of trans fat, to its only 230 calories, these chicken nuggets have it all. The significantly less saturated fat and sodium are great, too. Nice job, Wendy's.

This one was as easy to pick as can be. The 5 piece chicken nuggets from Wendy's are, as far as fast food goes, fantastic! From its 0 grams of trans fat, to its only 230 calories, these chicken nuggets have it all. The significantly less saturated fat and sodium are great, too. Nice job, Wendy's. Worst: Dairy Queen Chicken Strip Basket (6pc)

And I thought picking the best item in this comparison was easy. HA! The worst was actually ten times easier. Dairy Queen has somehow managed to turn a 6 piece order of chicken strips into a 1270 calorie meal, more than 1000 calories higher than this category's "best" pick. They then top it off with 12 evil grams of trans fat, and 2910mg of sodium. I do realize that their serving size is larger than that of the other items, but it doesn't change the fact that people can walk into a Dairy Queen and walk out with this craziness as their 6 piece order of chicken strips.

And I thought picking the best item in this comparison was easy. HA! The worst was actually ten times easier. Dairy Queen has somehow managed to turn a 6 piece order of chicken strips into a 1270 calorie meal, more than 1000 calories higher than this category's "best" pick. They then top it off with 12 evil grams of trans fat, and 2910mg of sodium. I do realize that their serving size is larger than that of the other items, but it doesn't change the fact that people can walk into a Dairy Queen and walk out with this craziness as their 6 piece order of chicken strips. Notes: For this comparison I used each fast food restaurant's version of individual pieces of chicken. This includes nuggets, tenders, rings, popcorn, strips and basically any chicken item that wasn't a sandwich or an actual part of the chicken (such as a whole breast). I also wanted to keep the serving sizes as similar as possible, so I limited this to 5-6 piece items, or, when no amount was given, a "large." Some restaurants only had 2-4 piece items. These items were therefore not included in the above comparison.

Chicken Sandwiches Compared

Fast Food Restaurant Type Serving Size

(g) Calories Total Fat

(g) Saturated Fat

(g) Trans Fat

(g) Carbs

(g) Sodium

(mg) McDonald's McChicken 147 360 16 3.5 1 40 790 McDonald's Premium Grilled Chicken Classic 226 420 10 2 0 51 1190 McDonald's Premium Crispy Chicken Classic 229 500 17 3.5 1.5 61 1330 McDonald's Premium Grilled Chicken Club 260 570 21 7 0 52 1720 McDonald's Premium Crispy Chicken Club 263 660 28 8 1.5 63 1860 Burger King TENDERGRILL (with mayo) 258 510 19 3.5 0.5 49 1180 Burger King TENDERCRISP 284 790 44 8 4 68 1640 Burger King Original 219 660 40 8 2.5 52 1440 Burger King Chick'n Crisp (with mayo) 144 480 31 5 2 36 870 Wendy's Ultimate Chicken Grill Unknown 320 7 1.5 0 36 950 Wendy's Spicy Chicken Fillet Unknown 440 16 2.5 0 46 1320 Wendy's Homestyle Chicken Fillet Unknown 430 16 2.5 0 48 1140 Wendy's Chicken Club Unknown 540 25 7 0.5 49 1410 Wendy's Crispy Unknown 320 14 2.5 0 34 660 Arby's Crispy Fillet 238 526 30 5 0 50 901 Arby's Grilled Fillet 233 414 17 3 0 36 913 Hardee's Charbroiled Club 277 560 30 8 Unknown 32 1430 Hardee's Charbroiled BBQ 242 340 4 1 Unknown 40 1070 Hardee's Low Carb Charbroiled Club 250 370 21 7 Unknown 10 1170 Hardee's Big Fillet 351 800 37 6 Unknown 76 1890 Hardee's Spicy 159 470 25 5 Unknown 46 1220 A&W Grilled 213 440 19 3.5 3 34 860 A&W Crispy 219 590 29 4.5 4.5 54 1170 Jack In The Box Regular 145 400 21 4.5 2.5 38 730 Jack In The Box Jack's Spicy 270 620 31 6 3 61 1100 Jack In The Box Sourdough Grilled 266 530 28 7 2 34 1430 White Castle Breast (with cheese) 82 200 8 2.5 1.5 21 720 White Castle Supreme 88 230 10 3.5 1.5 21 860 Sonic Club Toaster 257 740 46 11 0.5 55 1740 Dairy Queen Crispy 198 540 29 5 2.5 47 700 Dairy Queen Grilled 177 350 16 2.5 0 49 780 KFC Snacker 119 290 13 2.5 0 29 680 KFC Honey BBQ Snacker 101 210 3 0.5 0 32 530 KFC Double Crunch 213 470 23 4.5 0 38 1190 KFC Crispy Twister 252 550 28 6 0 49 1500 KFC Oven Roasted Twister 269 420 17 4 0 40 1250 KFC Tender Roast 236 380 13 3 0 29 1180 KFC Honey BBQ 147 280 3.5 1 0 40 780 Subway Oven Roasted 238 310 5 1.5 0 48 830 Carl's Jr. Charbroiled BBQ 239 360 4.5 1 Unknown 48 1150 Carl's Jr. Charbroiled Club 264 550 25 7 Unknown 43 1410 Carl's Jr. Charbroiled Santa Fe 264 610 32 8 Unknown 43 1540 Carl's Jr. Spicy 213 560 30 6 Unknown 59 1480 Boston Market Boston Carver 321 700 29 7 0 68 1560 Boston Market Half Boston Carver 199 340 15 4 0 29 710 Popeyes Deluxe 265 630 31 8 1 53 1480 Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich 170 410 16 3.5 0 38 1300 Chick-Fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich 193 270 3.5 1 0 33 940 Chick-Fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Club Sandwich 221 380 11 5 0 33 1240 Chick-Fil-A Chicken Salad Sandwich 153 350 15 3 0 32 880 Best: KFC (Honey BBQ Snacker)

Another very easy pick for me. KFC's Honey BBQ Snacker wins this comparison hands down. The 0 grams of trans fat and only 210 calories combined with it being the lowest in most of the other nutrition facts makes it easily the best fast food chicken sandwich around. Great job, KFC.

Another very easy pick for me. KFC's Honey BBQ Snacker wins this comparison hands down. The 0 grams of trans fat and only 210 calories combined with it being the lowest in most of the other nutrition facts makes it easily the best fast food chicken sandwich around. Great job, KFC. Worst: Hardee's (Big Fillet) & Burger King (TENDERCRISP)

This was actually a harder one to decide on. In the end though, I had to go with Hardee's Big Fillet because, at 800 calories (highest in the comparison) and 1890mg of sodium (highest again) it towers over most of the other items compared by being literally 2-4 times as high. Hardee's did not provide the trans fat content of their food, but something tells me it would be up there as well. Burger King on the other hand did provide trans fat content, and its TENDERCRISP sandwich contains 4 grams of it. Add that to the fact that it's second highest in pretty much all of the other nutrition facts, and you have your second pick for worst chicken sandwich.

This was actually a harder one to decide on. In the end though, I had to go with Hardee's Big Fillet because, at 800 calories (highest in the comparison) and 1890mg of sodium (highest again) it towers over most of the other items compared by being literally 2-4 times as high. Hardee's did not provide the trans fat content of their food, but something tells me it would be up there as well. Burger King on the other hand did provide trans fat content, and its TENDERCRISP sandwich contains 4 grams of it. Add that to the fact that it's second highest in pretty much all of the other nutrition facts, and you have your second pick for worst chicken sandwich. Notes: This comparison includes pretty much every single fast food chicken-related sandwich there is.

Onion Rings Compared

Fast Food Restaurant Serving Size

(g) Calories Total Fat

(g) Saturated Fat

(g) Trans Fat

(g) Carbs

(g) Sodium

(mg) Burger King (King Size) 150 500 25 5 4.5 62 720 A&W 113 350 16 3.5 4.5 45 710 Jack In The Box 119 500 30 6 10 51 420 White Castle (Sack) 178 410 20 5 7 53 400 White Castle (Homestyle, Sack) 178 790 44 8 30 91 860 Sonic (Large) 227 640 31 5 0.5 80 300 Dairy Queen (Large) 142 590 37 7 9 56 930 Carl's Jr. 128 430 21 4 Unknown 53 550 Best: A&W, Sonic (Large), or really... NONE.

My real pick for best onion rings is none of the above. But, since I am forced to give a pick, I'd have to go with either A&W or Sonic's large order. The nutrition facts of A&W's onion rings look really good until you make your way over to trans fat. 4.5 grams is the opposite of really good. Then you have Sonic's version, which is the lowest in trans fat (0.5 grams) which is great. Not so great though is its 640 calories (second highest). I guess if I really had to make a decision here, the real "best" pick is half an order of Sonic's large onion rings.

My real pick for best onion rings is none of the above. But, since I am forced to give a pick, I'd have to go with either A&W or Sonic's large order. The nutrition facts of A&W's onion rings look really good until you make your way over to trans fat. 4.5 grams is the opposite of really good. Then you have Sonic's version, which is the lowest in trans fat (0.5 grams) which is great. Not so great though is its 640 calories (second highest). I guess if I really had to make a decision here, the real "best" pick is half an order of Sonic's large onion rings. Worst: White Castle (Homestyle, Sack)

Hmmm, I wonder which onion rings will be the "worst" pick? Oh, I know. How about the reigning and defending champion of my 88 Fast Food Items Highest In Trans Fat list, White Castle's Homestyle sack of trans-fat-rings. 30 insane grams. Is there really any reason to even mention the 790 calories after that? Nope. We can just end it right here.

Hmmm, I wonder which onion rings will be the "worst" pick? Oh, I know. How about the reigning and defending champion of my 88 Fast Food Items Highest In Trans Fat list, White Castle's Homestyle sack of trans-fat-rings. 30 insane grams. Is there really any reason to even mention the 790 calories after that? Nope. We can just end it right here. Notes: For this comparison, I used each fast food restaurant's largest available size of onion rings.

Breakfast Sandwiches/Biscuits/Croissants/Wraps Compared

Fast Food Restaurant Type Serving Size

(g) Calories Total Fat

(g) Saturated Fat

(g) Trans Fat

(g) Carbs

(g) Sodium

(mg) McDonald's Egg McMuffin 139 300 12 5 0 30 820 McDonald's Sausage McMuffin 114 370 22 8 0 29 850 McDonald's Sausage McMuffin (egg) 164 450 27 10 0 30 920 McDonald's Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit (regular) 144 450 25 11 0 36 1360 McDonald's Sausage Biscuit (egg, regular) 159 500 32 12 0 35 1130 McDonald's Sausage Biscuit (regular) 113 410 27 10 0 33 1040 McDonald's Biscuit (regular) 72 250 11 5 0 32 700 McDonald's Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles 173 460 21 9 0 48 1360 McDonald's Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddles 202 560 32 12 0 48 1360 McDonald's Sausage McGriddles 141 420 22 8 0 44 1030 Burger King Croissan'wich Egg & Cheese 115 300 17 6 2 26 740 Burger King Croissan'wich Sausage & Cheese 106 370 25 9 2 23 810 Burger King Croissan'wich Sausage, Egg & Cheese 159 470 32 11 2.5 26 1060 Burger King Croissan'wich Ham, Egg & Cheese 149 340 18 6 2 26 1230 Burger King Croissan'wich Bacon, Egg & Cheese 122 340 20 7 2 26 890 Burger King Double Croissan'wich Sausage, Egg & Cheese 215 680 51 18 3 26 1590 Burger King Double Croissan'wich Bacon, Egg & Cheese 142 430 27 10 2 27 1250 Burger King Double Croissan'wich Ham, Egg & Cheese 196 420 23 9 2 27 2210 Burger King Double Croissan'wich Sausage, Bacon, Egg & Cheese 179 550 39 14 2.5 27 1420 Burger King Double Croissan'wich Ham, Bacon, Egg & Cheese 169 420 24 9 2 27 1600 Burger King Double Croissan'wich Ham, Sausage, Egg & Cheese 206 550 37 14 2.5 27 2040 Burger King Enormous Omelet Sandwich 266 730 45 16 1 44 1940 Burger King Ham Omelet Sandwich 139 330 14 5 0 35 1130 Burger King Sausage Biscuit 118 390 26 8 5 28 1020 Burger King Ham, Egg & Cheese Biscuit 156 390 22 7 5 31 1410 Burger King Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit 183 530 37 12 6 31 1490 Burger King Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit 146 410 25 8 5 31 1320 Hardee's Egg Biscuit 152 450 51 20 Unknown 35 940 Hardee's Bacon Biscuit 120 430 28 7 Unknown 35 1110 Hardee's Sausage Biscuit 142 530 38 10 Unknown 36 1240 Hardee's Country Ham Biscuit 144 440 26 6 Unknown 36 1710 Hardee's Breaded Chicken Fillet Biscuit 226 600 34 7 Unknown 50 1680 Hardee's Breaded Country Steak Biscuit 180 620 41 11 Unknown 44 1360 Hardee's Breaded Pork Chop Biscuit 222 690 42 8 Unknown 48 1330 Hardee's Sausage & Egg Biscuit 185 610 44 11 Unknown 36 1290 Hardee's Country Steak & Egg Biscuit 223 690 47 11 Unknown 44 1800 Hardee's Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit 174 560 38 11 Unknown 37 1360 Hardee's Ham, Egg & Cheese Biscuit 220 560 35 10 Unknown 37 1800 Hardee's Loaded Omelet Biscuit 198 640 44 14 Unknown 37 1510 Hardee's Monster Biscuit 212 710 51 17 Unknown 37 2250 Hardee's Sunrise Croissant (Ham) 164 430 26 10 Unknown 28 1050 Hardee's Sunrise Croissant (Bacon) 138 450 29 12 Unknown 28 900 Hardee's Sunrise Croissant (Sausage) 161 550 38 15 Unknown 29 1030 Hardee's Frisco Breakfast Sandwich 185 420 20 7 Unknown 37 1340 Hardee's Loaded Breakfast Burrito 258 780 51 20 Unknown 38 1620 Arby's Bacon & Egg Croissant 120 337 22 10 0 23 651 Arby's Bacon Biscuit 95 340 21 6 0 29 1028 Arby's Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit 158 461 28 8 0 30 1446 Arby's Bacon, Egg & Cheese Croissant 133 378 22 10 0 23 850 Arby's Bacon, Egg & Cheese Sourdough 173 437 16 5 0 40 1220 Arby's Bacon, Egg & Cheese Wrap 193 515 29 8 0.5 50 1367 Arby's Egg & Cheese Sourdough 164 392 12 3 0 40 1058 Arby's Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit 185 557 38 11 0 30 1579 Arby's Sausage, Egg & Cheese Sourdough 191 514 27 8 0 40 1232 Arby's Ham & Cheese Croissant 113 274 12 7 0 22 842 Arby's Ham Biscuit 125 316 17 4 0 29 1240 Arby's Ham, Egg & Cheese Biscuit 188 437 23 6 0 31 1658 Arby's Ham, Egg & Cheese Croissant 213 434 24 10 0 25 1282 Arby's Ham, Egg & Cheese Sourdough 296 679 35 11 0 42 2104 Arby's Ham, Egg & Cheese Wrap 242 568 31 10 1 51 1929 Arby's Sausage & Egg Croissant 147 433 32 13 0 23 784 Arby's Sausage Biscuit 122 436 31 9 0 28 1160 Arby's Sausage Gravy Biscuit 238 961 68 14 0 107 3755 Arby's Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissant 160 475 32 13 0 23 982 Arby's Sausage, Egg & Cheese Wrap 239 689 45 15 1 50 1849 Jack In The Box Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit 149 430 25 8 5 34 1100 Jack In The Box Bacon Breakfast Jack 113 300 14 5 0.5 29 730 Jack In The Box Breakfast Jack 125 290 12 4.5 0 29 760 Jack In The Box Chicken Biscuit 154 450 24 6 6 42 980 Jack In The Box Ciabatta Breakfast Sandwich 278 710 36 10 1 63 1730 Jack In The Box Extreme Sausage Sandwich 213 670 48 17 1.5 31 1300 Jack In The Box Meaty Breakfast Burrito 183 480 29 10 1 29 1210 Jack In The Box Sausage Biscuit 131 440 29 8 5 32 870 Jack In The Box Sausage Breakfast Jack 154 450 28 10 1 29 840 Jack In The Box Sausage Croissant 174 580 39 13 4 37 770 Jack In The Box Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit 234 740 55 17 6 35 1430 Jack In The Box Sirloin Steak & Egg Burrito 289 790 48 15 3.5 52 1320 Jack In The Box Spicy Chicken Biscuit 169 460 22 5 7 44 1020 Jack In The Box Supreme Croissant 151 450 25 9 3.5 36 860 Jack In The Box Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich 249 570 27 10 1 49 1700 Sonic Bacon, Egg & Cheese Bistro 162 510 30 10 0.5 37 1060 Sonic Ham, Egg & Cheese Bistro 181 460 24 7 0.5 36 1320 Sonic Sausage, Egg & Cheese Bistro 189 590 40 13 1 37 1000 Sonic Sausage, Egg & Cheese Toaster 194 620 42 13 1 40 1380 Sonic Bacon, Egg & Cheese Toaster 167 530 32 10 0.5 40 1440 Sonic Ham, Egg & Cheese Toaster 186 490 26 8 0.5 40 1700 Sonic Sausage, Egg & Cheese Burrito 167 470 30 11 1 38 1140 Sonic Bacon, Egg & Cheese Burrito 157 450 26 10 0.5 38 1240 Sonic Ham, Egg & Cheese Burrito 183 440 23 9 0.5 37 1630 Sonic SuperSonic Breakfast Burrito 216 550 34 12 1.5 47 1340 Subway Cheese Sandwich 167 400 17 7 0 43 940 Subway Chipotle Steak & Cheese Sandwich 259 580 31 11 0.5 48 1400 Subway Double Bacon & Cheese Sandwich 185 500 25 11 0.5 44 1310 Subway Honey Mustard Ham & Cheese Sandwich 216 460 19 8 0 51 1430 Subway Western Sandwich (cheese) 207 440 18 8 0 45 1320 Subway Cheese Wrap 159 390 19 8 0 37 1050 Subway Chipotle Steak & Cheese Wrap 251 570 33 11 0.5 41 1510 Subway Double Bacon & Cheese Wrap 177 480 27 11 0 38 1420 Subway Honey Mustard Ham & Cheese Wrap 208 450 21 8 0 45 1540 Subway Western Wrap (cheese) 199 420 20 8 0 39 1430 Carl's Jr. Breakfast Burger 309 830 47 15 Unknown 65 1580 Carl's Jr. Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich 193 460 21 9 Unknown 39 1050 Carl's Jr. Sunrise Croissant 172 560 41 15 Unknown 27 970 Carl's Jr. Bacon & Egg Burrito 208 570 33 11 Unknown 37 990 Carl's Jr. Loaded Breakfast Burrito 328 820 51 16 Unknown 52 1530 Carl's Jr. Steak & Egg Burrito 322 660 36 13 Unknown 44 1690 Chick-Fil-A Chicken Burrito 191 410 16 7 0 42 940 Chick-Fil-A Sausage Burrito 191 450 23 9 0 39 860 Chick-Fil-A Chicken, Egg & Cheese (sunflower multi-grain bagel) 215 500 20 7 0 49 1260 Chick-Fil-A Hot Buttered Biscuit 79 270 12 3 3 38 660 Chick-Fil-A Chicken Biscuit 145 420 19 4.5 3 44 1270 Chick-Fil-A Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit 163 470 26 9 3 39 1190 Chick-Fil-A Sausage & Egg Biscuit 198 570 37 11 3 39 1130 Chick-Fil-A Biscuit (with gravy) 192 330 15 4 4 43 950 Best: McDonald's Biscuit (regular)

This was a tough one, as there were a few good choices. In the end though I have to go with the regular Biscuit from McDonald's based on it being the lowest in calories and among the lowest in all of the other nutrition facts (including 0 grams of trans fat). Really though, any of the breakfast items with 350 or less calories and 0 grams of trans fat could be tied for second best.

This was a tough one, as there were a few good choices. In the end though I have to go with the regular Biscuit from McDonald's based on it being the lowest in calories and among the lowest in all of the other nutrition facts (including 0 grams of trans fat). Really though, any of the breakfast items with 350 or less calories and 0 grams of trans fat could be tied for second best. Worst: Arby's Sausage Gravy Biscuit & Jack In The Box Spicy Chicken Biscuit

Arby's Sausage Gravy Biscuit ends up as one of the worst breakfast items based mostly on two of its nutrition facts. First up is its 961 calories which are 250 calories higher than the item that is second highest in calories, and 700 more than this category's "best" pick. As if that wasn't enough, take a look at its 3755mg of sodium... literally 3000mg more than many of the other similar breakfast items. Jack In The Box's Spicy Chicken Biscuit also makes the cut due to its 7 grams of trans fat (highest in the comparison).

Arby's Sausage Gravy Biscuit ends up as one of the worst breakfast items based mostly on two of its nutrition facts. First up is its 961 calories which are 250 calories higher than the item that is second highest in calories, and 700 more than this category's "best" pick. As if that wasn't enough, take a look at its 3755mg of sodium... literally 3000mg more than many of the other similar breakfast items. Jack In The Box's Spicy Chicken Biscuit also makes the cut due to its 7 grams of trans fat (highest in the comparison). Notes: For this comparison I went with pretty much every single sandwich-type breakfast item there was, and there were a TON of them.

Mozzarella Sticks Compared

Fast Food Restaurant Type Serving Size

(g) Calories Total Fat

(g) Saturated Fat

(g) Trans Fat

(g) Carbs

(g) Sodium

(mg) Arby's 4 pc (Regular) 137 426 28 13 1 38 1370 Arby's 8 pc (Large) 273 849 56 26 2 75 2730 Jack In The Box 3 pc 71 240 12 5 2 21 420 Jack In The Box 6 pc 138 483 27 11 4 39 1018 White Castle 3 pc 79.2 250 14 6 2 22 750 White Castle 5 pc 132 420 23 10 3 37 1240 White Castle 10 pc 264 820 46 20 6 73 2490 Sonic Unknown 140 440 22 9 0.5 40 1050 Best: Sonic

This was pretty tough, but in the end I had to go with lack of trans fat over lack of calories. Sonic's mozzarella sticks contain 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving and in this comparison, that's as good as it's going to get.

This was pretty tough, but in the end I had to go with lack of trans fat over lack of calories. Sonic's mozzarella sticks contain 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving and in this comparison, that's as good as it's going to get. Worst: Arby's 8 pc (Large) & White Castle 10 pc

A large (8 piece) order of mozzarella sticks from Arby's packs a pretty insane 849 calories, 26 grams of saturated fat and 2730mg of sodium. Let's also not forget the 2 grams of trans fat. Pretty crazy for just an appetizer. White Castle's 10 piece version is a close second in all of those nutrition facts except one, trans fat, where it ranks the highest with 6 grams.

A large (8 piece) order of mozzarella sticks from Arby's packs a pretty insane 849 calories, 26 grams of saturated fat and 2730mg of sodium. Let's also not forget the 2 grams of trans fat. Pretty crazy for just an appetizer. White Castle's 10 piece version is a close second in all of those nutrition facts except one, trans fat, where it ranks the highest with 6 grams. Notes: For this comparison, since there were so few fast food restaurants offering mozzarella sticks, I decided to compare all of the available sizes from the restaurants that did sell them rather than just one specific size.

Breadsticks, Cheesy Bread, Cheese Breadsticks Compared

Fast Food Restaurant Type Serving Size Calories Total Fat

(g) Saturated Fat

(g) Trans Fat

(g) Carbs

(g) Sodium

(mg) Pizza Hut Breadsticks 1 pc 150 6 1 0 20 230 Pizza Hut Cheese Breadsticks 1 pc 200 10 3 0 21 370 Domino's Pizza Breadsticks 1 pc 130 7 1.5 0 14 90 Domino's Pizza Cheesy Bread 1 pc 140 7 2.3 0 14 140 Little Caesars Crazy Bread 1 pc 100 3 0.5 0 15 150 Little Caesars Italian Cheese Bread 1 pc 130 7 2.5 0 13 230 Little Caesars Pepperoni Cheese Bread 1 pc 150 8 3 0 13 280 Papa John's Breadsticks 1 pc 140 2 0 0 26 260 Papa John's Cheesesticks 2 pc 370 16 4.5 0 42 830 Best: Little Caesars (Crazy Bread)

This was another hard one to pick a "best" for because the nutrition facts do not differ that much among the foods. In a case like this, I'd have to go with the food lowest in calories. In this comparison that title goes to Little Caesars Crazy Bread with 100 calories per piece. However, with all of the items compared above containing 0 grams of trans fat, no real significant amount of saturated fat (at least by fast food standards) and being somewhat close in calories, they pretty much all qualify as being this comparison's "best."

This was another hard one to pick a "best" for because the nutrition facts do not differ that much among the foods. In a case like this, I'd have to go with the food lowest in calories. In this comparison that title goes to Little Caesars Crazy Bread with 100 calories per piece. However, with all of the items compared above containing 0 grams of trans fat, no real significant amount of saturated fat (at least by fast food standards) and being somewhat close in calories, they pretty much all qualify as being this comparison's "best." Worst: Papa John's (Cheesesticks)

This one is kind of silly. I have no idea why Papa John's Cheesesticks are the only item with a serving size of 2 pieces (the others were all 1 piece) but since I'm making my best/worst picks based on the nutrition facts per serving, I guess I kind of have to go with these. The obvious reason why is that with double the serving, you're eating double the calories, fat, sodium, and other nutrients. Like I said, silly.

This one is kind of silly. I have no idea why Papa John's Cheesesticks are the only item with a serving size of 2 pieces (the others were all 1 piece) but since I'm making my best/worst picks based on the nutrition facts per serving, I guess I kind of have to go with these. The obvious reason why is that with double the serving, you're eating double the calories, fat, sodium, and other nutrients. Like I said, silly. Notes: For this comparison I used each fast food restaurant's version a bread stick, with and/or without cheese. Papa John's "Cheesesticks" were the only item whose serving size wasn't 1 piece (it was 2 pieces) and while that kind of throws things off a bit in this comparison, I included it anyway. Another thing to keep in mind about the serving sizes is that all of these items come in orders ranging from 7-10 pieces. So, if you're eating the whole order, you're eating the above nutrition facts multiplied by 7-10.

"14 Inch Large Cheese Pizza" Compared (1 slice, no toppings)

Fast Food Restaurant Type Serving Size

(g) Calories Total Fat

(g) Saturated Fat

(g) Trans Fat

(g) Carbs

(g) Sodium

(mg) Pizza Hut 14" Large Pan Pizza 146 390 19 7 0 38 800 Domino's Pizza 14" Classic Hand-Tossed 121 290 9 3.5 0 42 470 Papa John's 14" Original Crust Pizza 132 300 11 3.5 0 39 750 Little Caesars 14" Round HOT-N-READY Pizza 94 200 7 3.5 0 25 340 Best: Little Caesars (14" Round HOT-N-READY Pizza)

Little Caesars looks like the winner of this one based mostly on its smaller serving size and therefore lower nutrition facts. Honorable mentions to all of the fast food pizza restaurants compared for containing 0 grams of trans fat.

Little Caesars looks like the winner of this one based mostly on its smaller serving size and therefore lower nutrition facts. Honorable mentions to all of the fast food pizza restaurants compared for containing 0 grams of trans fat. Worst: Pizza Hut (14" Large Pan Pizza)

With the largest serving size of them all, Pizza Hut appears to be the worst in this comparison, as it is the highest in all of the most important nutrition facts (calories, saturated fat, sodium). However I will add that when you compare any of these items with any of the other items already compared above, pizza really isn't even in the same league.

With the largest serving size of them all, Pizza Hut appears to be the worst in this comparison, as it is the highest in all of the most important nutrition facts (calories, saturated fat, sodium). However I will add that when you compare any of these items with any of the other items already compared above, pizza really isn't even in the same league. Notes: For this comparison I used each pizza restaurant's most basic 14 inch cheese pizza.

Fast Food Comparison FAQ

Just in case anything in the above comparison was a little unclear, here is a quick Q&A that will hopefully clear it all up and answer any questions you may have had.

How many calories should a person eat per day? How much fat? How much saturated fat? How much trans fat? How much sodium?

Calories: It depends. But, here's how to figure it out...

Daily calorie intake recommendations depend on many factors. Age, height, weight, gender, metabolism and of course, goals. For example, are you trying to lose weight, gain weight, or just maintain your current weight? Luckily though I have already put something together for occasions just like this. So, for all of your calorie and weight related questions, check out the Guide To Calories And Weight Control. It will explain everything.

Daily calorie intake recommendations depend on many factors. Age, height, weight, gender, metabolism and of course, goals. For example, are you trying to lose weight, gain weight, or just maintain your current weight? Luckily though I have already put something together for occasions just like this. So, for all of your calorie and weight related questions, check out the Guide To Calories And Weight Control. It will explain everything. Fat: 20%-30% of your total calorie intake.

Recommendations for daily fat intake typically fall in the range of 20%-30% of your total calorie intake. So, if an example person eats 2000 calories per day, 20-30 percent of that would be 400-600 calories. And, since 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories, this works out to be about 44-66 grams of fat per day for this example person. Of course, most of this fat should be coming from healthy sources (like nuts, fish, and olive oil for example) rather than junky sources (like fast food, for example).

Recommendations for daily fat intake typically fall in the range of 20%-30% of your total calorie intake. So, if an example person eats 2000 calories per day, 20-30 percent of that would be 400-600 calories. And, since 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories, this works out to be about 44-66 grams of fat per day for this example person. Of course, most of this fat should be coming from healthy sources (like nuts, fish, and olive oil for example) rather than junky sources (like fast food, for example). Saturated Fat: Maximum of 7% of total calorie intake.

Besides the above amount, another recommendation I've heard for daily saturated fat intake is a maximum of 1/3 of your total fat intake. They both actually end up fairly close to each other. Either way, the answer ends up translating into "not much at all." Saturated fat may not be quite as terrible as trans fat, but it's a not-too-distant second. Speaking of which...

Besides the above amount, another recommendation I've heard for daily saturated fat intake is a maximum of 1/3 of your total fat intake. They both actually end up fairly close to each other. Either way, the answer ends up translating into "not much at all." Saturated fat may not be quite as terrible as trans fat, but it's a not-too-distant second. Speaking of which... Trans Fat: 0 grams per day.

As I already mentioned in the Fast Food Items Highest In Trans Fat article, The American Heart Association recommends a MAXIMUM of no more than 2 grams of trans fat per day. They then go on to say that there is enough naturally occurring trans fats in some meat and dairy products that most people already reach this maximum 2 grams without the additional consumption of the industrially manufactured trans fats contained in the foods mentioned in the above comparison. So, when you take this intake account (and realize 2 grams is the MAX amount, not recommended average amount) you should really be eating 0 grams of trans fat per day.

As I already mentioned in the Fast Food Items Highest In Trans Fat article, The American Heart Association recommends a MAXIMUM of no more than 2 grams of trans fat per day. They then go on to say that there is enough naturally occurring trans fats in some meat and dairy products that most people already reach this maximum 2 grams without the additional consumption of the industrially manufactured trans fats contained in the foods mentioned in the above comparison. So, when you take this intake account (and realize 2 grams is the MAX amount, not recommended average amount) you should really be eating 0 grams of trans fat per day. Sodium: 2500mg maximum per day.

Recommendations for sodium intake are usually in the range of 1000mg - 3000mg per day, with 2500mg being a fairly common maximum recommendation for the average healthy adult.

Recommendations for sodium intake are usually in the range of 1000mg - 3000mg per day, with 2500mg being a fairly common maximum recommendation for the average healthy adult. What this all means...

Basically, you could walk into one of the fast food restaurants mentioned above, make a very normal, very typical fast food order, and easily leave having met or greatly exceeded every single daily total recommendation in just one single meal. And also bare in mind that the nutritional recommendations you'd be exceeding aren't for something like Vitamin C. They're for ALL of the really bad, really unhealthy things.

What's the deal with carbs? Were they listed above because they are as bad as the other nutrients?

The only reason carbs were one of the included nutrition facts for this comparison is that people are so obsessed with them that I knew I had to include them just to avoid getting emails from people requesting that carbs be added. It was sort of an email-prevention-method on my part. Here's the thing, carbs are not bad. Generally speaking, there's really just two things you should know. Some carbs are pretty junky (simple carbs like sugar and processed foods) and should be limited, while others (complex carbs like whole grains, oatmeal, brown rice and white rice, beans, fruits, vegetables, etc.) are perfectly fine and should comprise most (if not all) of your carb intake. That's it. End the carb insanity.

Why did you decide to only compare these specific fast food items? Are you taking suggestions for others?

You bet I am! The types of foods compared (fries, hamburgers, breakfast sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, etc.) were all picked because they were the first bunch of fast food items that popped into my head when I was coming up with what to compare. They are, to me at least, the most popular stuff. However, I am aware that I may have neglected to compare other really popular foods. So, if you happen to know of a similar type of food that is sold at 2 or more fast food restaurants and would like to see it all compared side-by-side like the above items were, just leave a comment and suggest it. I won't make any promises, but I will try to get it done and added to this page as soon as I can.

When did you put this thing together and when was it last updated? Is the nutrition info current?

This whole thing was put together in November 2007. At that time, all of the nutrition facts used (calories, fat, etc.) were completely up to date and accurate. Whether or not everything is still completely up to date and accurate is tough to say, as this took forever to create and would take forever to recheck. Lately, I do most of my writing over at A Calorie Counter's sister site, A Workout Routine.

If I had to guess though, I'd say the only real differences I could see having been made since November 2007 would probably be trans fat related (as it was beginning to be banned around that time). But stuff like calories, saturated fat and sodium probably haven't changed much, if at all, and I don't really see them changing much in the future either. A 1500 calorie burger won't suddenly become a 500 calorie burger any time soon.

However, to ensure that the nutritional information you see is still 100% accurate and up to date, I'd recommend checking out the web site of each fast food restaurant.

I found this comparison useful. Do you have any other similar fast food content on this site?

You bet I do. This comparison is actually part of a series of really big fast food articles I have put together. Feel free to check them out: Fast Food Items Highest In Calories and Fast Food Items Highest In Trans Fat.

Where did you get the nutritional content of all of these foods from?

All of the nutrition data used in this comparison came directly from the official web site of each fast food restaurant.