The most caloric fast food breakfast items

The most caloric fast food breakfast items According to a 2015 study, about 45 percent of Americans who choose to eat breakfast get their morning fix from a fast food joint. Whether you are a frequent fast food breakfast customer, or simply looking for a quick meal before a road trip, click through the slides to discover which menu items may not be worth the convenience. less The most caloric fast food breakfast items According to a 2015 study, about 45 percent of Americans who choose to eat breakfast get their morning fix from a fast food joint. Whether you are a frequent fast ... more Photo: Killerb10, Getty Images Photo: Killerb10, Getty Images Image 1 of / 69 Caption Close The most caloric fast food breakfast items 1 / 69 Back to Gallery

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but preparing a healthy and nutritious meal in the hectic morning hours is easier said than done.

According to a 2015 study, about 45 percent of Americans who choose to eat breakfast get their morning fix from a fast food joint. While these options are certainly fast and delicious, eating an Egg McMuffin or a breakfast burrito daily is certainly not the most nutritious.

With this in mind, the data experts at HealthGrove, a nutrition data site by Graphiq, collected nutrition information from the breakfast menus of 13 popular fast food restaurants and ranked dishes based on calories in order to find the most deliciously caloric breakfasts. Menu items with 500 calories or greater made the list.

For cases in which multiple sizes of an item were available, the large size was considered, since large items tend to have more calories. For restaurants whose menus comprise more than breakfast, only the items specifically marketed as breakfast items were considered. Menu items with customizable factors were considered with their most caloric options. This list does not include beverages, limited-time products or regional items.

Carl's Jr. and Jack in the Box have the highest number of caloric breakfasts, with 10 and nine items respectively on the list. Burger King has the most items in the top 20 — ranging from burritos, breakfast sandwiches, platters and hash browns.

Whether you are a frequent fast food breakfast customer, or simply looking for a quick meal before a road trip, click through the slides to discover which menu items may not be worth the convenience.

Note: Ties were broken by fat content, followed by sodium content. Images on each slide do not necessarily depict the exact menu item.

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Alison O'Brien is an editorial intern at Graphiq and a student at UCSB. She writes about music, entertainment and just about everything else. When she's not writing, she enjoys discovering new music and traveling to unique places.