10 High-Calorie Fast Food Items To Stop Eating & 10 Low-Calorie Items To Grab Every Time
10 High-Calorie Fast Food Items To Stop Eating & 10 Low-Calorie Items To Grab Every Time
Leave Your Guilt at the Door
On a good day, fast food isn’t the healthiest option. Our go-to faves are packed with calories, fat, and grease—and while that’s never stopped us before, it should encourage us to try lower-calorie items instead. That said, here are 10 of the highest-calorie fast food items out there, and 10 lower-calorie items to opt for in their place.
1. Wendy’s Loaded Nacho Triple Cheeseburger
Ground beef, check. Nachos, check. Cheese? Also, check. One little problem with all this: anyone who braves eating it tacks on 1,280 calories to their daily intake. Toss in fries and a drink, and you’re looking at a meal with nearly enough calories for the entire day.
2. McDonald’s Big Mac
Let he who is without Big Mac cast the first bun. While we’ve all likely indulged in this at least once, it’s best kept off our regular menu as it packs a whopping 590 calories—and that’s without any sides. You can also toss in additional toppings, like bacon or more cheese, which only makes it worse.
3. Taco Bell Nacho BellGrande
We hope you’re sharing this with someone because going it alone means at least 740 calories in one sitting. Chips, ground beef, and refried beans are just half your problem—hungry customers can also tack on seasoned rice, potatoes, and steak! Sure, it’s loaded with all the goodness you’d expect from nachos, but at what cost?
4. Five Guys Bacon Cheeseburger
A bacon cheeseburger scratches an itch no other can. However, you’re looking at a hefty caloric price because Five Guys’ version clocks in around 1,060 calories. Factor in a side of fries, even a small one, and that’s another 500+ calories.
5. Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad
We need to give up the idea that fast food salads are healthy. Even if you grab this without meat, Chick-fil-A’s Cobb salad easily runs 580 calories. Add some protein, though, and it can skyrocket to nearly 900 calories—we’re looking at you, Chick-n Strips.
6. Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s Pizza
No matter how you slice this pie, it packs a serious caloric punch. A personal pizza alone is 710 calories, and if you upgrade to a 9” (which is a small) it’ll run roughly 230 calories per slice. With six slices in a small pizza, you’re looking at 1,380 calories.
7. Subway Meatball Marinara
The next time you’re jonesing for a meatball sub, take a quick moment to reconsider. A 6” from Subway already tips 400 calories, making a footlong 800 calories without any add-ons or a different kind of bread. Many customers opt for more cheese or heavier sauce, too, which slaps on even more calories.
Provided by Subway on Wikimedia
8. In-N-Out Double-Double
Skip the in—it’s best to leave this one out. Two beef patties, cheese, onions, and a secret spread all lead to nearly 600 calories in this double-double burger. Toss in a side of fries and that’s another 360 calories.
9. Chipotle Chicken Burrito
Who doesn’t love a good burrito once in a while? With so many options available, it’s a meal you make your own every time. But keep that in mind next time you head to Chipotle because a chicken burrito can easily run you 1,000 calories. We know you aren't stopping with the basic toppings either!
G. Edward Johnson on Wikimedia
10. Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich
Without any sides, a Popeye’s chicken sandwich is 700 calories, making it one of the highest-calorie items on their menu. Throw fries and a biscuit (which, for some reason, they force on you) into the mix and the number climbs to a staggering 1,180.
Thankfully, not all fast food is deep-fried equally. If you’re still craving that little paper bag, let’s dive into some low-calorie options to explore next time you’re out.
1. Chick-fil-A Nuggets
Did you know that eight nuggets from Chick-fil-A only have about 250 calories? Opting for small fries spikes the count by an additional 320 calories, but you’re still looking at a good meal for fewer calories than some individual items. Let's face it—we're all going there for the nuggets, anyway.
jill, jellidonut... whatever from Seattle WA, USA on Wikimedia
2. Taco Bell Beef Crunchy Taco
At its core, the Beef Crunchy Taco is only 170 calories. Even if you were to add another sauce, it won’t run you more than 30 calories max. So long as you keep away from the hefty ingredients, this menu item is one you can indulge in without any guilt.
Lenin and McCarthy on Wikimedia
3. Wendy’s Jr. Burger
It’s true, you won’t get the same helping as a regular Wendy’s burger, but those watching their caloric intake can turn to a junior size for something close. A junior is 250 calories, and even if you wanted to grab some cheese, the number only climbs to 290.
Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States on Wikimedia
4. Starbucks Spinach Wrap
At first glance, it doesn’t look like Starbucks’ spinach, feta, and egg white wrap is very filling. However, you can score 19g of protein for only 290 calories. There isn't much room for customization, either, so you're left with a pretty solid choice that's bound to keep you full.
5. Burger King Hamburger
BK is an optimal choice for burger lovers, but maybe not an optimal choice for those on a diet. Plenty of their burgers top 1,000 calories, however, downgrading to a small one only costs 250 calories. Even a small bacon cheeseburger only tips 339 calories.
6. Dairy Queen Hot Dog
When you think about DQ, you probably don't think about their hot eats. Well, you may want to turn away from the blizzards to indulge in a classic hot dog instead! They clock in at about 330 calories, and while the fat content is nothing to celebrate, the low calories cushion the blow.
7. Subway Veggie Delite Salad
Not every fast food joint offers a decent salad, but Subway got it right. With nothing more than your traditional vegetable fixings, it’s easy to see why their Veggie Delite is only 50 calories. It’s obviously not a full-blown meal, but it does nicely as a light snack or side.
8. McDonald’s Hamburger
You can soothe that McDonald’s craving with their classic hamburger, especially since it’s 250 calories. The only toppings you have to worry about are mustard, pickles, ketchup, and onion—hardly worse than other available options. Just don't stick any cheese on it and you're in the clear.
Filippos Fragkogiannis on Wikimedia
9. Panera Asian Sesame With Chicken
Don't let the idea of a fast food salad scare you! Just half an Asian sesame salad from Panera provides 14g of protein for only 200 calories. Juicy chicken pieces on a bed of greens, all for reasonable calories? Count us in.
10. In-N-Out Burger With Onion
The odd trip to In-N-Out is fine, just swap out the double-double burger for their classic one. It still teeters on the higher end at 360 calories, but it’s far better on the stomach without all that extra stuff.
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