This Fast Food Chain Is America’s Unhealthiest Right Now
Fast food is quick, cheap, and everywhere, but not every menu is same. At some chains, a single order can carry more calories, sodium, and fat than most people should eat in an entire day. Here’s a closer look at 20 chains where the numbers are especially heavy, and why they keep landing on “unhealthiest” lists.
Buffalo Wild Wings
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Ten traditional wings with sauce come in at roughly 900 calories before you even add fries or ranch. The flavor you choose changes the total, but no matter the combo, the calories and sodium stack up quickly.
Checkers & Rally’s
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Drive-thru favorites here are built for size, not balance. A loaded burger paired with fries and a shake can push past 2,000 calories. Fried oil and rich sauces keep fat and sodium levels sky high, even on sandwiches that look modest.
Chili’s
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Chili’s is technically a sit-down restaurant, but many of its locations operate like fast-food establishments. The burgers and creamy pastas are high in sodium. Their dessert menu doesn’t hold back either, with items topping 1,200 calories apiece. Even salads often arrive buried under fried toppings and dressings.
Five Guys
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Freshly made doesn’t always mean healthier. Five Guys loads on calories with oversized patties and generous cheese. A bacon cheeseburger with regular fries adds up to nearly 1,500 calories. Add a milkshake, and you’re easily over 2,000. Peanuts at the counter may seem wholesome, but they’re not balancing that burger.
Pizza Hut
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Deep-dish crust, extra cheese, and buttery garlic breadsticks are Pizza Hut staples. A single Meat Lover’s Personal Pan Pizza runs around 900 calories. Most pies contain high amounts of saturated fat, and dipping sauces don’t help. Even one breadstick with cheese sauce adds excessive calories to your tab.
Carl’s Jr.
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At Carl’s Jr., it doesn’t take much to turn a single meal into a nutritional overload. The Monster burger runs about 1,300 calories with two patties, bacon, and cheese, plus nearly 40 grams of saturated fat. Add onion rings or a shake, and one order can hit the daily limit for many diets.
White Castle
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Small sliders can be misleading. Four cheese sliders alone approach 1,000 calories, and the numbers climb higher with fried sides like Chicken Rings or Fish Nibblers. A standard combo with fries and a drink often lands around 1,500 calories, showing how quickly the chain’s bite-sized portions scale into a heavy meal.
Wingstop
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Chicken wings aren’t exactly diet food, but Wingstop leans especially hard on sauces and sides. Ten garlic parmesan wings pack over 1,000 calories and nearly 3,000 mg of sodium. Add seasoned fries and ranch, and the meal crosses unhealthy territory fast. Most combos don’t offer much balance beyond soda.
Dairy Queen
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A large Oreo Blizzard contains over 1,000 calories and more than 40 grams of fat. Meals like the triple cheeseburger combo push that number higher. Even the chicken strips, seemingly mild, come breaded and fried with rich sauces.
Sonic Drive-In
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Sonic’s menu mixes nostalgic drive-in vibes with heavy indulgence. The SuperSONIC Bacon Double Cheeseburger alone tops 1,200 calories. Chili cheese tots and a shake spiral the calorie count more. Even breakfast isn’t spared—a sausage and egg croissant sandwich adds more than 700 calories before noon hits.
Panda Express
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The “lighter” image of stir-fry and rice doesn’t match reality. Orange Chicken alone is 490 calories in a small serving. Combine it with chow mein or fried rice and a second entrée, and plates cross 1,000 calories. Sugary sauces and fried prep keep the totals climbing.
Little Caesars
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Cheap and fast doesn’t always mean light. One slice of a 3 Meat Treat pizza runs around 350 calories, and no one rarely stops at one. Two slices plus Crazy Bread and sauce quickly hit 1,200. Cheese-heavy crusts and greasy toppings don’t leave much room for moderation.
Wendy’s
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Wendy’s Big Bacon Classic Triple with fries and a Frosty hits over 2,000 calories. Their chicken sandwich line also packs sodium, and breakfast biscuits come with nearly 500 calories each. Portion sizes keep everything oversized.
Taco Bell
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A Nachos Bel Grande has over 740 calories and 1,050 mg of sodium. Crunchwraps, quesadillas, and tacos can quickly build toward unhealthy territory, especially when accompanied by extra cheese or sour cream. Most meals aren’t filled without several key ingredients, which increases overall intake.
Baskin-Robbins
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A trip to Baskin-Robbins is a sugar overload. A large milkshake can climb past 1,000 calories, and sundaes with whipped cream and fudge go higher. Even a double scoop of premium flavors hovers near 600 calories before toppings.
KFC
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A three-piece Extra Crispy box with sides and a drink often runs past 1,200 calories, and heavier plates with gravy or mac and cheese can edge close to 2,000. Even KFC’s sandwiches, like the Classic Chicken, deliver high calories and sodium, making it one of the heavier options among major chains.
Jack in the Box
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Jack in the Box combines burgers, tacos, and fried snacks under one roof. The Ultimate Cheeseburger contains over 820 calories, and loaded curly fries push the total over 1,500. The late-night menu features items like the Stacked Grilled Cheeseburger Munchie Meal, which can top 1,800 calories in one sitting.
Hardee’s
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Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. share menus, but some Hardee’s locations go even bigger on portions. The 2/3 lb. Monster Thickburger hits nearly 1,500 calories, plus 3,000 mg of sodium. Their breakfast platters are no better, with loaded omelets and biscuits coming in around 800 calories each.
Burger King
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Burger King’s Whopper is already hefty, and the Triple Whopper with cheese soars past 1,200 calories. Their breakfast options, like the Fully Loaded Croissan’wich, don’t hold back either. Sides such as mozzarella sticks and onion rings only compound the numbers. The overall menu leans hard into fried and processed ingredients.
The Cheesecake Factory
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The Cheesecake Factory lands last for a reason. Their menu is notorious for oversized portions and calorie-dense recipes. The Pasta Napoletana packs 2,310 calories and 79 grams of saturated fat. Many cheesecakes exceed 1,200 calories per slice. Even salads, like the Caesar with chicken, can top 1,300.