Worst Fast Food Choices

By now, it's probably not news to you that most fast food choices are bad for your health. Packed with artery-clogging, heart-attack-causing amounts of calories, fat and sodium, many fast food items are essentially death traps in little cardboard boxes. 


While most fast food chains have added "healthy" or "light" items to their menus over the past couple of years, an opposite trend can also be observed: Many of them are also producing new menu choices with a record high amount of calories, fat and sodium. These companies defend the availability of these unhealthy items by saying they "meet an important demand." 


Don't get sucked in. You'll be putting yourself at risk for obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and many more unsightly diseases, many of which can kill you. In an effort to help you make decent fast food choices, I have picked some of the worst fast foods on the market and provided all the essential nutritional information.If grams of fat and calories mean nothing to you, use these numbers as a guide. 

The average 180-pound male should consume (per day):

• Approximately 2,160 calories 
• 248g to 270g of carbohydrates 
• Approximately 65g of protein 
• 60g or less of fat 
• An absolute maximum of 2,400mg of sodium 

Keep those guidelines in mind when you take a look at the following astounding nutrition facts.

Breakfast 
Order CaloriesFat (saturated fat) Carbs ProteinSodium
Burger King Omelet Sandwich 730 47g (17g) 43g 32g 1,860mg 
Carl's Jr. Breakfast Burger 830 46g (15g) 65g 38g N/A 
Denny's Fabulous French Toast Platter 1,261 79g (30g) 110g 44g 2,495mg 
Denny's French Slam 1,196 83g (29g) 74g 48g 2,302mg 

Burgers 
Order Calories Fat (saturated fat) Carbs Protein Sodium 
Hardee's Monster Thickburger 1,417 107g (46g) 49g 64g 2,651mg 
Burger King Double Whopper with Cheese 1,060 69g (27g) 53g 56g 1,540mg 
Wendy's Big Bacon Classic 580 29g (12g) 45g 33g 1,430mg 
McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese 770 47g (20g) 39g 46g 1,440mg 

Find out which sandwiches and pizzas will damage your waistline most... 

Sandwiches 
Order CaloriesFat (saturated fat) Carbs ProteinSodium 
Arby's Roast Beef Sub 760 48g (16g) 47g 35g 2,230mg 
Subway 6" Double Meat Meatball Marinara Sub 780 41g (18g) 61g 35g 1,760mg 

Other 
Order CaloriesFat (saturated fat) Carbs ProteinSodium 
Pizza Hut Meat Lover's Stuffed Crust Pizza (2 slices) 900 42g (20g) 86g 42g 2,500mg 
Taco Bell Nachos BellGrande 780 43g (13g) 80g 20g 1,300mg 
Wendy's Chicken BLT Salad 710 47.5g (13g) 30g 36g 1,610mg 

As you can see, certain fast food items contain more fat and calories than some people eat in an entire day. For example, the Hardee's Monster Thickburger contains an unbelievable 1,417 calories and 107g of fat — almost double the maximum recommended amount of fat per day. And breakfasts can be almost as bad: Denny's French Slam has an astounding 1,196 calories and 83g of fat. 

However, the surprising find is that even items that seem healthy can be packed with calories, fat, sodium, and other unhealthy things. For example, a seemingly innocent Chicken BLT Salad at Wendy's packs 710 calories and 48g of fat, which is more than ¾ of the maximum daily amount of fat. 

Also, don't be fooled by Subway's "healthy" image. While it is true that they do have many healthy choices, some of their sandwiches are just as bad as any other fast food. You really want to stay away from that Double Meat Meatball Marinara Sub — if a six-incher contains 780 calories and 41g of fat, imagine the 12 inch. 

Just say NO!!!

Let's be honest; you don't really need to supersize your meal or have the double version of your favorite burger with extra cheese. Why don't you try holding the mayo, having the salad or getting the kiddie size? Don't miss the next Eating Well installment, which will cover the healthiest fast food choices. Your arteries and heart — not to mention your butt — will thank you.