Introduction
Fast food is a quick and easy option if you are in a rush to get somewhere important or if you don’t have time to cook a meal. It’s fine to grab a quick meal at your local fast food drive-thru if you are in a rush to go somewhere, but it’s not good to get it all the time. You may not realize what you are eating when you’re in a rush, but most fast food drive-thrus are very unhealthy. A lot of the food that they serve is loaded with salt, grease, and a lot of other fat-inducing ingredients. Having fast food too often is a very unhealthy habit. But when you are in a rush and have to choose a fast food drive-thru to get a burger and fries from, which fast food chain would be the overall healthiest?
McDonald’s
McDonald’s is known for its famous variety of burgers like the BigMac and the QuarterPounder. But they aren’t exactly the healthiest items to order from the menu. A BigMac has 580 calories, 45g of total carbs, 34g of total fat, and 1060mg of sodium. A QuarterPounder has 520 calories, 42g of total carbs, 26g of total fat, and 1140mg of sodium. These factors show that McDonald’s burgers are unhealthy and full of a bunch of salt and fat. Not to mention, if someone orders a side of fries with their meal and a sugary drink, it adds to the amount of calories that you are eating. McDonald’s burgers already have a lot of calories and sodium in them alone without a drink and a side of fries. A healthy choice on the McDonald’s menu is their salads, but unfortunately, they were discontinued in 2020 due to low demand, which caused McDonald’s to take them off their menu. Healthy choices on the McDonald’s menu in 2025 include Apple Slices, Fruit & Maple Oatmeal, and drinks like water, unsweetened iced tea, and 1% low-fat milk.
Burger King
Burger King is primarily known for its burgers, hence the name of the fast food chain. One of the burgers that Burger King is widely known for is the Whopper. It has 660 Calories, 40g of total fat, 980mg of sodium, and 49g of total carbs. While it isn’t as bad of an option compared to McDonald’s BigMac and QuarterPounder, it still isn’t quite the healthiest burger that you can get. Aside from the burgers, there are also different sides you can get alongside your order. These options consist of French Fries, Onion Rings, Mozzarella Sticks, as well as many other options. A medium serving of French Fries has 380 calories, 16g of total fat, 58g of total carbs, and 360mg of sodium. A medium serving of Onion Rings has 410 calories, 21g of total fat, 53g of total carbs, and 1080mg of sodium. A medium serving of Mazzorella Sticks has 330 calories, 14g of total fat, and 820mg of sodium. Similarly, like McDonald’s, Burger King unfortunately discontinued their salads in the US in 2022, but you can still order them in other places around the world like the United Kingdom, parts of Europe, Asia and Latin America. Healthy drinks at Burger King include bottled water, unsweetened iced tea and you can substitute regular sugary soda with a diet soda.
Wendy’s
Wendy’s is one of if not the most unhealthiest fast food chains. The Triple Baconator burger consists of 1360 calories, 1540mg of sodium, 63g of total fat, and 47g of total carbs. Not to mention, that is just the burger alone with no sides. If you order a side of fries and a Frosty with the burger, it passes the daily calorie limit of 2000. A medium serving size of fries from Wendy’s is 350 calories and a Frosty has 393 calories in it. If you combine the calories in the Triple Baconator, fires, and the Frosty, it totals out to 2103 calories in total which is over the daily limit of 2000 calories. On top of all of that, the food from Wendy’s has a lot of salt and grease on it (at least from my experience), which can lead to problems later in life like high blood pressure which can increase your risk of having a heart attack. Fortunately, Wendy’s also has healthy items like a variety of different salads, grilled chicken sandwiches, plain baked potatoes, chili, and the grilled chicken wrap. Wendy’s also serves healthy drinks like bottled water, unsweetened iced tea, zero-sugar minute maid, and you can substitute sugary soda with their various diet soda flavors.
Chick-Fil-A
Chick-Fil-A is known for their chicken sandwiches and their grilled chicken. The sandwich with the most calories is the Pretzel Cheddar Club Sandwich with Spicy Filet which has 720 calories which is low compared to the other fast food chains in this list. Not to mention, most of the chicken at Chick-Fil-A is grilled which makes it healthier than the saturated greasy chicken at other fast food chains. Another upside about Chick-Fil-A is that they serve salads. Most fast food chains like McDonald’s or Burger King discontinued their salads a few years ago. Salad is a very healthy alternative to ordering a greasy burger with salty fries on the side because salad contains a lot of vegetables in it which is very good for you. Eating salad can help you maintain a healthy weight management, can lower risk of certain cancers, heart disease, and diabetes. It can also help you live a longer life. Salad also has a lot of vitamins and minerals in it, which contain a lot of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E which can help improve eyesight and make your immune system stronger to fight off diseases. Chick-Fil-A also has a lot of healthy sides such as fruit cups, side salads, Chicken noodle soup, apple sauce, and a kale crunch side. There are many more healthy sides. Healthy drinks at Chick-Fil-A consist of unsweet tea, unsweetened iced tea, diet lemonade, bottled water, Honest Kids Apple Juice, 1% milk, and many more healthy drink options.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you are in a rush for a work meeting and have to pick up a quick meal along the way, then your best bet would be to stop at Chick-Fil-A. Chick-Fil-A has the most healthy options and they have a wide variety of healthy salads and sides. Most of the chicken that they serve is grilled, which is better than and less fat-inducing like the chicken served at many other fast food chains such as McDonald’s and Wendy’s. The food at Chick-Fil-A also has a very low amount of calories compared to a lot of the food at Wendy’s that exceeds the daily calorie intake limit. The nutritious salads at Chick-Fil-A can lower risks of certain diseases and can improve your immune system strength. Unlike the high calorie items served at other fast food chains. Chick-Fil-A is overall one of the healthiest fast food chains.
LINKS:
https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/about-our-food/nutrition-calculator.html
https://order.wendys.com/categories?site=menu&lang=en_US
http://originqa.bk.com/pdfs/nutrition.pdf
https://www.chick-fil-a.com/nutrition-allergens
https://www.eatingwell.com/article/8035429/is-salad-good-for-you/
