When you pull into a drive-thru, you’re probably not planning on counting calories. While there’s nothing wrong with indulging in your favorite fast food treats from time to time, it’s no secret that those menus aren’t really loaded with the healthiest things you can eat.
It’s important to note that calories aren’t the biggest indicator of health, as registered dietitian Lauren Manaker says we should pay more attention to saturated fat and sodium when it comes to fast food. But knowledge is power, especially when placing your order. So “Delish” has done the research to find out the highest calorie fast food menu items in the U.S. today.
- Taco Bell: Caliente Cantina Chicken Crispy Taco Meal - Taco Bell does have a lot of low-cal options, but this isn’t one of them. This new meal can set you back anywhere from 900 to 1,180 calories, depending on how you order it.
- Five Guys: Large Fries - Sure, they’re tasty, but a large order of them has 1,310 calories.
- McDonald’s: Big Breakfast With Hotcakes - There’s a lot in this meal, it’s a biscuit, sausage, scrambled eggs, a hash brown, hotcakes, and real butter and maple syrup, but it’s a calorie bomb at 1,340.
- Burger King: Triple Whopper With Bacon & Cheese - Those three burger patties, cheese, bacon, pickles, onions, lettuce and tomato add up to a total of 1,350 calories.
- Wendy’s: Triple Mushroom Bacon Cheeseburger - Another mega burger tops the list of high-calorie items at Wendy’s. This one features three beef patties, roasted mushrooms, muenster cheese and applewood smoked bacon, and it also has 1,350 calories. But that’s a lot less than the Wendy’s Nuggs Party Pack, which has 3,530 calories in those 50 chicken nuggets.
- Dairy Queen: Peanut Butter Puppy Chow Blizzard Treat - A large one of these frozen desserts has even more calories than those triple burgers, with 1,360.
- Shake Shack: Double Down Fries - These fries are topped with cheese sauce, spicy cherry peppers and smoked bacon, bringing the calorie count to 1,910 for the side alone.
- Hardees: Double Hardee’s Frisco Combo - There’s a lot of food here, two quarter-pound Angus beef patties, crispy bacon, Swiss cheese, tomatoes, and mayo on sourdough bread, plus a soda and fries, so it’s not that surprising that the calories for the combo total 2,160.
- Carl's Jr.: Maxxl Double El Diablo Combo - And the prize for the highest calorie fast food item goes to this meal, which includes two burger patties, bacon, jalapeño poppers, pepper jack cheese, jalapeño coins, and habanero ranch sauce, plus fries and a Blood Orange Baller beverage. All that adds up to over 2,200 calories.
Source: Delish
Scott's Thoughts:
- So, maybe don’t hit the drive-thru for these every day!
- My McDonald's App has been pulling me in on free fries Friday!
- Fast food addiction to me is like being addicted to crack for an addict!
Speaking of fast food...
McD’s Employing AI To Decrease Wait Times
Artificial intelligence is coming to 43K McDonald’s restaurants. The tech makeovers are being made in an attempt to “cut wait times and make a better experience for both customers and employees.” Upgrades will begin with “internet-connected kitchen equipment.” From there, AI-powered drive-throughs and tools for managers will be used to “help make sure orders are accurate and so restaurants can predict equipment issues before they shut down.” We’re looking at you, ice cream machine.
Source: NY Post