Ranked: The Unhealthiest Food Chains In America

Don’t get us wrong: there are lots of healthy dishes on the menu at Chick-fil-A. But you should consider what type of chicken you order. There are, for instance, 120 more calories in eight fried nuggets compared to the same number grilled. And if you’re trying to be good, watch out for the sides — they’re packed full of sugar. 

A handful of sandwiches on the Jimmy John’s menu can be near the 1,000-calorie mark. The deceptive Club Tuna and The Veggie are among the worst culprits. In fact, that first one on French bread contains 83 grams of fat if you get the 16-inch option. That’s more than the recommended daily amount of fat for an adult! So asking a server to remove some of the bread from the subs isn’t going to make them much healthier.

Eating like you’re in the Mediterranean may be good for you, but that’s sadly not the case when the dishes are given an American twist. Yep, health-conscious folks visiting Olive Garden may want to avoid anything that nonna wouldn’t dish out. The Fried Mozzarella with marinara contains 845 calories, for instance, and the Chocolate Brownie Lasagna will see you shovel a scary 103 grams of sugar down your throat.

There may be lots of veggies on Chipotle’s menu, but don’t let that fool you. The chain’s build-your-own technique can be difficult to navigate when you’re trying to be healthy. Topping your burrito or taco with guacamole, cheese, and sour cream, for example, will add 450 calories and 15.5 grams of saturated fat to your meal. And that’s even before you select your meat! 

In-N-Out prides itself on quality. Sadly, this doesn’t make the burgers any less calorific. Doubling, tripling, or even quadrupling up on patties is a popular trend at this restaurant chain, too. But as the more nutritionally conscious among you may know, buns can be swapped for lettuce wraps, which are of course a touch healthier. 

Sub shop Quiznos may look healthy from the outside — but quite a few of its menu items may well catch you out. Nearly all of the 12-inch subs on offer surpass the 1,000-calorie mark, and that’s before you add a drink and chips or a cookie. But here’s a top tip for folks trying to keep in good shape. Opt for lean-meat sandwiches such as the 8-inch Ultimate Turkey Club rather than, say, the Chipotle Steak and Cheddar, which has 15 grams more fat even when it’s the same size. 

Starbucks may have tried to jump on the health bandwagon with its protein boxes, but the drinks are still downright terrible for you. Shockingly, several of the chain’s beverages are more laden with sugar than a can of Coca-Cola. In 12 fluid ounces of Coke, you’ll find 39 grams of sugar. A venti chai tea latte, on the other hand? That contains a whopping 53 grams of the sweet stuff. Heartbreaking, we know. And we don't even want to think about anything pumpkin-spiced!  

Given that Subway’s motto is “Eat Fresh,” you’d be forgiven for assuming that its ingredients have been taken straight from the farm or field. But that simply isn’t the case. CBS News once said the chain’s meat is “a processed concoction of actual meat and lots of water that’s held together by things like modified food starch and soy protein concentrate and then goosed with artificial flavorings.” That doesn’t sound appetizing!

As burger joints go, Whataburger seems to be a little more accommodating to folks trying to be healthy. Dietician Barbie Cervoni found that the “salad, [kids’] burgers, taco wraps, and egg sandwiches” are on the lighter side. But she also stressed that these “choices still contain a considerable amount of calories, fat, and sodium.” They probably won’t leave you full for very long, either, meaning you’ll soon go raiding the snack cupboard.

Eating like a king at breakfast time is easy at IHOP. But know that if something sounds unhealthy, it probably is. Take the New York Cheesecake Pancakes, for example. In just a four-stack, there are 34 grams of fat and a whopping 2,200 milligrams of sodium — nearly all your recommended salt intake. There are much better ways to start your day, though they may not be as delicious...

“Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. Papa John's.” Despite that slogan, the chain still hasn’t figured out how to make its pizzas any “better” for you than its competitors. Extra-large pies tend to contain anywhere from 300 to 440 calories per slice. So, yep, devouring every last crumb will push you well over your recommended daily calorie intake.

What list of unhealthy eateries doesn’t mention McDonald’s? Not this one, that’s for sure. The burgers may not be oozing with melted cheese and fat, but that doesn’t make them any better for you. There are over 1,000 calories in a medium Big Mac meal with Coke, for example. Best not think about the time you ordered that and a 20-piece McChicken ShareBox when you had the munchies.

Taco Bell may have become a bit healthier in recent years, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement. According to nutritionist Lisa Richards, the Quesarito is the menu item to avoid. Unlike other burritos, it doesn’t contain any veggies — just high-fat fillings such as cheese and sour cream. And as each taco comes in at roughly 200 calories, you’ll want to be careful how many of those you pack away, too. 

Everyone knows that there’s a separate stomach for dessert — especially ice cream, which just seems to glide down so easily. If only it was as light in calories as it feels in our bellies! At Baskin-Robbins, some flavors come in at 200 calories per scoop. And with so many varieties to choose from, it’s almost impossible to stick to just one.

When most of the food on the menu is beige, you know it’s probably not going to be that good for you. Delicious, don’t get us wrong, but not the most nutritious. Popular mains at Culver’s include the North Atlantic Cod Dinner, which will set you back 1,125 calories for a three-piece, and the Butterburger Cheese, which contains 700 calories if you choose two patties. And how can you resist the restaurant’s mouth-wateringly smooth custard scoops for dessert?

No one goes to Burger King intending to be healthy. You’d be faced with a challenge if you did. The Bacon King comes in at an astonishing 2,102 calories, while the Spicy Ch’King Sandwich is 950 calories and the Whopper around 650 — more if you add cheese. If none of these tickle your fancy, there’s always the Chicken Garden Salad. But then again, that’s still 870 calories a portion. So, in all honesty, you may as well have the burger.

Eating healthily is possible at Domino’s. But it means ordering a cheeseless thin-crust pizza with either mushrooms, peppers, onion, or spinach. Pretty gross, right? Much better looking is the Cheeseburger Pizza. And just a quarter of the small version – yes, only a quarter – comes in at 400 calories.

You’d think Texas Roadhouse would use the grill for most of its dishes, right? But it seems the chain simply can’t get enough of the deep fryer, which isn’t going to do your waistline any favors. Its special whole fried onion is packed with calories and fat, and that’s before you even touch the dipping sauce.

White Castle’s tiny sliders appear to be relatively healthy — 140 calories a pop, to be precise. But going there starving could quite easily end in diet disaster — especially if you can’t block out the voice in your head saying, “Just one more won’t hurt.” At 1,000 calories, the Original Slider Combo is just about okay for one person. But would you resist the temptation to go back for more? That’s the question.

Just looking at that melted provolone cheese is enough to get your mouth watering. Surely anything this tasty can’t be good for you? Well, in this case, sadly that’s the truth. The large Chicken Philly at Charleys will see you put away 1,100 calories in one sitting. Plus, rather worryingly, this menu item on its own contains well over half of your recommended daily cholesterol allowance. Don’t forget to check the fine print!

Jack in the Box’s drive-thru may seem like the perfect place to pick up some chow — but perhaps not if you’re on a diet. When financial news website 24/7 Wall St. took a closer look at the menu, it found that eight of the burgers each have the entire recommended daily amount of saturated fat for adults. And don’t be deceived by the salad section, either. Jack’s Chicken Teriyaki Bowl contains a ton of sodium and 34 grams of sugar — and that’s with brown rice, too!

Juicy patties. Applewood smoked bacon. Crispy fried onions. Pickled jalapeños. These are just some of the delicious ingredients Wendy’s stuffs into its burgers. And so it’ll probably come as no surprise that a handful of the chain’s sandwiches topple way over the 1,000-calorie mark. Even worse, the Baconator contains a whopping 27 grams of saturated fat. Oof!

There’s nothing quite like a trip to Cracker Barrel to warm the cockles of your heart — and fill your stomach! But when eating those homespun classics, it’s relatively easy to reach your fat and calorie quota for the day in just one sitting. The Pecan Pancakes alone have 1,130 calories, for instance. And the popular Southern Fried Chicken is 1,640 calories without any sides!

On a hot summer’s day, Dairy Queen’s Blizzards are just too tempting to resist. So if you’re trying to be good, it’s best to take a detour. A large Brownie Batter Blizzard Treat contains an astonishing 1,390 calories and 63 grams of fat. And that’s before you add your burger and fries!

The unhealthiest pie at Pizza Hut comes in at a jaw-dropping 470 calories a slice. And yes, you guessed it: it happens to be the option with the thickest, doughiest base and the meatiest topping. A thin crust slice of the Buffalo Chicken pizza is only 250 calories, however. So, you know what to pick if you’re on a health kick!

Chicken is protein, right? Well, yes, but it turns out it’s not that good for you when smothered in the Colonel’s secret coating and deep-fried. There are 390 calories in a regular original recipe chicken breast alone. And we all know you’re going to want some fries, a macaroni salad, and a large Pepsi with that.

Chefs at Smashburger smush the patties onto a red-hot griddle — hence the name. But that process unfortunately doesn’t squeeze out much of the bad stuff. The Double BBQ Bacon Cheddar contains a hefty 32 grams of saturated fat, for instance. Opting for a salad won’t do you any favors, either. The BBQ Ranch has 1,400 milligrams of sodium — close to two-thirds your recommended amount for the day.

A sandwich may seem like a healthy lunch option — but not when it’s bought from Arby’s, it seems. The chain has no fewer than 32 meal options available to choose from, but only six of those are under 1,000 calories. And a 2015 study by 24/7 Wall St. found trans fats in 33 percent of the chain’s menu items. That’s the kind of fat that can lead to a whole host of nasty illnesses.

Applebee’s may have a fruit in its name, but that doesn’t mean the food there is good for you! Yes, there are some lighter options, but the mammoth portion sizes may catch you out. The pasta dishes come in at 1,310 to 1,420 calories, for example. And enjoying the Oriental Chicken Salad by yourself will cost you 1,570 calories — three-quarters of your recommended daily intake. No, not all salads are healthy!

No, pizza isn’t the healthiest, but a Little Caesars pie can be really bad for you. A large Stuffed Crust Pepperoni comes in at 3,030 calories — well over the recommended daily allowance. And we all know we can eat a whole one by ourselves now, don’t we? To make your order a little better, opt for a thin crust and veggies instead of meat.

When it comes to maintaining your health, sugar is the enemy. And, sadly, you’ll find lots of it at Dunkin’. The chain’s donuts contain anything up to 26 grams of the sweet stuff each, and the recommended daily limit for women is 24 grams. But it gets even worse when it comes to the drinks. Some frozen coffees contain a scary 185 grams of sugar just by themselves!

There’s a reason the food at Five Guys tastes so darn good. Yes, it’s all that salt and fat. The menu’s pretty caloric, too. At 1,060 calories, the Bacon Cheeseburger alone is more than half of your recommended daily intake. And what’s a burger without a side of fries? Adding a regular portion to your order will set you back another 953 calories and 41 grams of fat. Maybe best saved for a cheat day, then, eh?

Can you even go to TCF without tucking into one of its delicious cheesecakes? We didn’t think so. And we’re sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the desserts here are just as unhealthy as they look — containing anywhere from 570 to 1,600 calories per regular-sized slice. Yep, that’s per slice.

When a restaurant specializes in burgers, biscuits, and breaded chicken, you know a trip there isn’t going to be the best for your health. And you probably won’t be surprised to hear that the Really Big Hardee burger contains more than 1,100 calories. But you should watch out for the taco salads. As dietician Patricia Bannan puts it, "The fried tortilla bowl, cheddar cheese, and sour cream add nearly a day's worth of sodium, fat, and saturated fat.”

Think Popeyes’ chicken tastes better than KFC? You may be right, but that doesn’t make it any healthier. The popular Classic Chicken Sandwich contains just under 700 calories. Add a biscuit and some Cajun Fries, and you’re looking at a helluva load of fat and an eye-popping amount of sodium – 2,465 milligrams, to be exact. Did you see what we did there?

It’s no mean feat to create a burger that contains more than 1,000 calories. They’re only so wide, after all. But Carl’s Jr. has pulled it off — and more than once. Ordering fries and an ice-cream shake with one of its topping-stuffed burgers will fill your daily calorie quota in no time. Plus, if you see trans fats mentioned in an item’s nutritional information, it’s probably best to avoid it like the plague!

Chicken wings are bite-sized, and that means it doesn’t take much to pack a lot away. It also means it won’t be long before you exceed what you’re meant to eat in a day. Just 12 of Buffalo Wild Wings’ Original Buffalo Traditional Wings contain around 1,080 calories, 21 grams of saturated fat, and a seriously unhealthy amount of sodium. And that’s without a side of fries and a beer.

The only greenery you’ll find at Checkers is the thin layer of lettuce it puts in its burgers. And so you probably won’t be surprised to hear that the Smoky BBQ Bacon Buford has a staggering 35 grams of saturated fat. Though, let’s be honest, the milkshakes are where it’s at — especially the chocolate one. At a whopping 720 calories, the large size is practically a meal in itself.

Rather scarily, many of the meals at Chili’s top 1,000 calories. Some even surpass the 2,000 mark! The Honey-Chipotle Crispers & Waffles come in at 2,590, for instance. And even the Lunch Chicken Fajitas, which sound innocent enough, contain a crazy 1,220 calories. That delicious White Spinach Queso, too? That’s 1,430 calories — and that’s only an appetizer...

The 2015 study carried out by 24/7 Wall St. named Sonic as America’s unhealthiest restaurant. Why? Well, for one, it found that half of the dishes on offer each contained more than 10 grams of saturated fat. There was at least a gram of trans fats in almost 50 percent of the meals, too.