Convenience and price are often top of mind when we're eating on the go, making fast food restaurants a common stop for those needing a quick bite while out and about.
Though it's no secret that fast food is not exactly healthy, not all menu items and restaurant chains are created equal.
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Recent data from pricelisto.com analyzed the nutritional value of menu items at 47 different restaurant chains in the U.S., ranking them to discover the most caloric option at each restaurant.
Perhaps more notable than the chains that lead the list are the ones that don't. Despite being three of the most popular fast food chains in the country, Chicago-based McDonald's, Burger King and KFC all avoided the top 10.
Topping the infamous list was Hardee's with their Fried Chicken 12 piece and six biscuits, coming in at a whopping 6,490 calories, more than triple the daily recommended amount.
Taking second place was Papa John's "Philly Cheesesteak XL Stuffed Crust," amounting to a staggering 4,590 calories.
Closing out the top three are nachos from Moe's with all the toppings, which totals 4,334 calories, not too far behind the heaviest option from Papa John's.
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Other chains landing in the top 10 include Little Caesars, Pizza Hut, Buffalo Wild Wings and Jimmy John's, all offering menu options in excess of 2,000 calories.
As for how the most recognizable chains fared, Subway's most caloric option eclipsed all of McDonald's, Burger King and KFC, with two options at 1,720 calories, good for 13th place.
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Burger King's "Bacon King Burger" finished right behind Subway in 14th place, with that sandwich packing 1,710 calories.
McDonald's closed out the top 20 with their "Big Breakfast with Hotcakes," which clocks in at 1,340 calories.
As for KFC, the world-famous fried chicken chain didn't appear until near the bottom of the list, with a Chicken Pot Pie coming in at 720 calories, 44th out of 47 chains ranked.
The full list of chains and their most caloric menu item can be found below:
Rank | Restaurant | Item | Calories |
1 | Hardee's | Fried Chicken 12 Piece & 6 Biscuits | 6490 |
2 | Papa John's | Philly Cheesesteak Xxl Stuffed Crust | 4590 |
3 | Moe's | Nachos | 4334 |
4 | Little Caesars | Detroit Style Deep Dish Specialty Pizza, 5 Meat Feast | 3500 |
5 | Pizza Hut | Loaded Pepperoni Feast Large Cheesy Bites Pizza | 3153 |
6 | Buffalo Wild Wings | 30 Count Traditional Wings (Drums Only) | 2240 |
7 | Jimmy John's | The J.J. Gargantuan | 2160 |
8 | Checkers and Rally’s | 20 Pc Classic Wings (Garlic Parmesan) | 2040 |
9 | Culvers | 3 Piece Northwoods Walleye Dinner | 1930 |
10 | Shake Shack | Double Down Fries | 1910 |
11 | Freddy's | Lrg Signature Turtle Concrete Frozen Custard | 1820 |
12 | Zaxby's | Large Wings & Things (No Sauce) | 1768 |
13 | Subway | Big Hot Pastrami Wrap/Bacon, Egg & Cheese/8" Pizza Meatball | 1720 |
14 | Burger King | Bacon King Burger | 1710 |
15 | McAlister's Deli | Big & Bold Sandwich The Italian (12-Inch) | 1620 |
16 | Sonic Drive-In | Large Oreo Peanut Butter Shake | 1580 |
17 | Firehouse Subs | Large Smokehouse Beef & Cheddar Brisket | 1500 |
18 | Dairy Queen | 6 Piece Sauced & Tossed Honey Bbq Chicken Strip Basket | 1480 |
19 | Marco's Pizza | 12" Italiano Sub | 1470 |
20 | McDonald's | Big Breakfast with Hotcakes | 1340 |
21 | Five Guys | Large Fries | 1314 |
22 | Wingstop | Large Louisiana Voodoo Fries | 1180 |
23 | Jack In The Box | Shake, Oreo Cookie w/ Whipped Topping 24 Oz | 1170 |
24 | Dunkin Donuts | Large Butter Pecan Swirl Frozen Coffee w/ Cream | 1160 |
25 | Panera Bread | Chicken & Pepperoni Mozzarella Melt on Baguette | 1110 |
26 | QDOBA | Southwest Steak Burrito | 1110 |
27 | Whataburger | Mushroom Swiss Burger | 1110 |
28 | El Pollo Loco | Chips & Queso Blanco (Regular) | 1080 |
29 | Del Taco | Epic Cali Bacon Burrito (Carne Asada Steak) | 1050 |
30 | Krispy Kreme | Krispy Kreme Chillers Chocolate Chocolate 20oz/Lotta Latte 20 Oz/Mocha Dream 20 Oz | 1050 |
31 | Wendy's | Baconator Burger | 1010 |
32 | Dutch Bros | Large Golden Eagle/Large Golden Eagle Dutch Freeze/Large White Chocolate | 1000 |
33 | Chick-Fil-A | 30 Ct Chick-Fil-A Nuggets/30 Ct Heart-Shaped Tray/30 Ct Chick-Fil-A Nuggets Football-Shaped Tray | 950 |
34 | Taco Bell | Fries Bell Grande | 950 |
35 | Tropical Smoothie Café | Chicken Chorizo Wrap | 880 |
36 | Bojangles | Macaroni 'N Cheese | 870 |
37 | Popeyes | Large Homestyle Mac N Cheese | 850 |
38 | Crumbl | Jammy Heart/Red Velvet Cupcake | 840 |
39 | Chipotle | Large Chips | 810 |
40 | Church's | Cob Sandwich | 810 |
41 | Arbys | Buffalo Chicken Wrap/Large Mint Chocolate Shake | 790 |
42 | Raising Cane's | Sandwich | 780 |
43 | Dominos | Italian Sausage Marinara in Bread Bowl | 740 |
44 | KFC | Chicken Pot Pie | 720 |
45 | Starbucks | Bacon, Sausage & Egg Wrap | 640 |
46 | In-N-Out Burger | Double-Double with Onion Burger/Chocolate Shake/ Strawberry Shake | 610 |
47 | Panda Express | Fried Rice | 520 |