While you’re not going to hit the McDonald’s drive-thru as part of your New Year’s resolution, you also might not realize how bad your favorite hamburger really is—especially if you’re going to certain chains.
According to a study conducted by PlushCare, some fast food restaurants are worse than others. Particularly, Five Guys, which scored the number one spot in their ranking of the unhealthiest cheeseburger, with a 50-point unhealthiness score. The fries also weighed in as the unhealthiest, with 28 points.
Whataburger, Smash Burger, and Carl’s Jr. trailed behind on the list. Five Guys, however, had 73 percent more saturated fat than any other fast food cheeseburger on the list.
Courtesy of PlushCare
To come to this conclusion, the site analyzed each menu item’s calories, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium content based on the Department of Health’s nutrient profiling method.
“Ultimately, healthy eating comes down to taking control of what you eat,” the online healthcare platform reports. “That might mean avoiding fast food altogether, but it can be as simple as making an informed decision about which fast-food chains to visit and which of their products to choose.”
Burger King and McDonald’s, somewhat shockingly, tied for second-lowest unhealthiness scores at just 18 points. They have a quarter of the saturated fat (a.k.a what leads to heart disease risk and weight gain) of a cheeseburger at Five Guys and less than half of a Wendy’s burger. The lowest was Culver’s, with 17 points.
As for the unhealthiest chicken sandwich, Popeyes beloved sammie scored 39 points to receive the title as unhealthiest, while McDonald’s once again ranked as the healthiest. The McChicken had nearly half the unhealthiness points of Burger King (31 points) and KFC (27 points) with just 14.
Courtesy of PlushCare
However, there is, of course a caveat: while the McChicken is healthier, PlushCare points out that it doesn’t necessarily make it a healthy sandwich.
“While the McChicken is significantly less unhealthy than other fast-food chicken burgers, it is still high in sodium, fat, and calories. Because it is made of ground chicken patty, the nutrients it does contain are not high-quality.”
Popeyes also ranked number one for unhealthiest chicken nuggets and Fatburger has the worst shake.
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Megan Schaltegger is an NYC-based writer. She loves strong coffee, eating her way through the Manhattan food scene, and her dog, Murray. She promises not to talk about herself in third person IRL.
