Worst drink
Sonic Minute Maid Cranberry Juice Slush (“Route 44”–extra large)
616 calories
165 g sugars

In its pure form, antioxidant-packed cranberry juice is a healthy choice. But this Cranberry Juice Slush comes with an asterisk next to the word “cranberry” on the Web site’s nutrition list. That’s probably because only 78 of the whopping 616 calories come from “cranberry flavor”—the rest of the bulk comes from the “slush.” Consider that a code word for sugar overload: the extra-large has the sugar equivalent of six packs of M&Ms. Check out our list of the 20 worst drinks in America to see other equally atrocious beverages.

Drink This Instead!
Cranberry Flavored Tea (medium)
42 calories
10 g sugar

Worst value-menu item
Burger King Spicy Chick’n Crisp Sandwich
450 calories
30 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
810 mg sodium

Lean economic times make the value menu more appealing than ever. And that’s fine—most dollar menus have a few sensible items. But if you eat this sandwich often, saving a few bucks will quickly result in a surplus around your waistline.

Eat This Instead!
Whopper Jr. without mayo
290 calories
12 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat)
500 mg sodium

Worst Mexican entree
Taco Bell Grilled Stuft Beef Burrito
680 calories
30 g fat (10 g saturated fat)
2,120 mg sodium

Ditch this and order two grilled steak soft tacos (or any menu item) "fresco" style and the Bell boys will replace cheese and sauces with a chunky tomato salsa, helping to cut calories in half and fat by at least 25 percent.

Eat This Instead!
Two Grilled Steak Soft Tacos, Fresco Style
320 calories
9 g fat (3 g saturated fat)
1,100 mg sodium


Worst hot sandwich
Sonic Chicken Club TOASTER Sandwich
742 calories
46 g fat (11 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
1,742 mg sodium

How can a chicken sandwich pack so much fat? Start with a fried chicken breast, add bacon, cheese, and mayo, and you're there. Add to that the sodium equivalent of 53 saltine crackers, and you’re looking at a serious dietary disaster. Ditch the chicken for beef and save 10 grams of fat.

Eat This Instead!
Sonic Burger with Mustard
540 calories
25 g fat (9 g saturated fat)
730 mg sodium

Worst crispy chicken sandwich
Hardee’s Big Chicken Filet Sandwich
800 calories
37 g fat (6 g saturated fat)
1,890 mg sodium

A general rule: Avoid sandwiches with words like “big” and “monster” in the name. Hardee’s Monster Thickburger is another example—it comes in at 1,420 calories, 108 grams of fat, and more saturated fat than you want in two days.

Eat This Instead!
Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich
415 calories
5 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
1,175 mg sodium

Worst roast beef sandwich
Arby’s Roast Beef and Swiss Market Fresh Sandwich
810 calories
42 g fat (13 g saturated fat)
1,780 mg sodium

The unwholesome trinity of mayo, Italian sub sauce, and processed Swiss cheese make this sandwich the clear loser in the battle of the beef. The Super Roast Beef replaces mayo with a low-cal spicy pepper sauce and totals 370 fewer calories.

Eat This Instead!
Super Roast Beef
440 calories
19 g fat (7 g saturated fat)
1,061 mg sodium

Worst drive-thru kids meal
Burger King Kids Double Cheeseburger and Kids Fries with Small Coke
950 calories
42 g fat (17 g saturated fat, 4.5 g trans fats)
1,410 mg sodium

BK's dubious double burger earns the distinction of being the fattiest meal for an on-the-go kid, with nearly a day's worth of saturated fat for the average 8-year-old.

Eat This Instead!
4-piece Chicken Tenders with Strawberry-Flavored Applesauce and unlimited water
280 calories
11 g fat (3 g saturated fat)
440 mg sodium

Worst chicken strips
Dairy Queen 6-Piece Chicken Strip Basket
1,270 calories
67 g fat (11 g saturated fat)
2,910 mg sodium

The strips deliver more grams of fat than four DQ Homestyle Burgers, and nearly 300 more calories than a Large Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard.

Eat This Instead!
Grilled Chicken Salad
with Fat-Free Italian Dressing
280 calories
11 g fat (5 g saturated)
1,550 mg sodium

Worst drive-thru breakfast sandwich
Jack in the Box Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit
740 calories
55 g fat (17 g saturated fat)
1,430 mg sodium

Skip biscuits at all costs. This one contains nearly a full day’s worth of saturated fat (check out the 8 worst restaurant breakfasts here). Instead try the Bacon Breakfast Jack—16 grams of protein makes it a surprisingly good way to start your day.

Eat This Instead!
Bacon Breakfast Jack
300 calories
14 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
730 mg sodium

Worst side
Arby’s Large Mozzarella Sticks
849 calories
56 g fat (26 g saturated fat)
2,730 mg sodium

Anything with as much saturated fat as a Triple Whopper should not be called a side. If it’s cheese you crave, order the French Dip ‘N Swiss or Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwich instead to save more than 500 calories.

Eat This Instead!
Martha’s Vineyard Salad
With Light Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
389 calories
14 g fat (5 g saturated)
923 mg sodium

Worst milkshake
McDonald's Large Triple Thick Chocolate Milkshake
1,160 calories
27 g fat (16 g saturated fat)
168 g sugar
510 mg sodium

You’d be better off eating two Quarter Pounders than sucking down one of these belt-breaking shakes. Steer clear of milkshakes at the Golden Arches. If you must have a frozen dessert, order a vanilla ice cream cone to save more than 1,000 calories. Make swaps like that every week and watch the pounds melt off!

Eat This Instead!
Vanilla Reduced-Fat Ice Cream Cone
150 calories
3.5 g fat (2 g saturated fat)
18 g sugars
60 mg sodium

Worst potato side
Jack in the Box Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges
720 calories
48 g fat (15 g saturated fat, 12 g trans fats)
1,360 mg sodium
48 g carbohydrates

You probably don’t need us to tell you that bacon, cheese, and fried potatoes are not a healthful trio. What's worse, though, is that Jack in the Box cooks in trans-fatty vegetable shortening, which has been linked to heart disease. It's no secret that French fries can ruin an otherwise sensible meal, but these things take destruction to another level entirely.

Eat This Instead!
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (3)
240 calories
12 g fat (5 g saturated fat, 2 g trans fats)
420 mg sodium

Worst salad
Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
800 calories
60 g fat (12 g saturated fat)
1,745 mg sodium

With 17 more grams of fat than Taco Bell’s Fiesta Taco Salad, this is the worst salad from any drive-thru. The dressing alone sets you back 42.5 grams of fat. Take a look at our list of the worst salads in America and see how this one compares.

Eat This Instead!
Chick-fil-A Southwest Chargrilled Salad with Fat-Free Honey Mustard Dressing
360 calories
8 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat)
1,170 mg sodium

Worst dessert
Dairy Queen Large Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard
990 calories
39 g fat (24 g saturated fat)
114 g sugars

This creation combines ice cream, strawberry syrup, and hunks of cheesecake for a high-fat dairy dessert. If you’re set on a Blizzard, go bananas. A small Banana Split Blizzard has 7 fewer fat grams than the small Oreo, Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Cup, or Strawberry CheeseQuake flavors. Or stray from the Blizzard and satisfy your sweet tooth with a small chocolate sundae to save major calories and fat.

Eat This Instead!
Small Chocolate Sundae
280 calories
7 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat)
42 g sugars

Worst fish sandwich
Burger King BIG FISH Sandwich with Tartar Sauce
640 calories
32 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
1,540 mg sodium


Fish is only healthy when it's not breaded and fried in partially hydrogenated oil. Here, the fry treatment translates into 7 grams of trans fats and 108 grams of carbohydrates.


Eat This Instead!
Whopper Jr. without mayo
and Garden Salad
365 calories
12 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat)
1,230 mg sodium


Worst cheeseburger
Hardee's Monster Thickburger
1,420 calories
108 g fat (43 g saturated fat)
2,770 mg sodium
230 mg cholesterol

This burger is called “Monster” for a reason. It’s got the caloric equivalent of almost 6 McDonald’s hamburgers, the saturated fat equivalent of 43 strips of Oscar Mayer bacon, and the sodium equivalent of 84 saltine crackers. You’ll satisfy nearly an entire day’s worth of calories in one sitting, so opt for the significantly less monstrous Low-Carb Thickburger, instead, and save 1,000 calories that you can allocate to more deserving and nutritious fare.

Eat This Instead!
Low Carb Thickburger
420 calories
32 g fat (12 g saturated fat)
1,010 mg sodium

Worst 'healthy' food
Arby's Roast Turkey and Swiss Market Fresh Sandwich
708 calories
29 g fat (8 g saturated fat)
1,676 mg sodium

Avoid any sandwich made on honey wheat bread: Two slices contain a staggering 361 calories and 68 grams of carbs. Cut those in half by sticking to a sesame bun.

Eat This Instead!
Chicken Cordon Blue Sandwich (grilled)
488 calories
18 g fat (4 g saturated fat)
1,560 mg sodium

Worst grilled chicken
Jack in the Box Chipotle Chicken Ciabatta
690 calories
28 g fat (9 g saturated fat)
1,850 mg sodium

Unlike many other fast food restaurants that have made the shift away from trans fats, Jack in the Box's menu has a number of items with more than 5 grams of the stuff—and some with up to 13 grams of it! There’s no “safe” level of trans fats, but the recommendation is that you don’t eat more than 2 grams of the heart-harming junk per day. Add fries to this sandwich, and you’ll take in three and a half times your daily limit.

Eat This Instead!
Chicken Fajita Pita
300 calories
9 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat)
1,090 mg sodium

Worst drive-thru meal in America
Carl’s Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger
with Medium Natural Cut Fries and 32 oz Coke
2,618 calories (That's an entire day's calorie intake for a woman to maintain a weight of 260lbs.)
144 g fat (51.5 g saturated fat)
2,892 mg sodium

Of all the gut-growing, heart-stopping, life-threatening burgers in the fast food world, there is none whose damage to your general well-being is as catastrophic as this. Consider these heart-stopping comparisons: This meal has the caloric equivalent of 13 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Donuts; the saturated fat equivalent of 52 strips of bacon; and the salt equivalent of seven and a half large orders of McDonald’s French fries!

Eat This Instead!
Famous Star
with Side Salad with Low Fat Balsamic Dressing and 32 oz Iced Tea
685 calories
38 g fat (10.5 g saturated fat)
1,520 mg sodium

I thought this was a great kick in the pants reminder for those days when I get a little lazy and want to just grab a sandwich or something.

those Six-Dollar burgers at Carls' Jr. are a no-no

surely you mean "the 19 BEST drive-thru foods in America"

Try one of those grilled fish that are cooked on the side walks of Cairo. One of the top polluted cities in the world. That'll give you a sense of worse thing you should eat.

Thanks. I do pretty good for the most part and then decide to splurge once in awhile, and then it begins to get to be "ok, just one more time." I need that kick in the pants reminder every now and then. Just looking at the reality of the fat intake and insane amount of calories brings me back to earth as well as grosses me out and reminds me of why I prefer to stay away from fast food joints. Thank goodness tomorrow is my sushi day. YUM!

Moonstar319 said:

I eat a lot of McDonald's. Well, used to. I can't afford it anymore.
I stopped drinking coke. (No, I haven't moved to Pepsi). I drink water instead.
Some things are worth the suffering later. Great tasting food is one of them.
My grandfather lived to be 92, and never had to see a doctor until he was 90. He drank wine, smoked, ate red meat, lots of butter. Just like a good French man.
He was happy, and that's what counts.
[Edited 4/15/09 2:26am]

errant said:

HeavenlyB said:

Very cool! I've heard a lot of stories like that. That's awesome about your grandfather. Giving in to the body's cravings is good to do, but I began my suffering right out of high school, back in 96. My body cannot handle deep fried foods, hot dogs, or dark sodas. I end up doubling over in pain w/ massive cramps. I've been tested for gall stones, IBS, and all sorts of stuff but everything was ruled out. I think I just have a weird allergy where I can't have grease or something. In college, I took a behavioral studies class where an experiment, I cut out sodas (except when mixed w/ alcohol) almost altogether for about 5 years. I allow myself to have the occasional 7-up small can once in awhile, but I prefer mint water, sparkling juice, and different home brewed teas w/ honey. I just don't crave soda. As for meats, I don't care for much red meats. I'm more of a veggie, poultry, seafood person. I eat turkey burgers more than hamburgers. I do allow myself a whopper jr when my body craves it. I love good food. When I'm in the mood for good red meat, poultry, and fish, I treat myself and some friends to the Brazilian steakhouse we have here. hehe

Thankfully we don't have the bulk of that garbage in Australia.

I like the "Eat this instead's".

Like if I want fried chicken strips I'm gonna REALLY have the grilled chicken salad instead.

This list is like telling a crackhead to put down the pipe and have some Flintstones chewables instead. I don't think so!

HeavenlyB said:

are ya sure its actually fish?

IAintTheOne said:

there are three things that smell like fish. one of them is fish....and the other two...

Anxiety said:

well one does if not properly maintained.

IAintTheOne said:

you need to break out your copy of jumbo go away....

Anxiety said:

Old air from a tyre?

mdiver said:

And I thought I was the only one....

So they're trying to school people on how to find HEALTHY things to EAT at a FAST FOOD DRIVE-THRU? OXYMORON LIKE A MUTHAFUCKA ! The whole REASON you go to a fast food joint is to get THE JUNK FOOD!

Buttermilk Ranch is nasty!

I don't think I would order anything on this list.

KoolEaze said:

Nope That shit is nasty

Speaking of worst Fifth-Third Ball Park Burger. They got so much guff that they pulled it from the menu, but will still make it if requested.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...CfMjG-WTSo