Fast Food Calorie Table
The fact that burger, fries and hot dogs are extremely high in calories comes as no surprise. But even quiche, vegetable pizzas, Hawaiian bread and Chinese noodles hide a lot of calories. EAT SMARTER will give you the big fast food calorie table.
Those who start their day with a breakfast burger from Burger King have already consumer around 800 calories, which is more than a third of what your daily calorie intake should be. Combine this with some Chinese food for lunch and a pizza for dinner and what your daily calorie intake should be goes out the window. Snacks, desserts, lattes and sodas also provide lots of excess calories. The result: Weight gain. Our calorie table will show you which the biggest calorie bombs are when it comes to fast food.
Classic Fast Food Menu Items
1,120 calories are in a Big Mac meal at McDonalds. That is more calories than two bars of chocolate. But even a vegetable pizza, which is supposedly healthy because of its toppings has around 770 calories. However, due to the fiber in the pizza dough, you will feel full for longer after eating pizza than if you had a burger or hotdog (440 calories).
A visit to McDonald's or Burger King can, therefore, easily cover your daily calorie intake. While a Big Mac itself only has around 500 calories, the fries and soda cover the other 620 calories. This adds up to more than 2x the amount of calories an adult consumes in an average meal.
Unhealthy Fats, Cholesterol, Sugar - And Virtually No Vitamins
Unfortunately the high caloric density of fast food does not go hand in hand with a high nutrient density. Fast food is, therefore, not only extremely high in calories, but also very high in saturated fats. These will make your cholesterol levels go up. In addition it contains almost no fiber and even fewer vitamins. On top of that, more sugar than we think is often hidden in fast food. Additionally, fast food is enriched usually with flavor enhancers, preservatives and dyes.
Fast Food Tips
However, for those who cannot go without the occasional cheeseburger after a long night, hot dog at the ball park or pizza for a movie night, you can indulge in some fast food occasionally. However, it is important that you enjoy fast food only in moderation and when you do count it as a meal not simply a snack. Eat fruit for dessert and opt for low-calorie beverages. Another good tip is to eat your fast food slowly since you really only feel full after about 20 minutes.
At A Glance: Fast Food Calorie Table
EAT SMARTER has compiled the biggest fat and calorie traps. Click here to go to the fast food calorie table (PDF)
