Taco Bell
DoubleDilla (steak with chips and salsa)
Key nutritional info: 850 calories, 41g total fat, 50g protein, 2,020mg sodium
You might have heard that eating a ton of protein is good for you. It is! But moderation is key. "The DoubleDilla contains an excessive amount of calories from protein," Frechman says. "Twenty to 30g of protein in a meal is plenty." And this quesadilla with chicken, jalapeño sauce, and three cheeses has nearly double the amount!
Arby's
Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon sandwich
Key nutritional info: 800 calories, 34g total fat, 2,420mg sodium
We're not going to split hairs here: This is a bummer. Turkey is supposed to be good for you! But dietitians don't get paid to make us feel better about our dietary habits. "This sandwich sounds healthy, but it's really not," Larson says. "It blasts you with an entire day's worth of sodium (2,420mg) from the processed meat, ranch dressing, and bacon." According to the smartypants at Harvard, high sodium is linked to high blood pressure and heart attacks. In fact, it has as much sodium as about 11.5 bags of Nacho Cheese Doritos. But at least it won't leave your fingers stained orange.
Burger King
Bacon King sandwich
Key nutritional info: 1,040 calories, 69g total fat,1,900mg sodium
If you're watching your calorie count, this bacon cheeseburger made with two quarter-pound patties is probably not the sandwich for you. "This double burger spends half of the average person's calories per day (2,000) in one fell swoop," Larson says. "It also supplies almost a day's worth of recommended sodium (2,400mg) in one sandwich." And this sad fact might wipe the smile right off of the King's face: According to Larson, "Eating processed meats like bacon on a regular basis increases your risk of colon cancer by 18%."
Sonic
SuperSONIC Bacon Double Cheeseburger
Key nutritional info: 1,240 calories, 87g total fat, 1,690mg sodium
That's right, eating a bacon double cheeseburger is not healthy. Also, the sky is blue and Ben & Jerry's is delicious. "This is the type of sandwich that fuels heart disease if eaten regularly," Larson says. It has an astonishing amount of saturated fat -- eating one burger is the equivalent of taking down seven Krispy Kreme original glazed donuts. She's also troubled by the high calorie count, as one sandwich provides over half of the recommended 2,000 per day.
Wendy's
Dave's Triple
Key nutritional info: 1,070 calories, 30g saturated fat, 71g protein
Figuring out how much protein you need in a day is not an exact science. But Larson is confident when she says that "no one needs this much protein (71g) in one meal, let alone in one sandwich." In fact, she says that 72g is the entire amount recommended for a 160lb man in an entire day. And to add insult to injury, the sandwich has about as much saturated fat as around 30 strips of bacon.
McDonald's
Double Quarter Pounder with cheese
Key nutritional info: 770 calories, 45g total fat, 1,310mg sodium
This sandwich has 104% of the saturated fat recommended for anyone on an average 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. And it has all that saturated fat with nary a strip of bacon. What a shame that a two-patty burger with cheese isn't healthy, and it doesn't even have the decency to include bacon on it!
KFC
Extra Crispy chicken breast (two-piece)
Key nutritional info: 780 calories, 47g total fat, 1,750mg sodium
While two pieces of chicken might sound like a healthy dinner, looks can be deceiving. "There are sky-high levels of fat and sodium in just two pieces of KFC's chicken because it's breaded and fried," Larson says. The sodium levels are also particularly worrisome. "The general rule of thumb for sodium is to keep meal levels below 500mg, and there's 1,750mg in this single meal." Add in a side like the mac & cheese (830mg of sodium), and you might literally turn into a mountain of salt.
Panda Express
Chow mein
Key nutritional info: 510 calories, 22g total fat, 980mg sodium
Surprisingly, it's a side dish at Panda that is one of the unhealthiest items on the menu and not a meaty main like the Beijing Beef. "The chow mein has more calories and sodium than the entree options," Frechman says. She's right -- the chow mein has nearly double the amount of sodium than the chain’s eggplant-and-tofu entree. In fact, it's about the same amount of sodium as eating about 80 Snyder's of Hanover mini-pretzels. Better get a glass of water if you're going to tackle this dish
DoubleDilla (steak with chips and salsa)
Key nutritional info: 850 calories, 41g total fat, 50g protein, 2,020mg sodium
You might have heard that eating a ton of protein is good for you. It is! But moderation is key. "The DoubleDilla contains an excessive amount of calories from protein," Frechman says. "Twenty to 30g of protein in a meal is plenty." And this quesadilla with chicken, jalapeño sauce, and three cheeses has nearly double the amount!
Arby's
Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon sandwich
Key nutritional info: 800 calories, 34g total fat, 2,420mg sodium
We're not going to split hairs here: This is a bummer. Turkey is supposed to be good for you! But dietitians don't get paid to make us feel better about our dietary habits. "This sandwich sounds healthy, but it's really not," Larson says. "It blasts you with an entire day's worth of sodium (2,420mg) from the processed meat, ranch dressing, and bacon." According to the smartypants at Harvard, high sodium is linked to high blood pressure and heart attacks. In fact, it has as much sodium as about 11.5 bags of Nacho Cheese Doritos. But at least it won't leave your fingers stained orange.
Burger King
Bacon King sandwich
Key nutritional info: 1,040 calories, 69g total fat,1,900mg sodium
If you're watching your calorie count, this bacon cheeseburger made with two quarter-pound patties is probably not the sandwich for you. "This double burger spends half of the average person's calories per day (2,000) in one fell swoop," Larson says. "It also supplies almost a day's worth of recommended sodium (2,400mg) in one sandwich." And this sad fact might wipe the smile right off of the King's face: According to Larson, "Eating processed meats like bacon on a regular basis increases your risk of colon cancer by 18%."
Sonic
SuperSONIC Bacon Double Cheeseburger
Key nutritional info: 1,240 calories, 87g total fat, 1,690mg sodium
That's right, eating a bacon double cheeseburger is not healthy. Also, the sky is blue and Ben & Jerry's is delicious. "This is the type of sandwich that fuels heart disease if eaten regularly," Larson says. It has an astonishing amount of saturated fat -- eating one burger is the equivalent of taking down seven Krispy Kreme original glazed donuts. She's also troubled by the high calorie count, as one sandwich provides over half of the recommended 2,000 per day.
Wendy's
Dave's Triple
Key nutritional info: 1,070 calories, 30g saturated fat, 71g protein
Figuring out how much protein you need in a day is not an exact science. But Larson is confident when she says that "no one needs this much protein (71g) in one meal, let alone in one sandwich." In fact, she says that 72g is the entire amount recommended for a 160lb man in an entire day. And to add insult to injury, the sandwich has about as much saturated fat as around 30 strips of bacon.
McDonald's
Double Quarter Pounder with cheese
Key nutritional info: 770 calories, 45g total fat, 1,310mg sodium
This sandwich has 104% of the saturated fat recommended for anyone on an average 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. And it has all that saturated fat with nary a strip of bacon. What a shame that a two-patty burger with cheese isn't healthy, and it doesn't even have the decency to include bacon on it!
KFC
Extra Crispy chicken breast (two-piece)
Key nutritional info: 780 calories, 47g total fat, 1,750mg sodium
While two pieces of chicken might sound like a healthy dinner, looks can be deceiving. "There are sky-high levels of fat and sodium in just two pieces of KFC's chicken because it's breaded and fried," Larson says. The sodium levels are also particularly worrisome. "The general rule of thumb for sodium is to keep meal levels below 500mg, and there's 1,750mg in this single meal." Add in a side like the mac & cheese (830mg of sodium), and you might literally turn into a mountain of salt.
Panda Express
Chow mein
Key nutritional info: 510 calories, 22g total fat, 980mg sodium
Surprisingly, it's a side dish at Panda that is one of the unhealthiest items on the menu and not a meaty main like the Beijing Beef. "The chow mein has more calories and sodium than the entree options," Frechman says. She's right -- the chow mein has nearly double the amount of sodium than the chain’s eggplant-and-tofu entree. In fact, it's about the same amount of sodium as eating about 80 Snyder's of Hanover mini-pretzels. Better get a glass of water if you're going to tackle this dish