17 “Healthy” Fast Foods That Are Anything but Good for You

Many fast-food chains market at least a few of their menu options as healthy. There’s more than one drive-thru establishment with a “fresh choice” or “lighter fare” menu.

Unfortunately, sometimes, these supposedly healthy options are loaded with fat, sugar, and sodium. They might even be worse than ordering a burger and fries! 

So, before you pat yourself on the back for making a healthy fast-food choice, listen up. We reveal some of the worst “healthy” menu items from the most popular fast-food restaurants. 

1: McDonald’s Fruit and Maple Oatmeal 

Oatmeal seems like a healthy breakfast choice, and it certainly can be. When you add fresh fruit to it, it’s high in fiber and micronutrients. 

However, McDonald’s Fruit and Maple Oatmeal might be one oatmeal dish to avoid. With 31 grams of sugar (18 grams of which are added) and only six grams of protein, it’s similar to a bowl of Lucky Charms; it’s not exactly a healthy breakfast option. 

2: Starbucks Lemon Chiffon Yogurt

Starbucks has several high-protein, high-fiber, and low-sugar breakfast choices, but the Lemon Chiffon Yogurt isn’t one of them. Yogurt can be healthy, but this one is more like dessert. It has a whopping 35 grams of sugar. 

To put that in perspective, the World Health Organization says sugar should account for less than 10% of your total calorie intake. If you eat 2,000 calories, you should only consume 50 grams of sugar a day. We think many nutritionists would agree that it’s best for your breakfast not to account for more than half of that.

3: Chick-fil-A Cool Wrap 

Many Americans assume wraps are always healthier than burgers or sandwiches, and they’re often right. However, in the case of Chick-fil-A’s Cool Wrap, you need to be careful. 

The wrap itself isn’t bad, with 42 grams of protein for under 500 calories. However, if you enjoy it with the dressing it comes with, you’ll add 300 calories and 32 grams of fat to your meal. 

4: Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad

If it’s labeled as a salad, you might think it’s a healthy choice. Don’t be fooled. The Taco Bell Fiesta Salad is one of the worst choices on Taco Bell’s menu.

This salad contains 760 calories, more than many of the burritos on Taco Bell’s menu. It also comes with the option to choose unhealthy upgrades like nacho cheese, making it even worse. 

5: Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp 

Shrimp is a low-calorie protein option, and walnuts are a known superfood. So, where could you go wrong with Panda Express’s Honey Walnut Shrimp? 

Well, they batter and deep-fry the shrimp, giving this meal 35 grams of fat. It also has nine grams of added sugar and 100 grams of cholesterol. As far as healthy choices go, this entree isn’t one of them. 

6: Wendy’s Taco Salad

When ordering fast food, picking a salad often seems like the healthiest choice. Unfortunately, drive-thru salads are usually not nearly as healthy as what you can make at home.

Wendy’s Taco Salad has 660 calories and 2,080 mg of sodium. That’s 88% of your sodium needs in one entree. 

7: Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad

There’s no doubt the Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad is delicious, but don’t fool yourself into thinking it’s healthy.  This salad has 1700 grams of sodium and 28 grams of fat. 

There are relatively better salad choices on Chick-fil-A’s menu. If you’re trying to eat healthy, we suggest the Market Salad. 

9: KFC Famous Bowl

At less than 600 calories, the KFC Famous Bowl might seem like one of the better options on KFC’s menu. However, lower calorie isn’t everything. 

The KFC Famous Bowl has 2,160 grams of sodium. The daily recommendation for sodium intake is 2,300 grams, which means you’re getting almost all your salt from one meal. 

10: Wendy’s Strawberry Lemonade

Researchers have linked drinking soda to many adverse health conditions, which might lead you to believe you’re making a smart choice by ordering lemonade instead. If you’re at Wendy’s, though, you might want to think again. 

A medium Wendy’s Strawberry Lemonade has 380 calories and 92 grams of sugar. That’s almost double the WHO’s recommended daily sugar intake in one drink! 

11: Panera’s Green Goddess Caprese Melt

It’s all too easy to believe anything with “green goddess” in its name is good for you. With Panera’s Green Goddess Caprese Melt, however, nothing could be further from the truth. 

This sandwich has over 1,000 calories and 54 grams of fat. It also has 2,230 mg of sodium. If you want a healthy sandwich, this one isn’t it. 

12:  El Pollo Loco’s Double Chicken Tostada Salad

El Pollo Loco has a surprising number of decent menu options if you’re trying to eat healthy. A fire-grilled chicken breast with a side of pinto beans is among the healthiest things you can order at a drive-thru. 

However, you’ll want to avoid the chain’s tostada salad options at all costs. The Double Chicken Tostada Salad has almost 1,000 calories and 1,790 mg of sodium.  

13: Firehouse Italian Sub 

You might think you’re making a healthy choice by choosing a quick-service restaurant like Firehouse Subs rather than a standard fast-food drive-thru. While Firehouse does have a few better-for-you options, the Italian Sub isn’t one of them. 

A large Italian Sub has 1,420 calories and 79 grams of fat. That’s 101% of the recommended daily fat intake in one sandwich. 

14: Panera’s Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich on Tomato Basil

Surely, a turkey sandwich is a good choice, right? You would think so, but no. Panera’s Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich is one of the worst items on its menu. 

This sandwich has nine grams of saturated fat and 1,530 grams of sodium. It also has a surprising six grams of sugar. Though six grams isn’t a lot of sugar in general, many consumers wouldn’t expect to find it in a sandwich. 

15: Arby’s Classic French Dip and Swiss 

Arby’s Classic French Dip and Swiss seems like one of their better menu choices. After all, it’s under 600 calories and high in protein. 

Look a little closer, though, and you’ll find it’s not a healthy choice. It has over 2,500 grams of sodium, which is more salt than nutritional guidelines recommend consuming in a day. 

16: Subway’s Chicken Bacon Ranch Sub

There are a lot of things that seem good about Subway’s Chicken Bacon Ranch Sub. Chicken is a lean protein, you can order the sandwich on whole grain bread for more fiber, and you can pack it with extra veggies. 

However, the bacon and ranch dressing mean this sandwich is packed with sodium and fat. Compared to other Subway options, this one is one of the worst menu choices. 

17: Del Taco Taco Salad with Seasoned Beef

Del Taco’s Taco Salads are better than many fast-food taco salads because they don’t come in a fried tortilla shell. Still, this menu option isn’t as healthy as it seems. 

Although it’s relatively low in calories, it has 34 grams of fat, 1,320 mg of sodium, and is made with shredded iceberg lettuce, one of the least nutritionally dense greens you can consume. 

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