Top 10 Most Unhealthy Fast-Food Chains In America

A recent report from 24/7 Wall St. identified the 10 least healthy fast-food restaurant chains in the U.S. Fast-food chains were evaluated using data from Nutritionix, a nutrition information database.

To determine which chains are the least healthy overall, 24/7 Wall St. compared menu items from the different chains against one another on the basis of saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, carbohydrate, sugar, and calorie levels.

10. Burger King
Unhealthy breakfast and side items earn Restaurant Brands International Inc QSR's Burger King (and its 1,420-calorie Ultimate Breakfast Platter) the 10th spot on 24/7 Wall St.’s unhealthy restaurants list.

9. Checkers
Over 75 percent of Checkers’ menu item meals have higher saturated fat levels than comparable meals at other fast-food chains.

8. Chick-fil-A
While Chick-fil-A’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich is the healthiest meal selection across nearly every category of comparison, almost 45 percent of its side items have exceptionally high sugar content compared to the side items of other fast-food chains.

7. Wendy’s
One of the biggest and most popular fast-food chains in the U.S., The Wendy's Co WEN's high-calorie Baconator hamburger contains almost half of the average adult’s daily value of calories and 115 percent of the recommended daily value of saturated fat.

6. Jack in the Box
Eight of the burgers on Jack in the Box Inc JACK’s menu contain an entire day’s worth of saturated fat, and the Chicken Teriyaki Bowl on its lighter fare menu has more carbohydrates and sugar than 98 percent of the meal items at other fast-food chains.

5. Arby’s
The Wendy's Co makes its second appearance in the top 10 for its nearly 20 percent ownership stake in Arby's. All but one of Arby’s sandwiches ranked poorly in at least two of the six nutrition level categories, and one third of meal items on Arby’s menu—roast beef sandwiches included—contain trans fat.

4. Quizno’s
The meal options at Quizno’s ranked the least healthy among all fast-food chains, with 21 of Quizno’s sandwiches containing over 1,000 calories.

3. Whataburger
Ninety percent of Whataburger’s side items contain more than the daily recommended value of at least one of the six nutrition categories examined by 24/7 Wall St., and over 50 percent of Whataburger’s meal items ranked in the top third among all fast-food chains for saturated fat.

2. Carl’s Jr.
Six of the breakfast sandwiches on Carl’s Jr.’s menu contain 6 grams of trans fat—a type of fat that is deemed unhealthy in any amount.

1. Sonic
Nearly 50 percent of Sonic Corp SONC’s menu items contain at least 1 gram of saturated fat, and 10 of Sonic’s hamburgers have more than 1,100 calories, making Sonic the least healthy fast-food chain on 24/7 Wall St.’s list.