Most Unhealthy Fast Food Breakfast Menu Items

A survey found that over 36% of adults in the United States eat fast food daily, and breakfast products are fast becoming a growing segment of this trend (“Products – Data Briefs – Number 320 – September 2018,” 2019).

According to this report (DiPalma, 2024), fast food chains such as McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s are all fighting to compete heavily in this market.

As if they were not providing enough unhealthy options for lunch, dinner, and all the time in between, they want to entice Americans to stuff themselves with fast breakfast, too.

I guess there is nothing like starting the day with processed meats, refined carbohydrates, sugary beverages, and fried hash browns.

This is just another example of these food conglomerates shamelessly exploiting people who are in a rush in the mornings and don’t have enough time to prepare a healthy meal for breakfast.

Let’s take a look at a few of the most unhealthy fast-food breakfast menu options out there right now.

McDonald’s Big Breakfast with Hotcakes

This McDonald's breakfast offering is so unhealthy that it contains essentially a day's worth of fat and sodium in one sitting.

It includes scrambled eggs, hot sausage, hash browns, a big biscuit, and pancakes with butter and maple-flavored syrup.

  • Calories: 1,340
  • Sodium: 2,070 mg (90% DV)
  • Saturated Fat: 24 g (122% DV)
  • Added Sugars: 41 g (82% DV)

Hardee’s Breakfast Platter with Sausage

This unhealthy platter includes two scrambled eggs, hash rounds, a sausage patty, and biscuits with gravy.

It is high in sodium, incredibly calorie-dense, and loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol.

  • Calories: 1,170
  • Sodium: 2,310 mg (100% DV)
  • Saturated Fat: 24 g (120% DV)
  • Cholesterol: 435 mg (145% DV)

Wendy’s Breakfast Baconator

This monster of a burger features grilled sausage, American cheese, applewood-smoked bacon, an egg, Cheddar cheese, and more bacon, all covered in a Swiss cheese sauce.

Besides having a long ingredient list of food chemicals that we should avoid, this burger has the following nutritional profile:

  • Calories: 710, but they can go up considerably if you combine it with hash browns (510 calories) and a drink like a Chocolate Frosty Cream Cold Brew (310 calories).
  • Sodium: 1670 mg (72% DV)
  • Saturated Fat: 19 g (95% DV)

Panera Bread Asiago Bagel Sandwich with Sausage, Egg, and Cheese

This breakfast sandwich from Panera Bread is an unhealthy option due to its high cholesterol, sodium, and fat content.

It’s made with an over-easy egg, sausage patty, and aged white cheddar on an Asiago cheese bagel.

Here’s the nutritional breakdown:

  • Calories:  810
  • Sodium: 1460 mg (63% DV)
  • Saturated Fat: 20 g (100% DV)
  • Cholesterol: 345 mg (115% DV)

Jack In The Box Loaded Breakfast Sandwich

This Jack in the Box Loaded Breakfast Sandwich features eggs, hickory-smoked bacon, grilled ham, grilled sausage, and melty American cheese on toasted sourdough bread.

Boom, it’s loaded with cholesterol, calories, fat, and sodium.

The amount of cholesterol in this monster is mind-blowing!

Anyone trying to maintain a balanced diet should totally avoid this.

  • Calories:  690
  • Sodium: 1690 mg (73% DV)
  • Saturated Fat: 16 g (80% DV)
  • Cholesterol: 515 mg (172% DV)

Starbucks Venti White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream

The only drink included in this list is the Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream. And that’s because it is loaded with sugar. 

One drink will give you more than your total daily allowance for sugar.

And if you pair this sugary drink with a pastry, like a cheese Danish (~290 calories), it can push your breakfast to 700+ calories with an overload of sugar.

  • Calories:  480
  • Sugars: 58 g (116% DV)
  • Saturated Fat: 13 g (65% DV)
  • Cholesterol: 55 mg (18% DV)

Dunkin’ Sausage, Egg, and Cheese on a Croissant

While smaller than some other items on this list, this croissant has more fat and calories than an English muffin or bagel.

  • Calories:  680
  • Sodium: 1500 mg (65% DV)
  • Saturated Fat: 12 g (60% DV)
  • Cholesterol: 220 mg (73% DV)

The Bottom Line

Let’s notice the common theme: all these are high in calories, cholesterol, fat, and sodium.

Of course, life is hectic, and we are always in a rush in the mornings, so it is easy to grab and go with fast food items.

But eating them every day could severely negatively impact our health.

Instead, a little pre-planning for the mornings and making a quick, healthy breakfast at home can help us improve our health and money in the long run.

Related Posts