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When you’re in a hurry to leave in the morning, stopping at a drive-thru might seem like a convenient quick fix, yet it’s widely known that fast food isn’t the healthiest choice. While enjoying these meals now and then might be acceptable, some should definitely be avoided, especially if you’re trying to adhere to wellness objectives. Your morning meal can set the pace for the day and help prevent a late-morning energy slump. If you’re aiming to make wiser food choices, here are nine fast-food breakfast items to steer clear of, according to nutrition expert and personal trainer Mary Sabat MS, RDN, LD.
McDonalds’ Big Breakfast with Hotcakes
Nutrition: per serving 1 meal
Calories: 1,340
Fat: 63g (Saturated fat: 24 g)
Sodium: 2,070mg
Carbs: 158g (Fiber: 5g , Sugar: 48g)
Protein: 36g
Pancakes may not appear to be the worst breakfast option, but Sabat clarifies why it’s better to avoid McDonald’s Big Breakfast with Hotcakes. “McDonald’s Big Breakfast® with Hotcakes is among the least desirable fast food breakfast items because it blends highly processed, subpar ingredients with a massive calorie content, refined carbs, sugar, and unhealthy fats.” She further notes, “With pancakes soaked in syrup, a buttery biscuit, hash browns, sausage, and scrambled eggs, this meal serves up over 1,300 calories at once. The 158 grams of carbs, which include 48 grams of sugar (41 grams added), lead to blood sugar spikes, while the 24 grams of saturated fat and even traces of trans fat increase inflammation and heart disease risk.” Sabat adds, “Though it contains 36 grams of protein, it heavily favors empty calories that encourage weight gain, poor metabolic health, and a long-term risk for chronic illness.”
Hardee’s Breakfast Platter with Sausage
Nutrition: per serving 431 grams
Calories: 1,150
Fat: 79g (Saturated fat: 26g)
Sodium: 2,420mg
Carbs: 76g (Fiber: 12g , Sugar: 5g)
Protein: 30g
Hardee’s Breakfast Platter with Sausage contains eggs, a biscuit with gravy, hash browns, and a sausage patty, all packed with fat and sodium. “Hardee’s Breakfast Platter with Sausage ranks among the worst fast food breakfast options due to its over 1,100 calories and abundance of low-quality ingredients,” says Sabat. “It has 79 grams of fat, including 26 grams of saturated fat and even 2 grams of trans fat, making it detrimental to heart health and promoting inflammation. Add in 76 grams of refined carbs and 12 grams of sugar, and you’re facing a meal that causes a blood sugar and energy spike followed by a crash.” Sabat concludes, “Although it contains 30 grams of protein, the nutritional balance is largely off, making it a poor choice to begin the day.”
The Burger King Ultimate Breakfast Platter
Nutrition: per serving 400 grams
Calories: 930
Fat: 44g (Saturated fat: 11g)
Sodium: 2,230mg
Carbs: 110g (Fiber: 4g , Sugar: 40g)
Protein: 24g
Burger King Ultimate Breakfast Platter is a hearty meal that features eggs, hash browns, sausage, pancakes and a biscuit, but it’s packed with refined carbs, added sugars, and unhealthy fats, making it a poor way to start the day. “Between the pancakes with syrup, buttery biscuit, sausage, and scrambled eggs, this meal delivers 900 calories and a massive 110 grams of carbs—including 40 grams of sugar. With 44 grams of fat (11 grams saturated), it provides far more empty calories than nutrients, leaving you sluggish and prone to blood sugar crashes,” Sabat explains. She adds, “While it has 24 grams of protein, the balance is completely off, with processed meats and refined flour crowding out any real nutrition.”
Hardee’s Ham Sunrise Croissant Combo
Nutrition: per serving 1 Ham and cheese croissant (nutrient facts for sandwich only)
Calories: 450–480
Fat: 26g (Saturated fat: 12g)
Sodium: mg
Carbs: 37g (Fiber: 1-2g , Sugar:4-6 g)
Protein: 20-21g
The Hardee’s Ham Sunrise Croissant Combo is a delicious way to fill up, but it’s not healthy because it combines highly processed meats, refined carbs, and fried sides into a calorie-dense, nutrient-poor meal. According to Sabat, “The buttery croissant provides empty calories with little fiber, while the ham is heavily processed and high in sodium. Adding fried Hash Rounds® and a sugary drink only increases the unhealthy fat, sugar, and carb load, spiking blood sugar and promoting inflammation.” She adds, “While it contains some protein from the egg and ham, the overall balance is heavily skewed toward refined carbs and unhealthy fats, making it a terrible way to start the day.”
Wendy’s Breakfast Baconator
Nutrition: per serving 1 sandwich
Calories: 704
Fat: 44g (Saturated fat: 15g)
Sodium: 1700-1800mg
Carbs: 39g (Fiber: 8g , Sugar: 2.1g)
Protein: 37g
Wendy’s Breakfast Baconator is a breakfast sandwich filled with sausage, bacon, egg, and cheese. “At 704 calories, it’s packed with 44 grams of fat, including 15 grams of saturated fat, plus layers of processed meats and multiple servings of cheese smothered in a heavy cheese sauce,” says Sabat. “While it offers 37 grams of protein, the balance is overwhelmed by unhealthy fats, refined carbs, and low-quality ingredients that promote inflammation and poor heart health. With 39 grams of carbs (including 8 grams of sugar) and very little fiber, it spikes blood sugar without providing lasting satiety.”
McDonald’s McGriddle Sausage Egg and Cheese
Nutrition: per serving 1 sandwich
Calories: 550
Fat: 33g (Saturated fat: 13g)
Sodium: 1,290mg
Carbs: 44g (Fiber: 2g , Sugar:15 g)
Protein: 19g
McDonald’s McGriddle Sausage Egg and Cheese satisfies a craving but at a cost. According to Sabat, “The Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddles® may look smaller than some other fast food platters, but it’s still a nutrition trap.” She explains, “At 550 calories, it’s extremely dense for a single sandwich, with 33 grams of fat—13 grams from saturated fat alone—which contributes to inflammation and poor heart health.” Sabat explains, “The griddle cakes are essentially pancakes infused with syrup, which drive up the sugar and refined carb load to 44 grams total, including 15 grams of sugar (13 grams added). Despite offering 19 grams of protein, the combination of processed sausage, refined flour, and added sugars creates a blood sugar spike-and-crash effect, leaving you tired and hungry again soon after.” She adds, “Paired with nearly 235 mg of cholesterol, this sandwich is more of a desert-meets-breakfast hybrid than a balanced start to the day.”
The Taco Bell Breakfast Crunchwrap with Sausage
Nutrition: per serving 1 wrap
Calories: 750
Fat: 49g (Saturated fat: 17g)
Sodium: 1,210mg
Carbs: 53g (Fiber: 4g , Sugar: 3g)
Protein: 21g
The Taco Bell Breakfast Crunch Wrap Sausage is a convenient grab and go breakfast, but
but nutritionally it’s a poor choice. Instead of health benefits the wrap delivers, “750 calories, it delivers 49 grams of fat—17 grams of which are saturated, almost an entire day’s worth in one meal,” says Sabat. “Wrapped in a flour tortilla and stuffed with fried potatoes, cheese, and processed sausage, it loads the body with unhealthy fats and refined carbs while offering very little fiber (just 4 grams). Although it contains 21 grams of protein, the balance is overshadowed by 53 grams of carbs and more than 1,200 mg of sodium.” She adds, “This combination promotes blood sugar spikes, energy crashes, and inflammation, making it a highly unbalanced and unhealthy way to start the day.”
Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit
Nutrition: per serving 1 biscuit sandwich
Calories: 460
Fat: 23g (Saturated fat: 8g)
Sodium: 1,510mg
Carbs: 45g (Fiber: 2g , Sugar: 6g)
Protein: 19g
Chick-fil-A is one of the most popular chicken joints and while there are some healthy options, the Chicken Biscuit is not one of them. “The Chick Fil A Chicken Biscuit is often mistaken as a lighter option, but it’s far from a healthy breakfast,” says Sabat. “At 460 calories, it may seem modest compared to some oversized platters, but it still delivers 23 grams of fat (8 grams saturated) and packs 1,510 mg of sodium—two-thirds of what many people should have in an entire day.” Sabat points out that, “The biscuit is made from refined white flour, giving you 45 grams of carbs with only 2 grams of fiber, leaving 43 grams of net carbs that spike blood sugar. To make matters worse, the chicken contains a double dose of MSG, an additive linked to inflammation and poor food quality.” She adds, “While it provides 19 grams of protein, the processed ingredients and refined carbs make it a poor way to fuel your morning.”
Starbucks Venti White Chocolate Mocha with a Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffin
Nutrition: per serving 113 grams for the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin
Calories: 350
Fat: 14g (Saturated fat: 4g)
Sodium: 439mg
Carbs: 53g (Fiber: 1g , Sugar: 34g)
Protein: 5g
Starbucks Venti White Chocolate Mocha with a Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffin sounds like the ideal way to start your fall morning, but think twice before ordering. When combined with the White Chocolate Mocha (which can add ~430 calories and 53 g of sugar on its own), this combo easily exceeds 780 calories and nearly 90 g of sugar, making it more harmful than helpful as a breakfast. “Pairing a Venti White Chocolate Mocha with a Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin is essentially having dessert for breakfast,” says Sabat. “The drink alone is made with sugary white chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and milk, pushing its calories and sugar sky-high. Adding the muffin piles on more refined flour, added sugars, processed oils, and preservatives like carrageenan and propylene glycol alginate from the cream cheese filling.” Sabat notes, “Together, this breakfast can easily top 800–1,000 calories, with most of it coming from sugar and refined carbs that spike blood sugar and then leave you crashing mid-morning.” Protein and fiber are minimal, meaning it won’t keep you full, while the excess added sugars and processed ingredients promote inflammation, weight gain, and long-term metabolic strain.
