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The most unhealthy breakfast items from your favorite fast-food chains

Yes, we love them. But we have to admit they're terrible for us

Lindsay Parrill
By
McDonald's

As much as we all want to live in a world where we can cheerfully wake like cartoon princes and princesses — greeting the sunrise with a rested stretch and beaming smile, with all the time in the world to prepare and feast on a gorgeous spread of nutritious food — life doesn’t work that way.

Honestly, most mornings are successes if we get out the door in matching socks and gas in the car. Forget about a healthy breakfast with deliciously nutritious vitamins and minerals, eager to nourish us as we buzz along in our hurried days. Ha.

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That’s why we all love a fast-food breakfast. They’re easy, delicious, and they get the job done. And on the weekends, we love fast-food breakfasts for a different reason: it’s the perfect hangover food.

Unfortunately, Monday morning convenience and Saturday morning hangover cures come at a pretty hefty cost and not on your wallet. The price you’ll pay will be to your waistline and arteries, according to the nutritional facts below from CalorieKing. We did a little digging to find exactly what our favorite naughty breakfasts are packing, nutritionally speaking. And we’re sorry to report the results aren’t great.

McDonald's big breakfast
McDonald's

Big breakfast with hotcakes – McDonald’s

Unlike many sneaky breakfast options, this one isn’t even trying to disguise itself as healthy, which we appreciate. McDonald’s has been serving this classic breakfast for as long as we can remember, and while we may be lovin’ it, our bodies are not. All is not lost, though. You can still wake up with a fast-food classic and not need to crash an hour later. The classic Egg McMuffin is a surprisingly healthy option.

Calories: 1,340

Carbohydrates: 158

Grams of fat: 63

Eat this instead: Egg McMuffin

Calories: 310

Carbohydrates: 30

Grams of fat: 13

Burger King Egg-normous burrito
Burger King Cayman Islands/Facebook

Egg-normous burrito – Burger King

Love it or hate it, at least Burger King owns the enormity of this hearty breakfast burrito with its name. The egg-normous burrito is stuffed with sausage, thick-cut bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, shredded cheddar cheese, American cheese, and a creamy, spicy sauce. Talk about a mouthful. Unless you plan to spend the rest of the day in bed, we think this probably isn’t the best breakfast option. Like many competitors, though, Burger King offers a smaller, albeit completely satisfying, breakfast sandwich with fewer calories and fat. Its Egg & Cheese Biscuit breakfast sandwich is a much better way to get you going.

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Calories: 805

Carbohydrates: 68

Grams of fat: 46

Eat this instead: Egg & Cheese Biscuit

Calories: 370

Carbohydrates: 32

Grams of fat: 23

Sonic breakfast burrito
Sonic Drive-In/Facebook

Ultimate meat and cheese breakfast burrito – Sonic

Sonic is great for colorful drinks and amazingly crunchy, fantastic pellet ice. Unfortunately, that ice is the only thing on the menu that doesn’t contain many calories. This super-sized breakfast burrito clocks in at 850 calories and 60 grams of fat! Instead, opt for the junior-size Breakfast Burrito—all your favorite ingredients, none of the sluggishness.

Calories: 850

Carbohydrates: 48

Grams of fat: 60

Eat this instead: Jr. Breakfast Burrito

Calories: 300

Carbohydrates: 24

Grams of fat: 17

Wendy's sausage egg & croissant
Wendy's

Sausage, egg, and Swiss croissant – Wendy’s

We love Wendy, her cute braids, square burger patties, and delicious Frosties. Unfortunately, she does not love us back with this fatty breakfast sandwich. If you want a healthier breakfast option at Wendy’s, cut the calories nearly in half and order the Classic Bacon, Egg & Cheese Sandwich.

Calories: 600

Carbohydrates: 34

Grams of fat: 41

Eat this instead: Classic Bacon, Egg & Cheese Sandwich

Calories: 320

Carbohydrates: 25

Grams of fat: 17

Taco Bell breakfast crunch wrap
Saving My Family Money/Facebook

Breakfast crunch wrap with sausage – Taco Bell

Ah, Taco Bell. You saucy minx. Who among us hasn’t shamefully devoured one of these Crunch Wraps, crouching in our cars with the windows rolled up and our hats pulled far over our brows? Thankfully, we can leave our shame behind and proudly opt for a Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito with Sausage Crumbles & Egg.

Calories: 660

Carbohydrates: 50

Grams of fat: 42

Eat this instead: Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito with Sausage Crumbles & Egg

Calories: 340

Carbohydrates: 36

Grams of fat: 17

Carl's Jr. breakfast
Gone Crazy, Be Back Soon/Facebook

Monster biscuit – Carl’s Jr.

The name of this one says it all. This monster of a breakfast sandwich from Carl’s Jr. is a heart attack waiting to happen. And it doesn’t get much better from there. Our “healthier” option, the Steak and Egg Breakfast Burrito isn’t all that healthy, either, clocking in at 600 calories. And that’s the lowest-calorie breakfast meal item on the menu. Let’s say healthy food isn’t exactly Carl’s strong suit.

Calories: 850

Carbohydrates: 46

Grams of fat: 61

Eat this instead: Steak & Egg Breakfast Burrito

Calories: 600

Carbohydrates: 37

Grams of fat: 33

Jack in the Box breakfast burrito
Jack in the Box/Facebook

Grande sausage breakfast burrito with salsa – Jack in the Box

It’s hard to imagine that one little breakfast burrito could hold so many calories, but Jack’s done it. This beefy baby registers well over 1,000 calories and 72 grams of fat! That sounds like a nap waiting to happen. Thankfully, Jack had the more health-conscious customer in mind when adding the Breakfast Jack with Ham sandwich to his menu. With just 350 calories, this delightful little sandwich is a great way to start the day.

Calories: 1,070

Carbohydrates: 70

Grams of fat: 72

Eat this instead: Breakfast Jack with Ham

Calories: 350

Carbohydrates: 30

Grams of fat: 16

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Lindsay Parrill
Lindsay Parrill
Contributor
Lindsay is a graduate of California Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco, from where she holds a degree in…
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