Top 19 worst drive-thru foods in America :chapter 1

Time and money are two things Americans can’t afford to waste. So it’s not surprising (though slightly disappointing) that the drive-thru is considered one of the great inventions of all time. There’s even a study to prove it. In 2005 and 2006, researchers asked 600 adults and teens why they eat so much fast food. Three of the top four responses were it’s quick, easy, and affordable. Taste came in third, with only 69 percent of respondents listing flavor as a factor in their fast-food love.



Drive-thru foods may be convenient and easy on the wallet, but they’re loaded with unhealthy fats, added sugars, carbohydrates, and sodium. Translation: They’re no bargain when it comes to your health. But jam-packed schedules and a dismal economy make the occasional drive-thru meal a part of life. That’s why Eat This, Not That! studied the open-air menu boards and compiled a list of the worst items out there, plus better alternatives. Avoid these dietary land mines and save more than a few minutes and a couple bucks—how does up to 20 pounds in a year sound?


Worst drink
Sonic Minute Maid Cranberry Juice Slush (“Route 44”–extra large)
616 calories
165 g sugars

In its pure form, antioxidant-packed cranberry juice is a healthy choice. But this Cranberry Juice Slush comes with an asterisk next to the word “cranberry” on the Web site’s nutrition list. That’s probably because only 78 of the whopping 616 calories come from “cranberry flavor”—the rest of the bulk comes from the “slush.” Consider that a code word for sugar overload: the extra-large has the sugar equivalent of six packs of M&Ms. Check out our list of the 20 worst drinks in America to see other equally atrocious beverages.



Drink This Instead!
Cranberry Flavored Tea (medium)
42 calories
10 g sugar


Burger King Spicy Chick’n Crisp Sandwich
450 calories
30 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
810 mg sodium

Lean economic times make the value menu more appealing than ever. And that’s fine—most dollar menus have a few sensible items. But if you eat this sandwich often, saving a few bucks will quickly result in a surplus around your waistline.


Eat This Instead!
Whopper Jr. without mayo
290 calories
12 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat)
500 mg sodium


Taco Bell Grilled Stuft Beef Burrito
680 calories
30 g fat (10 g saturated fat)
2,120 mg sodium

Ditch this and order two grilled steak soft tacos (or any menu item) "fresco" style and the Bell boys will replace cheese and sauces with a chunky tomato salsa, helping to cut calories in half and fat by at least 25 percent.


Eat This Instead!
Two Grilled Steak Soft Tacos, Fresco Style
320 calories
9 g fat (3 g saturated fat)
1,100 mg sodium


Sonic Chicken Club TOASTER Sandwich
742 calories
46 g fat (11 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
1,742 mg sodium
How can a chicken sandwich pack so much fat? Start with a fried chicken breast, add bacon, cheese, and mayo, and you're there. Add to that the sodium equivalent of 53 saltine crackers, and you’re looking at a serious dietary disaster. Ditch the chicken for beef and save 10 grams of fat.

Eat This Instead!
Sonic Burger with Mustard
540 calories
25 g fat (9 g saturated fat)
730 mg sodium


Hardee’s Big Chicken Filet Sandwich
800 calories
37 g fat (6 g saturated fat)
1,890 mg sodium
A general rule: Avoid sandwiches with words like “big” and “monster” in the name. Hardee’s Monster Thickburger is another example—it comes in at 1,420 calories, 108 grams of fat, and more saturated fat than you want in two days.

Eat This Instead!
Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich
415 calories
5 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
1,175 mg sodium


Arby’s Roast Beef and Swiss Market Fresh Sandwich
810 calories
42 g fat (13 g saturated fat)
1,780 mg sodium
The unwholesome trinity of mayo, Italian sub sauce, and processed Swiss cheese make this sandwich the clear loser in the battle of the beef. The Super Roast Beef replaces mayo with a low-cal spicy pepper sauce and totals 370 fewer calories.

Eat This Instead!
Super Roast Beef
440 calories
19 g fat (7 g saturated fat)
1,061 mg sodium


Burger King Kids Double Cheeseburger and Kids Fries with Small Coke
950 calories
42 g fat (17 g saturated fat, 4.5 g trans fats)
1,410 mg sodium
BK's dubious double burger earns the distinction of being the fattiest meal for an on-the-go kid, with nearly a day's worth of saturated fat for the average 8-year-old.

Eat This Instead!
4-piece Chicken Tenders with Strawberry-Flavored Applesauce and unlimited water
280 calories
11 g fat (3 g saturated fat)
440 mg sodium


Dairy Queen 6-Piece Chicken Strip Basket
1,270 calories
67 g fat (11 g saturated fat)
2,910 mg sodium
The strips deliver more grams of fat than four DQ Homestyle Burgers, and nearly 300 more calories than a Large Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard.

Eat This Instead!
Grilled Chicken Salad
with Fat-Free Italian Dressing
280 calories
11 g fat (5 g saturated)
1,550 mg sodium


Jack in the Box Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit
740 calories
55 g fat (17 g saturated fat)
1,430 mg sodium
Skip biscuits at all costs. This one contains nearly a full day’s worth of saturated fat (check out the 8 worst restaurant breakfasts here). Instead try the Bacon Breakfast Jack—16 grams of protein makes it a surprisingly good way to start your day.

Eat This Instead!
Bacon Breakfast Jack
300 calories
14 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
730 mg sodium