Ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is power. In this case, ignorance is eating a ton of french fries without knowing how many calories they contain. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat french fries every now and then, it just means you have to go to a different drive-thru when the craving hits. Some fast food french fries are much worse for you than others.
According to a recent study conducted by PlushCare, Five Guys fries lead the industry in terms of being unhealthy. The same study also found that Five Guys serves the unhealthiest fast food burgers in the country. Five Guys fries topped the list with a 28-point unhealthiness rating based on calories, sugar, saturated fat and sodium content, as well as Department of Health nutritional standards.
Steak ‘n’ Shake, Bojangles’ and Smashburger followed close behind, but the next closest chain on the list was nine points behind Five Guys. In fact, their fries have a total of 953 calories, making them 50% unhealthier than the other chains.
“French fries are high in salt and fat, which can take an already unhealthy fast food staple into dangerous territory,” health care platform PlushCare explains. “If you feel like you can’t live without them, try to choose the smallest portion, share with a friend, or try not to finish them.”
McDonald’s and In-N-Out had the lowest unhealthiness scores, with scores of 7 and 9, respectively. This isn’t surprising considering the fact that McDonald’s got pretty good scores overall and tied with Burger King for the second healthiest cheeseburger (first place goes to Culver’s). The McChicken and Chicken McNuggets both took the top spot for healthiest chicken sandwich and healthiest chicken nuggets.
everytime butBut even McChicken, which scores highly on PlushCare’s health ratings, isn’t strictly speaking a “healthy” choice — it’s only healthy in comparison.
“While the McChicken is significantly less unhealthy than other fast food chicken burgers, it is still high in sodium, fat and calories, and because it is made from a ground chicken patty, the nutrients it contains are not of high quality,” the report said.
Megan Schaltegger is a New York City-based writer who loves strong coffee, Manhattan food, and her dog Murray. She promises not to talk about herself in the third person in real life.
