Experts have long warned about the health risks associated with fast food and often cite McDonald's, the world's largest fast food chain, as one of the unhealthiest. However, according to a new study published by the telehealth company Plushcare , it may offer the least unhealthy fast food available. The chains with the unhealthiest menu options may surprise you, too.
Five Guys and Popeye's received the highest unhealthiness scores for some of their most popular menu items. Plushcare looked at five menu items at 24 of the leading fast food chains, compared them based on calories, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium, and then scored them using the U.K.
Department of Health nutrient profiling method. Five Guys is known for its delicious food , but both its cheeseburger and fries have received the highest unhealthiness scores compared to other fast food restaurants. Its cheeseburger, says Plushcare, has 73% more saturated fat than that of any of the other restaurants measured.
McDonald's and Burger King had the lowest unhealthiness scores for their cheeseburgers. Five Guys' fries also achieved a high score for saturated fat as well as sodium. Again, McDonald's (along with In-'n-Out Burger) had the lowest scores for that menu item.
Popeye's also scores high While Five Guys has the unhealthiest cheeseburger and fries, it's far from the only restaurant with unhealthy options. Popeye's may be recognized for its crispy, crunchy fried chicken , but its classic chicken sandwich and nugget.
