The Most Unhealthy Breakfast Item At Popular Fast Food Chains

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, at least that's what so many of us were told growing up when our parents urged us to shove a bowl of cereal or Pop-Tarts down our gullets before we left for school. Now, as we get older and our daily routines become busier, many of us find it difficult to make time for a morning meal. Other people simply aren't hungry when they wake up so they skip the meal altogether. As for those who are craving food but need to rush out the door shortly after they hop out of bed, stopping off at a local fast-food joint to scoop up breakfast is an appealing option.

Not only are the breakfast items at many of your favorite fast-food spots pretty darn tasty, but they're super affordable too, so you won't walk away feeling like you made a dent in your wallet. As delicious as you may find them, they certainly aren't the kinds of food that any doctor would recommend incorporating into your diet. In fact, one simple sandwich can sometimes contain your entire daily allotment of sodium, calories, and fat, and that spells trouble for your waistline. However, if you're someone who frequents fast-food restaurants in the morning, make it a point to avoid the following items, as they are the unhealthiest options available.

When the appetite maestro in your gut starts creating a symphony of hunger you just can't ignore, there are few food items that hit the spot better than a burrito. Its whole purpose is to transfer as many ingredients as possible into your mouth in the form of a warm, overstuffed tortilla teeming with fixings. Hunger is often loudest in the morning, so why not snag yourself the grande sausage breakfast burrito from Jack-in-the-Box? You get a flour tortilla stuffed with grilled sausage, scrambled eggs, hash browns, hickory smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, and creamy Sriracha sauce. While it tastes great in the mouth, it wreaks havoc on the arteries.

Breakfast is supposed to be the meal that sets you up for success for the remainder of the day, but it's really tough to find the energy to plug away at whatever tasks come your direction after consuming over 1,000 calories. Try convincing your waistline that's a good idea. Not only is it packed with calories, but it also contains around 70 grams of fat, which is over 100% of your recommended daily intake, and 20 grams of saturated fat, which is the entirety of your daily intake. Tack on just over 2,000 milligrams of sodium and you have a breakfast item that will only slow you down.

The commercial for Dunkin' proudly claims that "America runs on Dunkin'." It implies that countless people hit up their local Dunkin' every morning for a hot cup of joe and breakfast to fuel them to conquer the workday and keep the wheels of the American economy running smoothly. Dunkin' offers a bunch of breakfast options to choose from to kickstart the day aside from fried dough, but just because you're not shoveling a Boston cream donut into your mouth doesn't necessarily mean what you're consuming is anywhere near healthy.

If you absolutely have to stop by your local Dunkin' for some morning grub, do yourself a favor and get anything other than the sweet black bacon pepper sandwich. Yes, the words all come together to create a delicious image in your head causing your mouth to water. However, along with every yummy bite of the sandwich comes a roundhouse kick of poor nutrition that would make any doctor cringe. The sandwich isn't even that big, yet it still packs 650 calories, 41 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, and almost an entire gram of sodium. Plus, it contains 11 grams of sugar, most of which is the added processed stuff.

When it comes to tackling the day, you need to wake up and approach your tasks like a monster ready to devour every hurdle that comes at it. Embrace that inner savage who loves challenges and eats them for breakfast. If that's the kind of outlook you have in the morning, the Monster Bscuit from Carl's Jr. might seem like the perfect choice. You can't go wrong with crispy bacon, a juicy sausage patty, Swiss and American cheese, and two folded eggs on a flaky, buttermilk biscuit. Or can you?

It turns out you can go very wrong. Not with flavor, but with nutrition. Taste-wise, this thing tickles all the right areas of your palate. However, that awesome flavor comes at a hefty price. For starters, you're consuming 830 calories, which is way too much in one sandwich. Your body also won't be pleased with your decision to flood it with 56 grams of fat, 25 grams of saturated fat, and an astounding 2,420 milligrams of sodium. That's more than your allotment for the whole day. You might trick yourself into believing it's not so bad since you also get 34 grams of protein, but don't be fooled. This is one monster you don't want hanging around.

For those who wake up with a raging appetite, a small bite of something light just isn't going to give them the kick they need to win the morning. They need a meal that packs a hearty punch, which is why so many people turn to McDonald's as their breakfast spot of choice. McDonald's serves a plethora of morning eats, including the iconic Big Breakfast with hotcakes. You get a whole smattering of goodies here: scrambled eggs, a sausage patty, hash browns, a biscuit, and three fluffy flapjacks. 

That being said, it's also one heck of a wallop to your diet. Unless you're totally comfortable delivering 1,340 calories into your belly, you're going to want to walk in the other direction when you see the Big Breakfast strolling your way. Not only that, but this big boy also slams you with 63 grams of fat (80% of your daily allotment), and 24 grams of saturated fat (122% of the recommended daily amount). Tack on over 2 grams of sodium and you have yourself a big ol' platter of watch out. Make the right choice and opt for something else when the Golden Arches call out your name in the morning.

The Crunchwrap Supreme is one of Taco Bell's crowning achievements. Anyone who's eaten the pocket of flavor-packed fixings knows just how delicious it is. But, what happens in the morning when you're not quite in the mood for ground beef but still want a handheld vessel with all the breakfast items you love? This is where the breakfast crunchwrap swoops in like a morning hero to rescue your appetite from disaster. The wrap comes with hash browns, scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, melted cheddar cheese, and a creamy jalapeño sauce all tucked into a warm flour tortilla. It's pretty awesome, although its nutritional content would say otherwise.

Just know when you stare at your breakfast crunchwrap as your salivary glands go buck wild with anticipation, you're gazing at 710 calories, 45 grams of fat, and just over 1,200 milligrams of sodium. That should be enough to scare that saliva back into your mouth. It's never a good idea to begin your day by taking in over 50% of your daily salt allotment and 60% of the fat you should be consuming in 24 hours. If you want to make it slightly healthier, you can opt for bacon over sausage, but either way, this really isn't something you should incorporate into your morning routine.

When the urge to get your fast-food fix hits hard, Wendy's is always an enticing option. There's just something about those square patties that reign in your attention, and before you know it you're ordering up a burger or two. Wendy's also offers customers some breakfast options for those in need of a morning meal. Now, we all know fast food of any kind doesn't score high on the health meter, but if there's one item you should definitely pass on it's the sausage, egg, and Swiss croissant.

The sandwich comes with an egg, grilled sausage patty, and Swiss cheese sauce nestled in a super flaky croissant bun. All those great flavors can't exist together without also delivering some pretty unfortunate nutritional features. The sandwich packs just under 600 calories, 40 grams of fat, 16 grams of saturated fat, and just over a gram of sodium. We get it though. That creamy Swiss cheese sauce sounds like an absolute game-changer that's really hard to pass up. Do the best you can to stave off that urge because your body will thank you.

Years ago, Dairy Queen was known as a spot to cop yourself a serving of cold ice cream on a sweltering summer afternoon. With time, the Queen has developed a menu to compete with other fast-food chains, and people have quickly added it to their rotation when hunger strikes. Dairy Queen not only offers burgers and chicken tenders for lunch and dinner, but it also has a variety of breakfast options. One morning dish it serves up is the breakfast bowl with gravy. You get a bowl filled with two scrambled eggs, chunks of sausage, hash browns, shredded cheddar cheese, grilled onions, and rich sausage gravy. It sounds both delicious and unhealthy because it's a whole lotta both.

Sitting in the bowl alongside all those tasty breakfast goodies is a total of 830 calories, which is not a stellar amount. You'll have to hit the gym mighty hard if you want to take this down and still remain on track for the day. You also pack in 59 grams of fat, 19 grams of saturated fat, and 1,690 milligrams of sodium. This is one bowl of bad you do not need early in the morning, unless you plan on falling into a food coma and canceling everything on your to-do list for the rest of the day.

Anyone who adores a morning complete with a stack of fluffy pancakes has probably been to IHOP at least once. It is the International House of Pancakes, after all. But those seeking life outside of those doughy disks covered in syrup and butter can also enjoy breakfast there. One of the options IHOP offers customers is the breakfast crepes. You get two delicate crepes filled with scrambled eggs, hickory-smoked bacon, and crispy hash browns sprinkled with shredded cheddar cheese and a drizzle of white cheddar cheese sauce. Is it a tasty way to start your day? Definitely. But is it a healthy way to kick off the morning? No way.

While everyone wants to begin the morning with boatloads of flavor, no one wants to begin it with a heaping amount of calories, which is what you get here. The crepes hit you with 1,210 calories, which means you better pencil in a visit to the nearest gym at some point. There's also an aggressive amount of fat (83 grams) and an astounding 28 grams of saturated fat, which is 140% of your daily allotment. On top of that, pile on 2,290 milligrams of sodium. IHOP should stand for "International House of Putting-Your-Cardiologist-On-Speed-Dial."

Any sandwich enthusiast has Subway on their radar when it's time to take down a hoagie like a champion. Subway offers a ton of variety when it comes to navigating the terrain of lunch and dinner. But the restaurant now also offers breakfast options for those craving a sandwich in the wee hours of the morning. If you're looking for something super hearty that packs a punch of flavor, you might be tempted to settle on the mega melt omelet sandwich. You get six inches of egg, American cheese, bacon, and sausage. But, you also get a whole bunch of stuff you don't want.

That stuff we're referring to comes in the form of calories, fat, and sodium. The mega melt clocks in at 650 calories, which is more than anyone needs to start their day. In terms of fat, the sandwich hits you with 39 grams of it, and then tops you off with 15 grams of the saturated stuff. Not good. To make matters even worse, you're also consuming 1,600 milligrams of sodium. This is a trio of unhealthiness you really shouldn't partake in at any time of the day, especially not in the morning when your body needs nutritious fuel to take on the day.

Do you ever wake up seeking a "hearty morning meal of sliced Chick-fil-A nuggets, crispy hash browns, scrambled eggs, and a blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses?" Well, if that's the exact combination of flavors you want on your palate to jumpstart your day, look no further than the hash brown scramble burrito with sausage at Chick-fil-A. You get all that good stuff in a warm flour tortilla served along with jalapeño salsa so you can get your dunking on. But, just know that if your nutritionist found out you were kicking off your morning this way, they'd likely toss a scowl your way.

This breakfast burrito is chock full of unhealthy stuff, which is why you should give it a hard pass when pursuing the Chick-fil-A breakfast menu. You're taking down 720 calories, 47 grams of fat, 16 grams of saturated fat, along with a heaping 1,450 milligrams of sodium. In a perfect world, this is exactly how every day should start. But, alas, the world is far from perfect, and that means all of these things burrow into your body and create metabolic unrest. Don't be the cause of your body's disappointment with your decisions. Simply pick another option that won't leave your blood pressure crying out for help.

Who doesn't want their day to start out in the most ultimate way possible? You want to leap out of bed with a spring in your step prepared to steamroll every obstacle that lies in your path, and one surefire way to ensure that happens is to eat a great breakfast. So, if you're shooting for an ultimate morning, the Ultimate Meat & Cheese Breakfast Burrito at Sonic might loudly call out to you. A warm flour tortilla stuffed with crispy bacon, juicy sausage, golden tater tots, fluffy eggs, and a zesty cheese sauce was born to serenade your appetite. But, don't let this siren lull your appetite toward disaster.

The unfortunate thing about the flavors we all love — fat, salt, and sugar — is that they really don't offer any nutritional value. It's such a shame since they're so darn delicious. The rich flavors here go hand-in-hand with some pretty abysmal numbers. Consuming 530 calories of fast food first thing in the morning is never a good idea, but that's what you're being served here. You're also forcing your body to process a whopping 58 grams of fat and 19 grams of saturated fat. That's not something you should write home about. Wrap up the whole ordeal with 2,220 milligrams of sodium and you have yourself a diet-ruining tortilla. Don't let the immediate gratification of the flavors end up ruining the long-term positive effects that come with a great eating regimen.