Fast Food and Processed Food Nutrition

Fast Food and Processed Food Nutrition is a growing reference catalogue that lists approximate nutrition figures for widely-sold fast-food and packaged-food items, organized by brand, so people can make informed choices about what they eat. The values here come from public nutrition labels and are stated as facts, but they are rounded, generalized, and written in our own words — they are not copied from any single brand's page and they are not a substitute for the official label. This article feeds the Library's health and Move tools (activity, calories, and eating), and it is meant to grow entry by entry the way the rest of the Library does.

VERIFY ON THE LABEL. Brands reformulate recipes, change portion sizes, and vary by country, franchise, and season. The numbers below are widely-known approximate values for a standard item — treat them as a ballpark, not gospel. Before relying on any figure — especially for allergies, diabetes, sodium-restricted diets, or any medical reason — check the official product label or the brand's own nutrition page, or look the item up in USDA FoodData Central, the authoritative public source. Where a value is uncertain it is marked "approx."

Each item lists, in order: Calories · Fat (g) · Sugar (g) · Sodium (mg) · Protein (g).

McDonald's

Big Mac — 550 cal · 30 g fat · 9 g sugar · 1010 mg sodium · 25 g protein
Quarter Pounder with Cheese — 520 cal · 26 g fat · 10 g sugar · 1140 mg sodium · 30 g protein
Cheeseburger — 300 cal · 13 g fat · 7 g sugar · 720 mg sodium · 15 g protein
Medium French Fries — 320 cal · 15 g fat · 0 g sugar · 260 mg sodium · 4 g protein
10-piece Chicken McNuggets — 410 cal · 24 g fat · 0 g sugar · 900 mg sodium · 23 g protein
Egg McMuffin — 310 cal · 13 g fat · 3 g sugar · 770 mg sodium · 17 g protein
Baked Apple Pie — 230 cal · 11 g fat · 16 g sugar · 95 mg sodium · 2 g protein

Burger King

Whopper — 660 cal · 40 g fat · 11 g sugar · 980 mg sodium · 28 g protein
Cheeseburger — 300 cal · 14 g fat · 7 g sugar · 720 mg sodium · 15 g protein
Chicken Fries (9 pc) — 280 cal · 17 g fat · 0 g sugar · 890 mg sodium · 14 g protein
Medium French Fries — 380 cal · 17 g fat · 0 g sugar · 570 mg sodium · 4 g protein
Original Chicken Sandwich — 660 cal · 40 g fat · 5 g sugar · 1170 mg sodium · 28 g protein

Wendy's

Dave's Single — 570 cal · 34 g fat · 9 g sugar · 1160 mg sodium · 30 g protein
Baconator — 950 cal · 62 g fat · 9 g sugar · 1710 mg sodium · 56 g protein
Spicy Chicken Sandwich — 500 cal · 21 g fat · 6 g sugar · 1130 mg sodium · 29 g protein
Medium Fries — 420 cal · 20 g fat · 0 g sugar · 500 mg sodium · 5 g protein
Chili (small) — 240 cal · 11 g fat · 6 g sugar · 810 mg sodium · 16 g protein
Frosty (small, chocolate) — 340 cal · 8 g fat · 45 g sugar · 190 mg sodium · 8 g protein

Taco Bell

Crunchy Taco — 170 cal · 10 g fat · 1 g sugar · 300 mg sodium · 8 g protein
Soft Taco (beef) — 180 cal · 9 g fat · 2 g sugar · 490 mg sodium · 9 g protein
Bean Burrito — 350 cal · 9 g fat · 3 g sugar · 1010 mg sodium · 13 g protein
Crunchwrap Supreme — 530 cal · 21 g fat · 6 g sugar · 1210 mg sodium · 16 g protein
Chalupa Supreme (beef) — 350 cal · 20 g fat · 3 g sugar · 620 mg sodium · 12 g protein
Cinnamon Twists — 190 cal · 6 g fat · 10 g sugar · 200 mg sodium · 1 g protein

KFC

Original Recipe Chicken Breast — 390 cal · 21 g fat · 0 g sugar · 1190 mg sodium · 39 g protein
Original Recipe Drumstick — 130 cal · 8 g fat · 0 g sugar · 380 mg sodium · 12 g protein
Extra Crispy Chicken Breast — 530 cal · 35 g fat · 0 g sugar · 1150 mg sodium · 35 g protein
Famous Bowl — 710 cal · 33 g fat · 3 g sugar · 2200 mg sodium · 26 g protein
Mashed Potatoes with Gravy — 130 cal · 4 g fat · 1 g sugar · 530 mg sodium · 2 g protein
Cole Slaw — 170 cal · 11 g fat · 13 g sugar · 210 mg sodium · 1 g protein

Subway

Values are for a 6-inch sub on white/Italian bread, without extra cheese, sauce, or oil; footlongs are roughly double.

Turkey Breast — 280 cal · 4 g fat · 6 g sugar · 760 mg sodium · 18 g protein
Black Forest Ham — 290 cal · 4.5 g fat · 7 g sugar · 790 mg sodium · 19 g protein
Italian B.M.T. — 390 cal · 16 g fat · 8 g sugar · 1260 mg sodium · 20 g protein
Meatball Marinara — 430 cal · 18 g fat · 9 g sugar · 920 mg sodium · 21 g protein
Veggie Delite — 200 cal · 2 g fat · 5 g sugar · 280 mg sodium · 8 g protein
Tuna — 450 cal · 25 g fat · 6 g sugar · 610 mg sodium · 19 g protein

Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich — 420 cal · 18 g fat · 6 g sugar · 1400 mg sodium · 29 g protein
Spicy Chicken Sandwich — 450 cal · 19 g fat · 6 g sugar · 1580 mg sodium · 28 g protein
8-count Nuggets — 250 cal · 11 g fat · 1 g sugar · 1210 mg sodium · 27 g protein
Waffle Potato Fries (medium) — 420 cal · 24 g fat · 1 g sugar · 240 mg sodium · 5 g protein
Grilled Chicken Sandwich — 390 cal · 12 g fat · 11 g sugar · 810 mg sodium · 28 g protein
Chick-n-Strips (3 ct) — 310 cal · 14 g fat · 2 g sugar · 900 mg sodium · 29 g protein

Starbucks

Beverage figures are for a Grande (16 oz) made the standard way with 2% milk unless noted; syrups, whipped cream, and milk choice move sugar and calories substantially.

Caffè Latte — 190 cal · 7 g fat · 18 g sugar · 170 mg sodium · 13 g protein
Caramel Macchiato — 250 cal · 7 g fat · 33 g sugar · 150 mg sodium · 10 g protein
Caffè Mocha — 370 cal · 15 g fat · 35 g sugar · 150 mg sodium · 14 g protein
Pumpkin Spice Latte — 390 cal · 14 g fat · 50 g sugar · 240 mg sodium · 14 g protein
Brewed Coffee (black) — 5 cal · 0 g fat · 0 g sugar · 10 mg sodium · 1 g protein
Butter Croissant — 260 cal · 14 g fat · 5 g sugar · 260 mg sodium · 5 g protein

Processed and packaged

Standard single-serving or common-portion values; multi-serving packages (a whole bag of chips, a 2-liter bottle) are much higher.

Soda and drinks

Cola, 12 oz can — 140 cal · 0 g fat · 39 g sugar · 45 mg sodium · 0 g protein
Lemon-lime soda, 12 oz — 140 cal · 0 g fat · 38 g sugar · 65 mg sodium · 0 g protein
Energy drink, 16 oz — 210 cal · 0 g fat · 54 g sugar · 370 mg sodium · 1 g protein (approx.)
Sweetened iced tea, 12 oz — 120 cal · 0 g fat · 32 g sugar · 10 mg sodium · 0 g protein

Chips and snacks

Potato chips, ~1 oz (28 g) — 150 cal · 10 g fat · 1 g sugar · 170 mg sodium · 2 g protein
Tortilla / corn chips, ~1 oz — 140 cal · 7 g fat · 1 g sugar · 110 mg sodium · 2 g protein
Cheese puffs, ~1 oz — 160 cal · 10 g fat · 1 g sugar · 300 mg sodium · 2 g protein
Microwave popcorn, buttered, ~4 cups — 170 cal · 11 g fat · 0 g sugar · 300 mg sodium · 3 g protein (approx.)

Cereal (1 cup, dry, without milk)

Frosted flakes — 130 cal · 0 g fat · 13 g sugar · 190 mg sodium · 2 g protein
Toasted oat O's (plain) — 100 cal · 2 g fat · 1 g sugar · 140 mg sodium · 3 g protein
Chocolate puffed rice — 120 cal · 1 g fat · 12 g sugar · 150 mg sodium · 1 g protein
Bran flakes — 130 cal · 1 g fat · 6 g sugar · 220 mg sodium · 3 g protein

Candy and sweets

Milk chocolate bar, ~1.55 oz — 220 cal · 13 g fat · 24 g sugar · 35 mg sodium · 3 g protein
Peanut butter cups, 2-cup pack — 210 cal · 13 g fat · 21 g sugar · 150 mg sodium · 4 g protein
Fruit-flavored chewy candy, ~2 oz — 230 cal · 5 g fat · 33 g sugar · 30 mg sodium · 0 g protein
Glazed doughnut — 260 cal · 14 g fat · 12 g sugar · 330 mg sodium · 3 g protein

How to read these numbers

Sodium adds up fast. Many single fast-food items carry a third to a half of a typical daily sodium target (around 2,300 mg) in one sandwich or bowl.
"Meal" totals are the real figure. A sandwich plus fries plus a soda combines three of these rows — often 1,000–1,400 calories and well over 1,500 mg sodium.
Sugar hides in drinks and sauces. A single sweetened beverage can carry more added sugar than a candy bar; syrups and dressings add more on top of the item.
Customization changes everything. Extra cheese, bacon, sauces, larger sizes, and whole-milk or whipped-cream drink options push every number up.

For general guidance on how these foods fit into a balanced diet, see the Library's Food Pyramid and Supplements.