What is it about french fries that makes us crave them so? Is it the saltiness? The crispy outside and soft, warm inside? Is it that they make ketchup taste so good?
Well whatever the reason, people love them and fast-food joints know that. Unfortunately deep-fried foods aren't exactly healthy for us, which we know, but maybe seeing some actual numbers will help prevent us from ordering the super-size fries at Mickey D's next time.
Want to see the nutritional info? Then read more
Check out how a large-size order of fries compares at these popular fast-food chains.
| Place | Calories | Trans Fat (g) | Sodium (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| McDonald's | 570 | 8 | 330 |
| Burger King | 500 | 6 | 820 |
| Wendy's | 540 | 1 | 550 |
| Arby's Homestyle | 566 | 1 | 1,029 |
| Arby's Curly | 631 | 1 | 1,476 |
| Hardee's Regular | 610 | unknown | 370 |
| Hardee's Crispy Curls | 480 | unknown | 1,190 |
| A&W Regular | 430 | 5.5 | 640 |
| A&W Chili Cheese | 400 | 4 | 990 |
| In-N-Out Burger | 400 | 0 | 245 |
| Jack in the Box Natural Cut | 640 | 10 | 1180 |
| Jack in the Box Seasoned Curly | 550 | 10 | 1,200 |
| White Castle | 700 | 11 | 560 |
| Sonic Regular | 280 | 0 | 135 |
| Sonic Chili Cheese | 450 | .5 | 610 |
| Dairy Queen | 730 | 5 | 1,530 |
| Carl's Jr. | 620 | unknown | 380 |
| Popeyes | 310 | 1 | 660 |
| KFC Potato Wedges | 260 | 0 | 740 |
Whoa, hang on a sec. Did I read those numbers from Dairy Queen correctly? 730 calories and 1,530mg of sodium? Yikes. I've never tried their french fries but they better be the best-tasting potatoes in the world. White Castle's fries aren't too far behind with 700 calories and a whopping 11g of trans fat. The worst thing is that people eat these on the side. If french fries contain this many calories, I don't even want to think about what the total number of calories would be if you ate them along with a burger.
If these numbers don't make you steer clear of fast-food french fries, maybe this video about McDonald's preservatives will seal the deal. It's disgustingly shocking. It makes you realize that it's not only the trans fat, calories, and sodium that are unhealthy, but you have no idea what kind of crap and chemicals these fast-food chains are putting into their food, and how it'll negatively affect your body.
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I'm not all too surprised.
I never eat fast food but I do have to say when I do (has been ages) I always went for KFC and had the potato wedges. I think they are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than fries any day and out of this list THE best calorie wise.
I guess I don't feel so bad anymore...
1i hate french fries!!
2any kind: Mcdonalds, regular restaurant, home-made...
they taste nasty and after i eat a portion i feel like i've gulped down a vat of oil
nasty!!
I already knew they were bad - and that's why I try my best to avoid them at all costs!!!
3Did you know McD's actually got rid of the SuperSize a few years back? They felt it was giving them a bad image after the movie of the same name came out. (my best friend worked at their ad agency)
And I still love french fries.
nothing can change that. I eat them
knowing full well what they are about. I just am ver sensible and only have them occasionally! 
4they got rid of it? but i can go into mcdonalds and ask for it and i will get it... or you mean they got rid of "supersizeD" and now when you ask for it they just give you a large?!... yea when i go i love the fires.. but i get a small.. the perfect size for me.. and there really isnt that much in there.. so i dont feel ill when i leave!... well thats not true haha.. i feel a little ill!
5I eat them sparingly. Mostly Wendy's. My kittie likes McDonalds though. How come the A&W Chilli Cheese Fries are better for you than the regular? That doesn't seem to make sense to me.
I love potatoes but generally stick to baked, not fried.
6Summerbaby They did get rid of it but their sizes are getting larger so what was once a large is now much larger.
7two articles on it.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4433307/
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/newstex/IBD-0001-20512048.h...
SummerBaby, what I had heard was that they, like Wendy's and several other chains have changed over to a S,M,L size. So when you order a 'meal' you get a medium size unless you specify otherwise. They have all sort of upped the size of what they had to accommodate the change, so the large is really a 'supersize' in disguise. MCD's no longer use the term Supersize and instead of offering it, they will sometimes ask you what size you want.
8I have never liked MCD'S fries anyway but when Burgerville has the sweet potato fries in the fall I can't help but order them once.
9I only allow myself to eat fast food once a month- if that. And when I do, it's a cheeseburger happy meal from Mcdonalds.
10I like to make my own fries with real potatoes - I hate the reconstituted potato starch things they serve at fast food places. I know its not healthy but its got to be better than this.
11niko, if you fry them in canola oil they probably aren't too bad for you. I love homemade french fries, hate the fast food version...
12oh umm, there's no nutrition facts for like diner fries?
13I usually avoid the fries when we go out somewhere. My guilty addiction is Chick Fil A's waffle fries. They are so good...and so bad.
14Gosh, I love fries so much. They are my weakness but what I do is, whenever my hubby orders them, I take 2 or 3 and then I am satisfied!
15I love fries too, but I like to make my own. My trick is to put them in boiling water just long enough to get them wamr but not to have them release their starch and sugars. Then I dry them and wait until they're cool and bake them. I don't need any oil. And they're tasty.
16what about home made french fries? not deep-fried? canola oil and charlotte potatoes and sea-salt.
17I don't really like french fries...I randomly started disliking them about a year or two ago.
Sweet potato fries, on the other hand...I could eat a ton of those!
18French Fries are awful for you, but I just love them...it's my one vice (as well as candy, but that's a different subject all it's own). However I have gotten better at resisting the temptation...of course now that I've happened upon and Ollie's Trolley in the area...well...I'm fighting!!!!
19So sad, but not surprising. It's a splurge for sure, but they're probably best saved for occasional times.
20My pick off that list is the curly fries at Arby's! They're so tasty. But I only have them maybe twice a year, and I always split the order with my family. Aside from that, I hardly EVER eat fries. They just don't appeal to me.
21i almost didn't want to read this so i could live blissfully in my ignorance.
oh well. guess if i must indulge i'll head to kfc for a fix.
22another reason sonic is awesome!
23Oven fries! Leave a little skin on them. YUM. And they aren't fried, much better for you and they taste better too. (I hate salty.)
Baked potato too. Really, it's just about that potato taste for me.
24i'm all about in-n-out fries as a splurge.
25I'm kinda impressed with KFC's Potato Wedges.. that's not TOO bad.
26mmmmm. In N Out
love those hamburgers and fries. And you see them cook em too. I know
what I'm having for lunch today!
27Instead of by ORDER size, I'd like to see this chart done showing ounces (or cups, some sort of quantifier) of potatoes.
28o noes ...i LIVE for fries. =[
29I make my own French fries (actually Belgian fries), by cutting them fresh at home and frying them in olive oil
myum
30JUST SAY NO TO FAST FOOD!! Your body deserves so much better!
31Fries are my fav.
32Mmmmmm fries!! I'm going to In-n-Out tonight...their fries are delish!!!
33Yeah In-n-Out!
)
34I haven't been to a fast food restaurant for like 12 years or something. When I was 6 or 7 I used to go to McDonalds every now and then with my mum and she would get me the Happy Meal, and that was the last time. Now I can't stand them, the smell, the food... ew. I can't even get into one.
girllove, I also prepare fries at home every now and then, with olive oil and I also cut them myslef ; )
35I rarely eat fast food however when I do have french fries, it's from Wendy's (I order a small size.) Yes, it isn't healthy however it's only a 5 times a year and I make sure to eat a 200-300 calorie yet fiber rich breakfast & lunch; that way when I splurge on a Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich w/ a small order of fries, it won't be as calorie crazy as if I had a 450 calorie breakfast & lunch.
36i stay away from fast food... but just hearing french fries mentioned makes me want them NOW! lol. I MUST RESIST...
37my mom buys some great oraganic fries made with sea salt... tasty.. wish i could remember the brand name...
oh how i love breakdowns. haha
38wow. jack in the box takes the cake
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