10 Fast Food Items Nutritionists Say to Avoid in 2025

Although most of us know that fast food isn't the best for us, it's still consumed by millions of people every day. According to a study, 95% of people have consumed fast food at least once in the past 12 months. Also, 2 in 3 people eat fast food at least once a week! It's so hard to ignore these restaurants when they are on every corner, providing fast and cheap meals you don't even have to leave your car for!

But is eating fast food constantly worth your health? Are there specific dishes that nutritionists and health experts especially recommend staying from?

No, and yes. Fast food is known to be high in calories and low in nutritional value. Eating fast food frequently is linked to both long-term and short-term health problems. A few short-term health problems to watch for include a spike in blood sugar, high blood pressure, and binge eating. For long-term effects, fast food can cause higher cancer rates, inflammation, digestive issues, and obesity.

So, what are foods you should avoid? For this slideshow, 24/7 Tempo consulted health websites backed and reviewed by medical professionals to search for fast food dishes to ditch. Click through the slideshow for popular fast food items nutritionists say to avoid in 2025.

A hamburger once in a while won't kill you. However, one a day can lead to a lot of health conditions. Hamburgers are high in saturated fats and salt, leading to high blood pressure and sugar. This fast food item is also known for being high in calories. For instance, a Big Mac at McDonald's is about 569 calories. One of the highest-calorie fast food burgers is Burger King's Double Whopper, with cheese at 1,061 calories.

Drinking just one milkshake can end up being all of your recommended calories for the day. These sweet and delicious drinks are all right in moderation, but maybe not a large chocolate shake each week. A small vanilla shake alone is more than 400 calories. This number, along with added sugars, shoots up as you add more ingredients, like candy bits.

Who doesn't love french fries? These tasty treats, though, aren't recommended by nutritionists because they are deep-fried in oil and are sprinkled with a lot of salt and seasonings (sodium). If you do choose to get fries, maybe stick with a small.

Just like fries, who doesn't want to eat a muffin? These pastries sold in fast food spots, though, are filled with sugar, additives, and sometimes harmful dyes. It would be better to make muffins at home with healthier ingredients as opposed to flour and sugar.

Burritos are tasty and nutritious, but not the ones sold in fast food chains. Fast food spots are limited on ingredients and changes, so you don't have access to healthy foods. On top of that, fast food places tend to use big tortillas, meaning your burrito is more carbs than protein! Like muffins, nutritionists recommend making your own burritos at home. At least you'd have control over your portions and ingredients.

Subs aren't inherently bad or unhealthy, but they can be. Anything made with a lot of bread (carbs) can be bad if not eaten in moderation. This goes for both the size of the sub and how often you eat it. One 6-inch sub a week or two is nothing, but a foot-long three times a week can be.

Another fast food dish nutritionists recommend avoiding in 2025 is chicken sandwiches. Although a little better than eating a hamburger, most chicken sandwiches are fried. They are also high in calories. Even a grilled chicken sandwich can be high. For instance, Chick-fil-A's grilled chicken sandwich is 390 calories. This isn't too bad until you also order fries and a drink. Then, this one meal can turn into 1,000 calories.

Honestly, you should avoid all fried foods if possible – fast food, fried onions included. They are soaked in saturated fat and breaded in carbs. Apart from this, fried onions aren't fresh! Often, they are just frozen and delivered to fast food spots.

Almost to the end, we have hot dogs. Although cheap and filling, they aren't the healthiest dish to eat. Hot dog meat is processed meat and can be made up of chicken, pork, or beef. If you want to lower your calories, you can ditch the bun and just eat the sausage.

Lastly are frappuccinos, which are basically caffeinated milkshakes. They are high in calories, sugar, and caffeine. Nutritionists recommend treating this drink as a special treat as opposed to an everyday item. Even if you only drink a small, the calories and sugar add up. For instance, a small McDonald's Caramel Frappe is 420 calories with 53 grams of sugar.