Is fast food bad?  Of course - everyone knows it is bad.  But how bad is it? 

Probably worse than you think.  Yet we still find ourselves falling to temptation.

That greasy and fried yet tastey burger is just too easy to get a hold of.  Stopping at the drive-thru while running errands seemed like the only option at the time.  And since you were there, you might as well go big or go home, right?    Just how bad can one combo meal be, especially since you didn't 'supersize it'?

To be fair, there is a small amount of good fast food and a large amount of bad fast food.  How bad? Let's look at some of the choices that many of us have made over the years and exactly how the macronutrients fit into the eating plan of someone wanting to live a healthy lifestyle.

McDonalds Big Mac Combo/Whopper Combo
1,420 calories, 59 grams of fat, 1,390 milligrams of sodium
For some, this unhealthy meal is bad enough to be the equivalent to their caloric daily requirements for the entire day!  Not to mention that they would already be over their daily fat intake requirements.

Taco Bell Veggie Fajita Wrap Supreme
510 calories, 24 grams of fat, 1,180 milligrams of sodium
Think that because it's veggie, it's a good choice.  Well, think again.

Spicy Italian Sub from Subway
482 calories, 25 grams of fat, 1,604 milligrams of sodium
These numbers are without many of the toppings.  Just because it's from Subway doesn't mean that it's healthy.  Choose wisely.

Wendy's Taco Salad
380 calories, 20 grams of fat, 1,040 milligrams of sodium
Salads are not always healthy.   Of course we all know the dangers of adding dressings on top of them.  Do your research and make sure you know what's in the food you're going to eat.

Pizza Hut Spaghetti and Meatballs
850 calories, 24 grams of fat, 1,120 milligrams of sodium.
This is possibly nearly half of your caloric intake for the whole day. 

Now, this doesn't mean you must never eat this food.  If you love it, then treat yourself to it from time to time.  But know the impact this will have on your fitness goals.  Fast food is bad and you must choose your meals wisely and limit the amount of times you pull up to the drive-thru, because you have to ask yourself if this one meal is really worth hindering the time you put in at the gym and the good choices you make throughout the week.

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