It’s no secret that fast food is never the best choice for your overall health, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. However, it’s worth noting that some fast food menu items are better than others—and several choices are exceptionally bad for your wellbeing. So when you find you have no other option than to pull up to the drive thru and get a meal for the road, it’s important to know which items to stay away from. As it turns out, there’s one sandwich in particular from Burger King that experts say you should avoid at all costs: the Bacon King.
To learn more about the health risks of eating Burger King’s Bacon King, we spoke to registered dietitian Sheri Berger, RDN, CDCES. Find all of her expert insight below!
Health risks of Burger King Bacon King
Who doesn't love a good, juicy bacon cheeseburger?! Unfortunately, if you're regularly ordering the Bacon King from Burger King, you could be setting yourself up for some serious health complications over time. For starters, this is one of the highest calorie fast food menu items on the market, according to York Test, who compared several options and found that the Bacon King was the only sandwich over 2,000 calories. It comes in at 2,102 calories. That's almost three times as many as a double quarter pounder with cheese from McDonald's. Yikes! Add French fries to the mix, and you've got yourself a recipe for health disaster.
In addition to all of those calories, Berger gives a warning about all of the sodium, which can lead to a fair share of health complications when eaten in excess. It's especially bad for your heart. "The Burger King Bacon King is a terrible choice for heart health; it contains about 26 grams of saturated fat and 6.5 grams of sodium," she notes.
The saturated fat is another major issue: "The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends aiming for a dietary pattern that consists of no more than 5-6 percent of calories from saturated fat. For a 2000 calorie diet, that is equivalent to no more than 13 grams of saturated fat per day," Berger goes on. That means the Bacon King will put you at double of your recommended intake.
Luckily, there are better options out there. Even just choosing a smaller burger will be a healthier choice. "When you choose a smaller portioned burger, you save a lot on saturated fat and sodium," Berger says. "If you chose a Whopper Junior and any size fries instead, you would save almost 20 grams of saturated fat and over 5000mg of sodium!"
Of course, you can't go wrong with a good old salad, either.
READ MORE: The Top 5 Healthiest Fast Food Breakfast Sandwiches, According To Nutritionists
