{"id":371677,"date":"2026-03-29T17:30:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T17:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/371677\/"},"modified":"2026-03-29T17:30:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T17:30:09","slug":"7-major-red-flags-on-fast-food-menus-you-should-never-ignore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/371677\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Major Red Flags on Fast-Food Menus You Should Never Ignore"},"content":{"rendered":"

A dietitian reveals seven major fast-food menu terms that signal higher-calorie options.<\/p>\n

We all know that fast food<\/a> can be delicious. However, it can also be seriously bad for you. Luckily, there are ways to indulge in fast food without derailing your overall health. \u201cFast food menus can absolutely be navigated in a healthier way,\u201d Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD\/N, ACSM-CPT, a Board Certified Sports Dietitian and co-author of the Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies<\/a>, tells us. \u201cI encourage people to pay attention to portion sizes, added sugars (especially from drinks), and how often they\u2019re eating fast food. Terms like \u2018crispy\u2019 or \u2018creamy\u2019 can signal higher-calorie options, but they don\u2019t need to be avoided completely,\u201d she says. Here are 7 major red flags on fast-food menus you should never ignore.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cCrispy\u201d or \u201cCrunchy\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Shutterstock<\/p>\n

\u201cCrispy\u201d or \u201cCrunchy\u201d can be code for deep-fried, trans-fat-heavy items. \u201cGenerally true that this usually means\u00a0fried, which increases calories and fat,\u201d says Collingwood. \u201cHowever, the claim about\u00a0trans fats is a bit outdated. Most fast-food chains have removed artificial trans fats. Definitely higher in calories and fat, and easy to overeat!\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cCreamy\u201d Base Sauces<\/p>\n

\"\"Chick-fil-A<\/p>\n

Creamy sauces, like Chick-fil-A sauce, are usually made with shelf-stable oils and sugars. \u201cThese are typically higher in\u00a0fat and calories, often from oils or mayo-based ingredients,\u201d says Collingwood. \u201cDefinitely calorie and sodium-dense, so use portion awareness.\u201d<\/p>\n

7 Fast-Food Chains That Actually Grill Their Burgers<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\u201cUnlimited\u201d Drink Refills<\/p>\n

\"\"Shutterstock<\/p>\n

It may be tempting to indulge in unlimited drink refills, but it\u2019s not a healthy plan. \u201cRefills can lead to\u00a0excess intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, which are strongly linked to higher calorie intake and poor metabolic health,\u201d says Collingwood.<\/p>\n

\tVague \u201cSignature\u201d Blends<\/p>\n

\"\"Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Make sure to look into \u201csignature\u201d blends, which can conceal hidden ingredients. \u201cThis is vague and not inherently a red flag. It doesn\u2019t necessarily mean high sodium or MSG. MSG is considered safe\u00a0by major health organizations, despite common misconceptions, so I wouldn\u2019t emphasize that much,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\tDouble\/Triple Meat Tiers<\/p>\n

\"\"Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Beware of falling victim to double or triple meat tiers to increase your protein intake. \u201cThese can significantly increase\u00a0calories, saturated fat, and sodium,\u201d says Collingwood. And, you don\u2019t need to go overboard with protein, as it can be \u201cdefinitely more than most people need in one sitting and driving calories up.\u201d6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e<\/p>\n

\tPre-Dressed Salad Bowls<\/p>\n

\"\"Shutterstock<\/p>\n

You should always order salad dressing on the side, as it soaks healthy greens in fat. \u201cDressings can add significant\u00a0calories, fat, and sodium. Salads themselves are still nutrient-rich, which is good.\u00a0 It\u2019s about\u00a0how they\u2019re prepared,\u201d Collingwood says.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cValue\u201d Bundles<\/p>\n

\"\"Shutterstock<\/p>\n

It can also be tempting to order bundles and extra value meals. But while you might save money, it can cost you in terms of your health. \u201cThese can encourage\u00a0larger portions and excess calorie intake,\u201d Collingwood says.<\/p>\n

Leah Groth<\/p>\n

\t\tLeah Groth is an experienced shopping editor and journalist for Best Life and Eat This, Not That! bringing readers the best new finds, trends, and deals each week.\t\t\t\t\tRead more about Leah <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A dietitian reveals seven major fast-food menu terms that signal higher-calorie options. We all know that fast food…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":371678,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[22384,103,61,60,446,99577,6339],"class_list":{"0":"post-371677","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-fast-food","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland","12":"tag-nutrition","13":"tag-restaurant-chains","14":"tag-restaurants"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=371677"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371677\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/371678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=371677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=371677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=371677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}