This year has become the year in which you can eat very cheaply at fast food restaurants, as several of them have enhanced their value meal offerings. Let’s take a look at each of them. You’ll see that KFC offers the most choices (five), while Hardee’s offers the most calories for each dollar you spend.
DQ: $5 Buck lunch
- What you get: Regular order of fries, medium drink and small sundae, along with either two crispy chicken wraps, three chicken strips or a deluxe cheeseburger.
- Calories: 290 (fries) + 300 (sundae) + 650 (wraps) or 360 (strips) or 460 (burger) = 1,240 or 950 or 1,050.
- Calories per dollar: 190 to 248
Wendy’s: 4 for $4
- What you get: Four-piece chicken nuggets, small fries and small drink, along with either a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger or Crispy Chicken BLT
- Calories: 180 (nuggets) + 320 (fries) + 390 (Jr.) or 440 (chicken) = 890 or 940
- Calories per dollar: 222.5 to 235
KFC: $5 Fill ups
- What you get (excluding the pot pie and Famous Bowl versions): Cookie, biscuit, “larger” mashed potatoes and medium drink, along with either three chicken tenders, chicken breast, or drumstick and thigh
- Calories: 170 (cookie) + 180 (biscuit) + 150 (estimate for “larger” mashed potatoes) + 410 (tenders) or 320 (Original Recipe breast) or 420 (Original Recipe drumstick and thigh) = 910 or 820 or 920
- Calories per dollar: 164 to 184
Burger King: 5 for $4
- What you get: Cookie, four-piece chicken nuggets, small fries, small drink and bacon cheeseburger
- Calories: 160 (cookie) + 190 (nuggets) + 340 (fries) + 290 (burger) = 980
- Calories per dollar: 245
Hardee’s (Carl’s Jr.): $4 Real Deal
- What you get: Small fries, 16-oz. drink, spicy chicken sandwich and double cheeseburger
- Calories: 300 (fries) + 490 (chicken) + 850 (estimate for burger) = 1,640
- Calories per dollar: 410
Note: McDonald’s just ended its McPick 2 (was two for $2, then became two for $5).
Tags: fast food
