McDonald’s might be a global fast-food titan, but not every item on its menu deserves a spot in your takeout bag.
From sugar-packed shakes to sodium-heavy breakfast platters, some picks are better left untouched—for your wallet and your arteries.
Let’s dive into the 10 menu items experts, employees, and nutritionists say you should avoid at all costs.
Filet-O-Fish
The fishy secret? This sandwich often languishes in warming cabinets for hours before being served (as confirmed by multiple former McDonald’s employees on Reddit), likely due to its low demand.
Employees on Reddit admit they’d never eat one unless made fresh (which takes just 5 extra minutes). Originally created for Lent in 1962, 25% of annual Filet-O-Fish sales still occur during this period.
Pro tip: Ask for a freshly cooked patty—or stick to burgers that don’t moonlight as hockey pucks.
Big Mac
The iconic “two all-beef patties” might as well come with a side of guilt. At 580 calories, 11g saturated fat, and 1,060 mg sodium, it’s a triple threat to your arteries. Nutritionists warn that pairing it with fries and soda turns may just turn it into a “cardiovascular grenade.”
Bonus fact: The Big Mac contains nearly double the total carbohydrates (45 g, or 16% of the daily recommended limit) of a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnut, which has 23.3 g of total carbs.
Sausage Egg & Cheese McGriddle
Nutrition: 19g Protein | 44g Total Carbs | 235 mg Cholesterol
This 550-calorie breakfast bomb crams 1,290 mg of sodium (over half your daily limit) and 33g of fat into one syrupy, sausage-stuffed package. Former employees compare its “griddle cakes” to sugary sponges, while nutritionists liken its processed sausage to “artery spackle.”
Caramel Frappé
Nutrition: 8g Protein | 70g Total Carbs | 20g Total Fat
This drink isn’t coffee—it’s dessert in disguise. A medium Caramel Frappé packs 62g of sugar (more than a standard-size Snickers bar) and 490 calories. Nutritionists slam its fructose and sugar-heavy recipe for spiking blood sugar and slowing metabolism. Save it for cheat days… or better yet, your local café.
Shamrock Shake
Nutrition: 12g Protein | 87g Total Carbs | 15g Total Fat
This minty seasonal “treat” contains 68g of sugar (equivalent to 14–23 spoons) and 540 calories per 16oz serving (medium). Ingredients include polysorbate-80 (a preservative linked to gut inflammation) and Red 40 dye. It wouldn’t be surprising if dietitians would call this shake a “chemical shit-storm.”
Crispy Chicken Sandwich
Employees roast this sandwich harder than its chicken. “They get hard, dry, and tough,” one Redditor confessed. A Reddit user working at McDonald’s noted that the crispy chicken sandwich takes the longest to prepare, further diminishing its appeal.
To add to all this, despite being marketed as “southern-style,” the sandwich often lacks buttermilk flavor or seasoning, with customers calling it “mediocre” compared to competitors like Chick-fil-A or Popeyes.
Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese
Nutrition: 48g Protein | 43g Total Carbs | 42g Total Fat
Double the beef? Double the trouble. This gut-busting burger packs 740 calories, 19g of saturated fat, and 1,360 mg of sodium—enough to spike cholesterol and blood pressure and make your cardiologist weep. Regular indulgence could turn your arteries into sludge.
Sausage Burrito
Described by ex-staff as “questionable scrambled ‘egg’ in a sad tortilla,” this breakfast item is microwaved from pre-prepped ingredients. An employee on Reddit quips, “They’re made at 5 AM and taste like it by noon.”
This breakfast “convenience” is a microwave nightmare. Employees reveal that the tortilla wraps sit for hours before being nuked, with one Redditor calling the eggs “questionable” and the cheese could best be described as “half a slice of sadness.” Freshness? Not on the menu.
McFlurry with M&M’s Candies
Nutrition: 11g Protein | 85g Total Carbs | 19g Total Fat
With 570 calories and 74g of sugar, this dessert rivals eating a candy store receipt. The mix-ins? M&Ms “swirled in” much akin to “diabetes in a cup.” This dessert is best left melting in the drive-thru.
Bacon Smokehouse Burger
Smoked bacon and fried onions sound decadent—until you see the stats. This burger slaps you with 840 calories, 45g of fat, and 1,580mg of sodium—more than two regular cheeseburgers combined. The bacon-onion sauce? Just a salty, fatty cherry on top.