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The Best (and Worst) Fast-Food French Fries

Posted Mon, Jan 19, 2009, 12:18 pm PST
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Worrying about calories seems silly after you've consented to a French fry grease-fest, but sometimes you can't help it.  During one such conflicted experience, I wondered if some fast-food fries were less hard on the body than others. Looking at the nutritional facts of some common French fry purveyors, I found that you can, indeed, save some serious calories if you know which fries to buy. 

I looked at these seven:
-Arby's Curly Fries
-Burger King's French Fries
-Carl's Jr.'s Natural-Cut Fries
-Dairy Queen's French Fries
-Jack in the Box's Natural Cut Fries
-McDonald's French Fries
-Wendy's French Fries

Notes: The numbers below are estimated reports by each restaurant's official website at the time of this article.

Calorie-wise:

The Best
Dairy Queen wins with 2.69 calories/gram
Jack in the Box is close behind with 2.71 calories/gram

The Worst
McDonald's it is, with 3.25 calories/gram

Those stats may sound like just a few calories' difference, but that's a 21% difference, which adds up since a large serving tends to be around 190 grams.


But there are other stats to look at...

Here's the zero trans fat team:
Burger King
Carl's Jr.
Dairy Queen
McDonald's
Wendy's

This one is the trans fattiest:
Jack in the Box


How about saturated fat?

The Best
Dairy Queen (0.018g saturated fat/gram of fries)

The Worst
Arby's (0.037g saturated fat/gram of fries)


Also remember that a good deal in dollars, doesn't translate to your diet, and a "large fries" means something different to everyone: 

Large Fries Serving Sizes 
McDonald's: 154g
Carl's Jr.: 184g
Wendy's: 184g
Dairy Queen: 186g
Arby's: 190g
Burger King: 194g
Jack in the Box: 236g

 

For more fast food finds, check out the Top 10 Guilt-Free Fast Food Finds.

  • 1. Posted by GuruG on Fri, Jan 23, 2009, 4:47 am PST

    I found this post very useful.

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  • 2. Posted by Carolyn_Rose on Fri, Jan 23, 2009, 10:45 am PST

    I agree- you can't deprive yourself all the time. Thanks for doing the research for us- this is very good to know.

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  • 3. Posted by wojda52 on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 9:37 am PST

    I don't eat fast food fries often...but when I feel the need I gotta go to White Castle

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  • 4. Posted by cherylyellowrose on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 9:41 am PST

    I just knew Arby's curly fries would be the worst for you...they're my favorite of all you tested.

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  • 5. Posted by Leeann Cawley on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 9:42 am PST

    What happened to judging In N Out fries?

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  • 6. Posted by xx3lm on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 9:43 am PST

    BORING! How about which taste best? I don't choose french fries based on carb or fat counts. Give me the best taste, and I'll moderate how much of them I eat. BTW, Culvers' isn't on the list and is better than all the ones you tested.

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  • 7. Posted by strayikon on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 9:59 am PST

    out of those 7 I say ather Burger King or dairy queen tastes the best....

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  • 8. Posted by mjoppru on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 10:05 am PST

    I agree with XX3LM - Boring - which one tastes the best? I already know they're all bad for you.

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  • 9. Posted by Wayno on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 10:07 am PST

    Spangles has really good tasting fries.

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  • 10. Posted by robbelliveau on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 10:18 am PST

    Absolutly nothing about taste? If your going to eat stats,live off water, I can tell you have no excitement in your life at all,Mickey D's fries rule, ask your mom if it's ok to have some,maybe on your birthday or after girl scouts if you've been a good girl !!

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  • 11. Posted by mackeliz11 on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 11:14 am PST

    I dont eat McDonalds french fries after I learned how many preservatives they put in those things! Yuk! Watch the video Super Size Me. They put homemade fries, and MD's fries to a sort of "biodegradable" test. In 2 or 3 days the homemade fries looked like a pile of mold, and in 30 days the MD's fries still looked like new which goes to show that they are nothing but fattening pieces of artery clogging grease that WILL stick to you like glue! No amount is safe. It is disgusting!

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  • 12. Posted by sammyc1995 on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 12:03 pm PST

    Really? no In 'n out? im surprised they have the (in my opinion) best fries ever. they cut them right in front of you they are so fresh.

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  • 13. Posted by superworm425 on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 12:24 pm PST

    Don't be surprised by the lack of In N Out, it's not national like the rest of the choices. So a lot of people don't even know about them.

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  • 14. Posted by littlevany_19 on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 12:43 pm PST

    Wow get a real job.

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  • 15. Posted by chickenface63 on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 12:55 pm PST

    Having lived on both coasts, how can you NOT include In&Out fries. We all know the the health crap, but the first time you go to In&Out your journey is over......PERIOD!

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  • 16. Posted by sopapilla1985 on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 1:03 pm PST

    I don't go to fast food joints for "healthy eating." Give me a burger or chicken sandwich with some fries and a Coke!! IMO, McD's fries are the best (sorry, we don't have an In N Out here in WA--least none that I know of). BK fries are absolutely tasteless!! And I refuse to eat at Wendy's after the rotten food and service we received in Olympia's restaurant!! Arby's potato cakes are pretty good, too.

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  • 17. Posted by bigmama_of5 on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 1:40 pm PST

    Yes, i would have liked to see a taste test too. It's true if you are already eating fries then who cares which are worse for you.

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  • 18. Posted by Aaron L on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 2:02 pm PST

    you obviously don't live in California and have never had In-And-Out fries. They beat every one on the list hands down!

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  • 19. Posted by john92461 on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 2:09 pm PST

    captain d's french fries are the worst they don't drain the grease, and those hush0puppies nuff said

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  • 20. Posted by betyourteam on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 2:09 pm PST

    Yeah... can't throw In&Out in the mix. They only exist in 4 states... California, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. I spent some time in AZ though and they are pretty damn tasty! :)

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  • 21. Posted by northwest fl on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 2:11 pm PST

    Ever since the "health nuts' took over, they ruined the fast food enjoyment of french fries. I really miss the greasy fries that McDonalds originally had. You couldn't beat the taste. Neither them nor anyone else has ever been able to duplicate that taste. I rarely will buy the fries anyone offers up nowadays And as to the FOOD POLICE. Police your own home cooking & leave the fast food junkies alone. Everyone knew & still knows that fast food is FAST FOOD. Greasy Spoon dinning is just fine. Healthy eating choices is the responsibility of adults at home. If you take all the fun out of life fast food & all what's left (nothing).

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  • 22. Posted by northwest fl on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 2:11 pm PST

    Ever since the "health nuts' took over, they ruined the fast food enjoyment of french fries. I really miss the greasy fries that McDonalds originally had. You couldn't beat the taste. Neither them nor anyone else has ever been able to duplicate that taste. I rarely will buy the fries anyone offers up nowadays And as to the FOOD POLICE. Police your own home cooking & leave the fast food junkies alone. Everyone knew & still knows that fast food is FAST FOOD. Greasy Spoon dinning is just fine. Healthy eating choices is the responsibility of adults at home. If you take all the fun out of life fast food & all what's left (nothing).

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  • 23. Posted by jasminescats on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 2:12 pm PST

    No in and out burger (which sounds really gross btw) in NH, VT, ME, MA, or NY....

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  • 24. Posted by animal_puller on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 2:45 pm PST

    when it comes to taste burger king was the best befor the change a few years ago now my dog wont eat em wendys is now the best nothing in between

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  • 25. Posted by kathy42977 on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 2:54 pm PST

    Boring. I thought this was going to be about the best TASTING frech fries. Like others have said, we all know that fast food fries are bad for you. I bet most of the "fast food is bad for you" police smoke cigarretes and drink alcohol. French fries are ok to eat as long as it's not every single day. That being said, McDonalds is the best. Down said is you have to be lucky enough to get them fresh. If they are old, forget it. Second best would be Checkers. Followed by Wendy's. Burger King's fries are terrible.

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  • 26. Posted by penny101070 on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 4:14 pm PST

    Hands down, D Q are the best. They are good because they are not skinny fries.

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  • 27. Posted by calikatok on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 4:36 pm PST

    No one eats fries because we are trying to eat healthy, we just eat them because we love them. My absolute favorite fries of all time are from The Varsity over at Georgia Tech: they are made of real fresh potatoes with the skins still on the ends. My other favorites are from the Three-Dollar Cafe in Roswell, GA: they are big and fat enough to make a meal of (and I often did when I was pregnant with my oldest son 20 years ago). And, yes, I still love those McDonalds fries because they are good everywhere you go, though they were better back in the day when they were fried in beef tallow.

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  • 28. Posted by michael.perry68 on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 4:41 pm PST

    Thanks for posting this. I'm never eating Jack In the Box fries again because of TRANS FAT =[

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  • 29. Posted by hmarie2004 on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 9:25 pm PST

    I have never been to IN N OUT but the next time i travel to where one is, i will definitely try an order of fries!

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  • 30. Posted by sbcrc1 on Sun, Jan 25, 2009, 9:48 pm PST

    are you kidding--everyone knows DEL TACO makes the best tasting fries---in--n--out makes next to the best,after living on both coasts the east coast cant even compare to the west coast where they know how to make the best fries ever.

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