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Fast food calorie overview

Paul Hummel Last reviewed June 10, 2026 5 min read
Fast food calorie overview
Quick answer

A classic fast-food combo of burger, fries, and a sugary soft drink lands between 900 and 1,400 calories at the big chains in Germany. The burger alone accounts for 250 to 800 calories, depending on its size.

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    Methodology and data sources

    The values below come from each company’s official nutrition data for the German market (as of April 2026). Since EU Regulation 1169/2011 came into force, every chain has been required to publish nutrition information for its products, which makes a direct comparison possible. Sides and drinks are listed separately.

    Chart: Fast food calorie overview

    Burgers compared

    ProductCalories
    McDonald's Cheeseburger300 kcal
    McDonald's Big Mac503 kcal
    McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder759 kcal
    Burger King Whopper627 kcal
    Burger King Double Whopper881 kcal
    Burger King Long Chicken558 kcal

    Sides and fries

    ProductCalories
    McDonald's fries, small229 kcal
    McDonald's fries, medium337 kcal
    McDonald's fries, large444 kcal
    Burger King King Fries, medium365 kcal
    McDonald's Chicken McNuggets (6 pieces)259 kcal

    Subway subs (6-inch / 15 cm, no dressing)

    ProductCalories
    Veggie Delite230 kcal
    Turkey Breast281 kcal
    Chicken Teriyaki367 kcal
    Italian BMT410 kcal
    Meatball Marinara480 kcal

    KFC chicken

    ProductCalories
    Original Recipe Chicken (1 piece)260 kcal
    Hot Wings (3 pieces)240 kcal
    Zinger Burger440 kcal
    Bucket Original Recipe (10 pieces)2,600 kcal

    Drinks and desserts

    ProductCalories
    Coca-Cola 0.4 l / 13.5 fl oz (McDonald's)180 kcal
    Coca-Cola 0.5 l / 16.9 fl oz (Burger King)225 kcal
    McDonald's vanilla milkshake, medium478 kcal
    McDonald's McFlurry Smarties346 kcal
    Coca-Cola Zero0 kcal
    A typical combo meal of "Big Mac, medium fries, 0.4 l Coke" adds up to around 1,020 calories, according to McDonald's Germany. That is roughly 40 percent of the daily energy requirement of an average adult man, based on the reference values of the German Nutrition Society (DGE).

    Fast food in a calorie deficit

    The German Nutrition Society does not recommend banning individual foods outright — what counts is a balanced overall energy budget. If you want to fit fast food into your plan, the biggest savings come from swapping sugary soft drinks for water or zero-calorie versions (up to 225 kcal saved), choosing smaller side sizes, and picking higher-protein items — grilled chicken at KFC or Subway subs with lean toppings deliver similar satiety at far fewer calories than classic double burgers. Even so, the protein content of fast food generally falls short of what active people need, so it should be balanced out over the rest of the day.

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    Related questions

    Sources

    1. McDonald's Germany. Nutrition & ingredients. mcdonalds.com/de
    2. Burger King Germany. Nutritional information. burgerking.de
    3. KFC Germany. Nutrition information. kfc.de
    4. Subway Germany. Sandwich nutrition. subway.com/de
    5. EU Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers. eur-lex.europa.eu
    6. German Nutrition Society (DGE). Reference values for energy intake. dge.de
    This content is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical, nutritional, or therapeutic advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or take medication, please consult a qualified professional. Recommendations apply to healthy adults.