Fast food calorie overview
Paul Hummel
Last reviewed June 10, 2026
5 min read
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.
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.
Burgers compared
| Product | Calories |
|---|
| McDonald's Cheeseburger | 300 kcal |
| McDonald's Big Mac | 503 kcal |
| McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder | 759 kcal |
| Burger King Whopper | 627 kcal |
| Burger King Double Whopper | 881 kcal |
| Burger King Long Chicken | 558 kcal |
Sides and fries
| Product | Calories |
|---|
| McDonald's fries, small | 229 kcal |
| McDonald's fries, medium | 337 kcal |
| McDonald's fries, large | 444 kcal |
| Burger King King Fries, medium | 365 kcal |
| McDonald's Chicken McNuggets (6 pieces) | 259 kcal |
Subway subs (6-inch / 15 cm, no dressing)
| Product | Calories |
|---|
| Veggie Delite | 230 kcal |
| Turkey Breast | 281 kcal |
| Chicken Teriyaki | 367 kcal |
| Italian BMT | 410 kcal |
| Meatball Marinara | 480 kcal |
KFC chicken
| Product | Calories |
|---|
| Original Recipe Chicken (1 piece) | 260 kcal |
| Hot Wings (3 pieces) | 240 kcal |
| Zinger Burger | 440 kcal |
| Bucket Original Recipe (10 pieces) | 2,600 kcal |
Drinks and desserts
| Product | Calories |
|---|
| 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, medium | 478 kcal |
| McDonald's McFlurry Smarties | 346 kcal |
| Coca-Cola Zero | 0 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).
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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Sources
- McDonald's Germany. Nutrition & ingredients. mcdonalds.com/de
- Burger King Germany. Nutritional information. burgerking.de
- KFC Germany. Nutrition information. kfc.de
- Subway Germany. Sandwich nutrition. subway.com/de
- EU Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers. eur-lex.europa.eu
- 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.