Fast food vs homemade calories: burger, fries, nuggets, pizza

A fast-food cheeseburger (115 g) is about 344 kcal and a medium order of fries (117 g) about 365, so the pair is roughly 709 kcal. A home-cooked grilled chicken breast (120 g) is 211 kcal with about 36 g of protein, and a turkey sandwich (195 g) is 351. The gap comes from fat and portion, not from "junk" versus "healthy".

How many calories are in common fast food?

Calories per portion = kcal per 100 g × grams ÷ 100, using the numbers on each Tabaq dish page.

Fast food	Portion	Calories	Per 100 g	Protein
Cheeseburger	1 burger (115 g)	344	299	19 g
French fries	1 medium order (117 g)	365	312	4 g
Chicken nuggets	6 nuggets (96 g)	295	307	15 g
Pepperoni pizza	1 slice (110 g)	320	291	13 g

Notice how close the per-100 g numbers are: all four sit near 300 kcal per 100 g, which is why the portion matters more than the item.

What do homemade options look like?

Home or lighter option	Portion	Calories	Per 100 g	Protein
Grilled chicken breast	1 breast (120 g)	211	176	36 g
Turkey sandwich	1 sandwich (195 g)	351	180	24 g
Baked salmon	half fillet (178 g)	367	206	39 g
Spaghetti bolognese	1 plate (375 g)	469	125	22 g
Scrambled eggs	2 eggs (122 g)	182	149	12 g

Per 100 g these foods are 125–206 kcal, well below the fast-food items at about 300. That is why a big 375 g plate of spaghetti bolognese (469 kcal) still comes in under a cheeseburger with medium fries (709).

Which meal is lower in calories?

Put them side by side:

• Cheeseburger + medium fries: 709 kcal, about 23 g protein.
• 6 nuggets + medium fries: 660 kcal, about 19 g protein.
• 2 slices of pepperoni pizza: 640 kcal, about 27 g protein.
• Turkey sandwich: 351 kcal, about 24 g protein.
• Grilled chicken breast: 211 kcal, about 36 g protein.

The grilled chicken gives about 36 g of protein for 211 kcal, more than the burger-and-fries pair (23 g) for under a third of the calories. The turkey sandwich matches that pair on protein for about half the calories.

Does cooking at home always win?

No. Ranges matter. Our fries range is 185–365 kcal for a medium order, because oven-baked fries are far lighter than deep-fried ones. A cheeseburger ranges 288–362 kcal, and a salmon half-fillet 267–490 depending on the cut and the oil. Home cooking only wins when you control the oil, cheese and portion; a pasta plate with extra oil and cheese can climb from 469 kcal toward 675, the top of its range.

How can you lower a fast-food meal without giving it up?

• Pick the small version. A slider (60 g) is about 179 kcal and a small order of fries (71 g) about 222.
• Skip one side. Burger without fries saves about 365 kcal.
• Add protein you cook yourself. Pair a lighter fast-food item with eggs or yogurt at home.
• Check the number before you order. Chains publish nutrition pages, and your app can log the meal in seconds.

Snap the meal in Tabaq and it estimates the portion, so you can compare it with your daily target.