Popular Fast Food Items That Aren't What You Think

Fast food menus are constantly changing as companies try to stay relevant. But no matter how long ago they were introduced to the menu, fast food menu items must be prepared and served quickly. This means that their ingredients and preparation methods are unique. Once you delve in deeper, you'll see these items are unlike homemade foods.

Some fast food menu items stick around because they're so popular. Consumers often pick favorites and stick with them. Most people are probably unaware of the nutrition information for these popular fast food products. 

Certain fast food chains share detailed information about how these products are prepared, but others are much more secretive. It's important to be well-informed about the food and drinks you consume, especially the ones you consume regularly. The eye-opening info we've found may affect the way you order from these fast food chains. Here are some popular fast food items that aren't what you think.

Wendy's chili is sold in small or large sizes. It's made with familiar chili ingredients like tomatoes, onions, green peppers, celery, beans, and spices. But shockingly, this chili is also made with leftover hamburger pieces. 

But before you recoil in horror, it kind of makes sense. Unsold, cooked burgers could just be thrown out. But Wendy's seems to think this would be wasteful. Instead, the chain boils, chops, and adds this meat to its simmering chili. This information has been shared by several Wendy's employees, such as in this Reddit post.

Chili recipes typically start by browning ground meat, then adding the other ingredients. Wendy's process changes that up since the meat used is initially cooked on a different surface, before being added to the chili pot. This means the meat could lose some of its juiciness and flavor over time. Wendy's chili prep might make one question ordering its chili again. But the truth is that, questionable preparation aside, this chain's chili still hits the spot.

McDonald's eggs can't compare to homemade omelets. But no one can deny the delicious taste of a hot Egg McMuffin. The preparation methods for McDonald's eggs vary according to which menu item they're being used to make. 

The iconic Egg McMuffin is made with fresh eggs, according to McDonald's. These get poured into a ring-shaped mold, so the final product fits nicely onto a round English muffin. The chain also uses fresh eggs for its scrambled eggs, as well. But there are two more McDonald's egg categories: folded eggs and pre-cooked eggs. 

You'll be biting into folded eggs when you order McDonald's Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit. The supplier cooks liquid eggs, folds them up to fit the biscuits, and flash-freezes them. McDonald's staff members later cook them with butter on the grill. McDonald's Sausage Burrito Eggs are made with pre-cooked liquid eggs. It's good to know which menu items contain previously frozen eggs. We'll stick with the Egg McMuffin, thank you very much.

Fast food chains like Subway emphasize that their food is fresh. But sometimes, it isn't. This chain's lettuce is a prime example of an ingredient that might be served past its prime. Subway's toppings bins are full of peppers, sliced tomatoes, onions, and more. But are all of these vegetables hand-cut by employees back in the kitchens?

The answer for lettuce seems to be no, according to Business Insider. Franchisees have reported that Subway locations typically receive two or more lettuce deliveries per week. Properly refrigerated, uncut iceberg lettuce will last up to 10 days in a refrigerator. But once it's shredded, it will start to brown much sooner. 

Putting lettuce into a sealed bag with paper towels can help, but it's unknown if Subway does that. Whatever they are doing to prepare their lettuce, it doesn't seem to be working. Franchise owners have complained that its lettuce often ends up becoming brown and dry quickly. Not all the lettuce at every location will be sad and wilted, but if the portion on your Subway sandwich tastes like shredded newspaper, you'll know why.

It's highly unlikely that McDonald's fries will ever be removed from the chain's menu, despite ongoing confusion regarding the fries' inclusion of animal products. Back in the old days, McDonald's fries were cooked in lard made from beef fat. Nowadays, the company says that fries sold at its United Kingdom locations are no longer cooked in animal fat. This makes British fries from McDonald's suitable for vegetarians. Unfortunately, we can't say the same about fries sold in the United States. 

All over the world, McDonald's fries are still a top seller. This may be because the company came up with a flavoring that mimics the taste of meat. It shows up as "natural beef flavor" on the fries' ingredient list. This flavoring is made from milk and wheat products. While it's confusing to uncover what exactly is in these fries, people who are sensitive to gluten or dairy should definitely avoid them. 

Despite its specific name, people tend to think that McDonald's Big Mac Sauce is actually just Thousand Island dressing. This pink, creamy salad dressing is usually made from a combination of mayonnaise, ketchup, and sweet pickle relish. But McDonald's burger sauce recipe is a little more complicated. 

McDonald's introduced its Special Sauce — along with the Big Mac — in 1968. But it's all changed over the years. Today, you can opt not to have it on your Big Mac. 

But if you do, McDonald's Big Mac sauce is not as thick as this salad dressing. It's made from a long list of ingredients including soybean oil, sweet relish, water, egg yolks, high fructose corn syrup, vinegar, spices, and vegetable protein. There isn't any ketchup in this sauce. Instead, we're guessing that its pinkish hue comes from caramel color or paprika extract, both of which are also a part of the ingredient list.