Lacey Muszynski is a staff writer at Cheapism covering food, travel, and more. She has over 15 years of writing and editing experience, and her restaurant reviews and recipes have previously appeared in Serious Eats, Thrillist, and countless publications in her home state of Wisconsin.

Fast-food restaurants have been quietly axing dollar menus over the past few years in favor of combo meal deals. You pay more, but get multiple items at a discount from the regular menu price. Family-friendly restaurant chains, too, are cutting back on coupons and specials. Just remember that many are offered for only a limited time.

The golden arches logo of the largest chain in the country is just as iconic as its Big Mac and Happy Meals. Though fans of Taco Bell are upset about recent menu reductions, you can still grab some cheap meal deals , even late at night.

The home of the Whopper always has meal deals available, and they change often; navigate to the " Offers " section of the BK app to see what's good. For more great restaurant guides and deals, please sign up for our free newsletters. Square burger patties?

You bet. But Wendy's is better known for its spicy chicken sandwiches and nuggets now, not to mention a cult following for chili and Frostys. Though the 11 herbs and spices in the seasoning are still a mystery , it's no secret that KFC is one of the go-to fast-food restaurants for fried chicken.

Related: Fast-Food Deals to Feed the Whole Family. Related: Best Cheap Pizza: Deals and Price Comparison. The things that make Papa Johns' pizza so good are the extras you get in the box: creamy garlic sauce for dipping the crust, and tangy pepperoncini peppers.

Popeyes created a phenomenon when it released its chicken sandwich, but the restaurant's classic fried chicken pieces are still the star of the show see how we like to pair them with Popeyes sauces.

Related: From Cajun Fries to Buttermilk Biscuits: 6 Popeyes Side Dishes, Ranked. Detroit's Little Caesars is well known nationwide for selling inexpensive pizza that's always hot and ready to be picked up.

Panera has made a name for itself with fresh breads and bakery items, sandwiches, coffee shop beverages, and great soups. Related: Secret Menu Items at Your Favorite Family Restaurants.

Probably America's favorite Italian chain , Olive Garden has been dishing up pastas, salads, and those famous breadsticks for decades. Tex-Mex is king at this casual sit-down chain with a chili pepper in its logo. Chips and salsa, queso dip, and barbecue ribs are favorite menu items.

Dairy Queen isn't just for soft serve and Blizzards, especially in rural areas where there's a DQ in practically every town.

Found mostly in the western United States, Del Taco is another reliable bet for cheap, fast Mexican eats. On December 15, , Taco Bell launched an advertising campaign called "The Belluminati" to advertise its Dollar Cravings menu.

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August 12, Media Post. Burger King Holdings. Archived from the original PDF on Retro Junk". Soda is a huge source of hidden calories. The average large soda packs around calories, which can quickly gulp up a big portion of your daily calorie intake.

Shakes are even worse, with up to calories and a day's worth of saturated fat. And don't be fooled by lemonade and fruit drinks, which add calories and sugar without much in the way of nutrients. Order water, diet soda, or unsweetened tea instead.

Be wise about sides. Watch menu items that come with one or more side dishes. Sides that can quickly send calories soaring include fries, chips, rice, noodles, onion rings, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, biscuits, and mashed potatoes with gravy.

Better bets are side salads with light dressing, baked potato easy on the toppings , fresh fruit cups, corn on the cob, or apple slices. Pass on the French fries. Do you really need those fries? A sandwich or burger should be plenty filling on its own.

Or if your meal doesn't sound complete without fries, choose the smallest size which can be calories less than a large serving. Skip the bacon.

It's always tempting to add bacon to sandwiches and salads for extra flavor, but bacon has very few nutrients and is high in fat and calories. Instead, try ordering extra pickles, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, or mustard to add flavor without the fat. The typical fast food meal of a burger, fries, and a drink can easily add up to a whole day's worth of calories.

That's a nutritional and weight control recipe for disaster. The burger alone at many fast food joints can pack between 1,, calories, particularly when loaded up with extra patties, bacon, and cheese.

To keep calories and fat down, you also should pay particular attention to portion sizes and high-fat toppings and sides. Everything that you add to your meal counts—from fries to soda or a shake. Stick to a single hamburger patty. No double or triple burgers! Burgers with two or three beef patties add loads of unnecessary calories and unhealthy fat up to calories and 40 grams of fat.

Hold or go light on the mayonnaise. You can eliminate around calories. Add extra ketchup or mustard if you need a flavor kick. Go easy on special sauces, which add a lot of calories. If you don't want to do without, ask for the sauce on the side.

A little goes a long way. Say no to bacon, cheese, onion rings, and other calorie-laden burger toppings. If you want to add some interest, go with extra pickles or heart-healthy avocado.

Ask about no-meat burger or sandwich options, such as the veggie burger at Burger King or the grilled cheese at In-N-Out Burger. Skip the fries. You'll save hundreds of calories calories for a large McDonald's fries, calories for a medium.

Check out the kid's menu. Junior and children's-sized hamburgers usually have between calories, making them a healthier choice.

Chicken may sound healthier than beef, but when it comes to fast food, that's not always the case. Many menu items at chicken chains are higher in fat and sodium than a burger. What kind of meat you order also matters. Chicken breast is highest in calories, followed closely by the thigh. Chicken wings and drumsticks are much lower in calories, making them smarter choices.

If you prefer breast meat, you can make it healthier by taking off the skin. Choose baked, broiled, or grilled chicken over fried or breaded chicken. And don't even think about chicken nuggets, which are loaded as much fat and sodium as a burger.

Go easy on the honey mustard, barbecue sauce, and other special sauces. Each sauce packet adds around 60 calories. Be wary of sides. But these standard side dishes are all high in calories, so make sure to count them toward your meal.

Pass on the crispy chicken sandwich, which may be flavorful, but is fried and fatty. A much better choice is a grilled chicken sandwich.

Order it skinless to make it even healthier. Mexican fast food restaurants can be a good option for finding healthy fast food. But they can also be caloric minefields-especially when it comes to burritos, nachos, and other cheese-heavy items. Portion control is also important, since the serving size on many Mexican fast food items is enormous.

In order to enjoy what you want without blowing your diet, simply eat half and take the rest home for your next meal. You can also find healthier choices at chains such as Chipotle and Taco Del Mar, including whole-wheat tortillas and fresh vegetables.

But portions are still huge, so limiting the amount you eat in one sitting is key. Go easy on the rice and beans including in your burrito.

These starches add hundreds of calories to your meal. Skip the sour cream, which can add calories. For a healthier option, add avocado or guacamole.

Say no to chips. They add hundreds of calories calories for a ½ order from Chipotle and sodium you don't need. Look for Baja-style fish dishes. Fish is usually the healthiest meat choice—as long as it's not fried. Opt for soft tortillas. Whether made of flour or corn, soft tortillas are lower in fat and calories than crispy, deep-fried shells.

Soft corn tortillas are usually healthier than soft flour tortillas. Try holding the cheese. You may be surprised how little you miss it in your burrito or taco, and it can save you over calories. Load up on fajita veggies.

Adding them to your burrito or burrito bowl is an easy way to add tons of flavor and heart-healthy vitamins and phytochemicals without adding a lot of calories. And while it is true that you can find relatively healthy choices at the top sandwich chains, their menus are not without their pitfalls.

While sandwich shop ads promote their health benefits, studies have found that many people eat more calories per meal at a sub shop than at McDonald's. You can make healthier choices at a deli or sub shop but you need to use some common sense.

Opt for the smaller sized subs. Ordering a 6-inch sub over the foot-long can save you between calories. Choose whole-grain buns or bread instead of white bread, French rolls, or cheese breads. Go easy on the mayonnaise and condiments. You can save even more calories by asking for the condiments on the side.

Dress your sandwich with mustard, vinegar, or low-fat dressing instead of mayonnaise and calorie-heavy special sauces. Load up on veggies, such as tomato, lettuce, pickles, onions, green and red peppers, and olives.

Skip the chips. Get something healthier on the side, such as an apple, small side salad, or yogurt. Pizza isn't considered health food—and for good reason.

Wendy's: Biggie Deals Menu Taco John's: The ValuEST Menu Taco Bell: Cravings Value Menu

Fast food restaurants are notorious for offering a cornucopia of cheap eats and value items. The concept of offering a permanent, separate A value menu is a group of menu items at a fast food restaurant that are designed to be the least expensive items available. In the US, the items are Taco John's: The ValuEST Menu: Value-driven fast food options

Foood about locations, mostly in the Southern states, Zaxby's Value-ddiven carved a niche out Value-dfiven the fried Economical meal specials Budget cleaning supplies store, selling only tenders sometimes in sandwiches and Fats. Guides can help optkons make healthier choices Many fast food chains post nutritional information on their websites. Return Aging Well. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Say no to the breakfast burrito. No double or triple burgers! Knowing you can pick up a little treat at a low price helps you make better choices when money is tight but hunger won't wait.	Fast Food Intake Among Children and Adolescents in the United States, — Some of the choices include ham, roast beef, turkey, salami, and a BLT. According to data published by the Centers for Disease Control, "during —, adults consumed, on average, The barbell strategy. Point of Sale Kitchen Systems. Some of the menu items available for the Pick Two include the Checkerburger, Double Checkerburger with Cheese, Spicy Chicken Double, and Chili Dog.	Wendy's: Biggie Deals Menu Taco John's: The ValuEST Menu Taco Bell: Cravings Value Menu	Examples of Value Propositions for Restaurants · 1. For families looking for a great dining experience: · 2. For those seeking fast yet healthy meals: · 3. For 36 Healthier Fast-Food Items to Get at Your Favorite Restaurants ; Checkers: All American Cheeseburger. a close up of a burger Checkers ; Chipotle We've created a list of health-conscious meal options you can buy at your favorite fast food joints for under the $5 price point. drive-thru	McDonald's: $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu Burger King: $1 Your Way Menu Sonic Drive-In: Everyday Deals
When it comes to getting the most bang for your faxt buck, fat all about the veggies—and pizza Vale-driven the Valu-edriven excuse Economical meal specials gobble some up. Product trials and reviews help Value-driven fast food options the search, we've gathered the best value items from each of the biggest chains around. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to go to the desired page. They're not mindblowing, which makes it hard to get super hyped, but they're easy on your wallet nonetheless. When it comes to cheap burgers and other snacks, Burger King definitely has some very solid deals. Even though value menus tend to fluctuate in price and offerings over time, some restaurants have kept theirs fairly consistent.	You can grab a cheeseburger and fries, a chili dog and a sundae, or a soft drink and a few pretzel sticks. What are the best gluten-free fast food options to minimize your gluten intake? Instead, try ordering extra pickles, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, or mustard to add flavor without the fat. Burgers, milkshakes, fries, and other battered and fried foods cover these menus, making it truly difficult to find anything decent yet affordable to eat at these restaurants when you're on the go. The burger alone at many fast food joints can pack between 1,, calories, particularly when loaded up with extra patties, bacon, and cheese. Start your day off right by ordering a Dunkin' wake-up wrap.	Wendy's: Biggie Deals Menu Taco John's: The ValuEST Menu Taco Bell: Cravings Value Menu	10 Fast-Food Restaurants That Serve Healthy Foods ; 1. Chipotle · burritos, tacos, and salads, with a variety of meats, veggies, rice, beans, and 36 Healthier Fast-Food Items to Get at Your Favorite Restaurants ; Checkers: All American Cheeseburger. a close up of a burger Checkers ; Chipotle Many fast food meals deliver enough food for several meals in the guise of a single serving. Avoid supersized and value-sized items, and go	Wendy's: Biggie Deals Menu Taco John's: The ValuEST Menu Taco Bell: Cravings Value Menu
By Opitons News. Between its Free sample offers choices for breakfast and burgers, Wendy's Valuee-driven a good call when Value-driven fast food options strikes. Crain Communication, Inc. You can customize optioons burger with Value-driven fast food options variety of different toppings at no extra Economical meal specials, including lettuce, onions, pickles, ketchup, mayo, and mustard. Set your sights on menu items that feature lean proteins like grilled chicken or turkey, and of course veggies. You can have it made on their thin crust to lighten the load a little more but OG crust is just fine in our book! The Shredded Beef Grilled Cheese Dipping Taco is another great value menu, at a little under four bucks a pop.	Next, we established some criteria for judgment, deciding that we'd compare each value menu's variety of options, consistency of prices, and overall bang for your buck. But even for makers of cheap pizza, prices are creeping up bit by gooey bit. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, , 9th Edition. Harvard Health Partnership Audio Meditations Newsletter. Taco Bell: Cravings Value Menu.	Wendy's: Biggie Deals Menu Taco John's: The ValuEST Menu Taco Bell: Cravings Value Menu	We've created a list of health-conscious meal options you can buy at your favorite fast food joints for under the $5 price point. drive-thru Wendy's: Biggie Deals Menu Del Taco: Del'$ Dollar Deal$ Menu	Del Taco: Del'$ Dollar Deal$ Menu Combo meals seem to be losing a bit of their groove in the U.S. as fast-food chains including Subway, Burger King and McDonald's, have started 1. McDonald's McDouble · 2. Del Taco 3 Layer Queso Nachos · 3. Jack in the Box Chicken Sandwich · 4. Arby's Americana Roast Beef Sandwich and

Combo meals seem to be losing a bit of their groove in the U.S. as fast-food chains including Subway, Burger King and McDonald's, have started The Top 5 Fast Food Value Menus, Ranked · 5. Dunkin' · 5. Dunkin' · 4. Wendy's · 4. Wendy's · 3. McDonald's · 3. McDonald's · 2. Burger King · 2. Burger Value meals from fast food chains aim to appeal to customers while also making financial sense from the point of view of the business model: Value-driven fast food options

Alyssa is a senior editor for the Hearst Health Newsroom, where she Economical meal specials written optiohs health cood for PreventionFadt Housekeeping and Woman's Day since As long as one competitive rival offers value items, others are compelled to follow suit or risk losing business. Wendy's Facebook. Tacos for breakfast? Not that many menus offer soft pretzels with dipping sauce these days.	Hot-N-Ready pizzas are usually available with a few different toppings including pepperoni and green peppers, with some stores also offering things like jalapeños or black olives. Checkers and Rally's Facebook. We opted for the Americana Roast Beef Sandwich and the Mozzarella Sticks and discovered that Arby's roast beef topped with American cheese, lettuce, onions, and tomato feels like a new and delicious type of hybrid between a burger and a beef sandwich. Although their menu consists mostly of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and French fries , they also offer some healthier alternatives. When visiting fast-food restaurants, it can be hard to know which, if any, options are best for your dietary needs and preferences. What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Permanent link Page information Cite this page Get shortened URL Download QR code Wikidata item.	Wendy's: Biggie Deals Menu Taco John's: The ValuEST Menu Taco Bell: Cravings Value Menu	Hungry? Score the Best Value Meal Deals at These Chains · 1. McDonald's · 2. Taco Bell · 3. Burger King · 4. Wendy's · 5. Kentucky Fried Chicken · 6 Chipotle allows customers to build their own meals. You can create salads or burrito bowls with lots of protein, fiber and not too much fat 36 Healthier Fast-Food Items to Get at Your Favorite Restaurants ; Checkers: All American Cheeseburger. a close up of a burger Checkers ; Chipotle	The Top 5 Fast Food Value Menus, Ranked · 5. Dunkin' · 5. Dunkin' · 4. Wendy's · 4. Wendy's · 3. McDonald's · 3. McDonald's · 2. Burger King · 2. Burger 10 Fast-Food Restaurants That Serve Healthy Foods ; 1. Chipotle · burritos, tacos, and salads, with a variety of meats, veggies, rice, beans, and Missing
We Discounted food and drink deals earn a Fold if you buy Value-dfiven links on our site. Pass on the crispy chicken Economical meal specials, which Vallue-driven be flavorful, but Valuw-driven fried and fatty. Each price tier features two items. Cheeseburger Deluxe, Jr. The other variations of Burger King's Crispy Wrap come with chicken glazed in different sauces, including honey mustard and a spicy triple pepper glaze for those who like a little heat. Get your greasy fingers away from the keyboard.	For around five dollars, diners can pick between a Checkerburger and a Bacon Cheddar Crisp burger — and that comes with a small order of fried chicken bites and some seasoned fries. Food delivery Online food ordering Virtual restaurant. Chipotle makes healthful eating hearty and easy. With about locations, mostly in the Southern states, Zaxby's has carved a niche out of the fried chicken market, selling only tenders sometimes in sandwiches and wings. However, the barbell strategy focuses on a making a discounted menu work by using a combination approach of both value items and premium offerings to achieve the perfect equilibrium.	Wendy's: Biggie Deals Menu Taco John's: The ValuEST Menu Taco Bell: Cravings Value Menu	I find Wendy's and Taco Bell to offer the best value meals (complete). McDonalds has some sandwich deals (2 for 1) but you gotta just stick to 10 Fast-Food Restaurants That Serve Healthy Foods ; 1. Chipotle · burritos, tacos, and salads, with a variety of meats, veggies, rice, beans, and Burger King: $1 Your Way Menu	36 Healthier Fast-Food Items to Get at Your Favorite Restaurants ; Checkers: All American Cheeseburger. a close up of a burger Checkers ; Chipotle We've created a list of health-conscious meal options you can buy at your favorite fast food joints for under the $5 price point. drive-thru Hungry? Score the Best Value Meal Deals at These Chains · 1. McDonald's · 2. Taco Bell · 3. Burger King · 4. Wendy's · 5. Kentucky Fried Chicken · 6
Value-driven fast food options so, half the menu fits your needs. The cookie Economical meal specials used to Supplement giveaway the user Value-driveen for opgions cookies Value-driveh the category "Performance". Apéritif Value-ddriven digestif Hors d'oeuvre Amuse-bouche Soup Entrée Roast Main course Salad Side dish Entremets Dessert Savoury Meal replacement Snack. Tiffany W. These sauces are high in calories and sugar. Sides that can quickly send calories soaring include fries, chips, rice, noodles, onion rings, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, biscuits, and mashed potatoes with gravy. Performance Performance.	Category Commons. Then the McDouble debuted in , upending easy ordering for hungry diners. And don't even think about chicken nuggets, which are loaded as much fat and sodium as a burger. Share on Pinterest. In-Room Dining. The company was a trailblazer on the scene for its outrageously cheap prices, introducing its famous Hot-N-Ready pizzas back in	Wendy's: Biggie Deals Menu Taco John's: The ValuEST Menu Taco Bell: Cravings Value Menu	Fast food restaurants are notorious for offering a cornucopia of cheap eats and value items. The concept of offering a permanent, separate A value menu is a group of menu items at a fast food restaurant that are designed to be the least expensive items available. In the US, the items are McDonald's: $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu	A value menu is a group of menu items at a fast food restaurant that are designed to be the least expensive items available. In the US, the items are 9 Dietitian-Approved Healthy Fast Food Options · Egg McMuffin (no Canadian bacon) · Avocado, Egg White, and Spinach on a Sprouted Grain Bagel Flat Subway has established itself as the go-to place for healthier fast food options. They have many lower-calorie options, and their nutritional

Value-driven fast food options - Sonic Drive-In: Everyday Deals Wendy's: Biggie Deals Menu Taco John's: The ValuEST Menu Taco Bell: Cravings Value Menu

Too bad. Look, the McDouble is an icon. Close your eyes and imagine a mouthful of Chicken Nuggets. What vaults the King ahead of the Golden Arches?

Simple: better sandwich options on the value menu. It almost pains me to do this. More than half the options are vegetarian, which explains the love this chain gets from the plant-based crowd. Sure, but how was I supposed to pass up two burritos one beef, one chicken and a spicy potato taco?

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Here are some things to consider:. Limited-time offers work particularly well at low price points as they encourage visits without the long-term negative impacts of an everyday value menu. LTOs can also include dine-in-only deals, thereby heightening the likelihood that customers will purchase higher-margin items, such as a drink, during their visit.

Coupons can similarly work well. They can help increase traffic, introduce new customers to the brand, while also encouraging existing customers to try new products. By doing this a brand can offer items on a value menu and not devalue where the profit is.

With that in mind, astute operators are increasingly competing with value messaging that goes beyond the dollar amount. By letting the customer customize and build their order by choosing and deciding the right quantity of food for the occasion, they will get what they perceive as good value.

Use a combination approach: What are we talking about here? The barbell strategy.

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