Fast Food Menu of Calories

This is the range of apple slices and piles of bacon.
By Nathan Yau  /  Posted to Data Underload  /  Tags: ,

In my younger days, I used to eat fast food all of the time. So cheap. So delicious. But these days, it’s all about moderation. My metabolism no longer supports the same amount of fried food. The hours I spend in front of a computer instead of moving probably don’t help either. In any case, I have to pay attention to the calories.

I was curious: How does the distribution of calories vary by fast food restaurant?

Here’s a chart that shows all the menu items for ten of the biggest national fast food chains. Each square represents an item, and each row represents a restaurant. Items farther to the right are higher in calories and items to the far left are probably a side of apple slices.

Drawing Squares and Rectangles in R

Roll your own rectangular-shaped charts.

Learn to visualize your data. Become a member.

Join Today

Membership

This is for people who want to learn to make and design data graphics. Your support goes directly to FlowingData, an independently run site.

What You Get

  • Instant access to tutorials on how to make and design data graphics
  • Source code and files to use with your own data
  • Four-week course on visualization in R
  • Hand-picked links and resources from around the web

Favorites

One Dataset, Visualized 25 Ways

“Let the data speak” they say. But what happens when the data rambles on and on?

Real Chart Rules to Follow

There are rules—usually for specific chart types meant to be read in a specific way—that you shouldn’t break. When they are, everyone loses. This is that small handful.

How You Will Die

So far we’ve seen when you will die and how other people tend to die. Now let’s put the two together to see how and when you will die, given your sex, race, and age.

Interactive: When Do Americans Leave For Work?

We don’t all start our work days at the same time, despite what morning rush hour might have you think.