Fast Food Menu of Calories

This is the range of apple slices and piles of bacon.

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.

Become a member. Support an independent site. Make great charts.

See What You Get

Learn to Visualize Data See All →

Build Interactive Area Charts with Filters

When you have several time series over many categories, it can be useful to show them separately rather than put it all in one graph. This is one way to do it interactively with categorical filters.

How to Draw in R and Make Custom Plots

When base graphics and existing packages don’t do it for you, turn to low-level graphics functions to make what you want.

How to Download and Use Online Data with Arduino

Before you can do anything with data, you have to get it into the application. Working with an Arduino is no different. Although the process is changes, if you’re used to working with desktop software.

Making an Interactive Map with Category Filters

Let readers focus on the regions they care about to make their own comparisons and conclusions.

Favorites

The Changing American Diet

See what we ate on an average day, for the past several decades.

How We Spend Our Money, a Breakdown

We know spending changes when you have more money. Here’s by how much.

How to Spot Visualization Lies

Many charts don’t tell the truth. This is a simple guide to spotting them.

Shifts in How Couples Meet, Online Takes the Top

How do couples meet now and how has it changed over the years? Watch the rankings play out over six decades.