Taco Bell's Grande Breakfast Burrito or Breakfast Quesadilla with Sausage?

iVillage.com: Which Is Worse? Battle of the Fast Food Breakfasts

Taco Bell is putting breakfast on the menu in 10 western states. Besides coffee, OJ and little Cinnabon fried dough balls, there are 11 main courses loaded with eggs, cheese, meat and sometimes hash browns. When it comes to a burrito or quesadilla for breakfast, which is worse?

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Taco Bell's Gran...

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Answer: Breakfas...

A breakfast quesadilla is just what it sounds like: Sausage, cheese and egg in a grilled tortilla. But it also has 450 calories and a whopping 25 grams of fat. Still, the Grande Breakfast Burrito barely ekes out the win here. On top of eggs and meat, this breakfast burrito goes a step further by adding hash browns, tomato and onion. Sure it has 30 less calories, but the fat content is negligible (22g as opposed to 25g), and both options are filled with saturated fat, cholesterol and about half the recommended daily limit of sodium.

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McDonald’s Egg M...

The Egg McMuffin is the granddaddy of breakfast sandwiches, debuting nearly 40 years ago and transforming the fast-food industry into a three-meal-a-day operation. In comparing The Egg McMuffin with the Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit, the main difference is that the McMuffin is made with the leaner Canadian version of bacon. And one is on an English muffin, the other a flaky biscuit. So which is worse?

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Answer: Bacon, E...

The Egg McMuffin wins on calories, but that's not all. "The total fat and the saturated fat in the McMuffin are about half of what you get in the Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit," says registered dietitian Marissa Lippert, author of The Cheater's Diet. "That's mostly because of the bacon." Regular bacon has four times as much fat and three times as many calories per serving than Canadian bacon.

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McDonald’s Break...

With the Breakfast Burrito, you get eggs, sausage, peppers, onions and cheese. The McGriddle omits the fat and cholesterol you get from egg and cheese and instead gives you just sausage, Griddle Cakes and maple flavoring. So which is worse?

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Answer: Sausage ...

"The burrito is the way to go," says Lippert. It has fewer calories and fat and with 4 grams of protein, "It'll keep you fuller longer, which is always a good thing." The McGriddle also packs in 15 grams of sugar, compared to only 1 gram in the burrito. Sugar isn't just bad for your teeth, it can raise blood triglycerides, and that can increase your risk of heart disease.

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Burger King Baco...

Sweet or savory? A hearty breakfast sandwich might leave you feeling fuller longer, but it does have more calories and saturated fat than the French Toast Sticks? The sticks are loaded with sugar, though -- 16 grams (4 teaspoons). So which is worse?

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Answer: Bacon, E...

The biscuit is the loser here based on calories and fat count, including a whopping 16 grams of saturated fat. It also has a lot more sodium than the French Toast Sticks, which is especially important if you're trying to keep your blood pressure in check. The French Toast Sticks aren't a great choice either, Lippert says, but if you're worried about heart health they are the better choice. Just remember that they're not as filling, so if you're hungry shortly after opt for a high-fiber snack such as fruit. "Both of these are fat foods, and none of it is great on a frequent basis," Lippert says.

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Starbucks Apple ...

The Banana Nut Loaf has a bit more protein than the Apple Bran Muffin -- 7 grams versus 6 -- but the added bran means more fiber. So which is worse?

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Answer: Banana N...

The fiber in the Apple Bran Muffin -- 7 grams -- wins this face-off. "Fiber is not only beneficial for heart health but it has been shown to help prevent colon cancer," says registered dietitian Angela Ginn, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "So the more fiber you have, the better." Calories were another factor. The nut loaf comes in at nearly 500, versus 350 for the muffin. Fat is also higher -- 19 grams in the loaf versus 9 in the muffin. "The only negative about the bran muffin is that its sodium content is higher," says Ginn.

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