It seems like money just doesn’t go as far as it used to. Americans are paying more for just about everything- but that drive-thru value meal is still a good deal, right?
KIRO 7 hit the road to find out if you’re still getting the best bang for your buck when buying some of the nation’s top fast food items.
Americans have been feasting on fast food for decades. Typically, “more for less” is the name of the game. These days, though, it seems people are paying more for less of everything, from gas to groceries to rent.
KIRO 7 set out to test three of the most popular items from fast food chains to find out the truth: McDonald’s chicken nuggets, Burger King’s Whopper with cheese, and Chick-fil-A’s chicken sandwich.
So how will this work?
The US Department of Agriculture maintains a database of popular food items. The database lists nutrition facts about the item, including its average weight.
The USDA switched over to a new database in 2019, but the old one is still online. That means you can search up nearly any food item and see its reported average weight from seven years ago.
But what about price changes?
That data is much more difficult to track down. Menu prices vary by location, but the US Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks trends like these. It reports the average price of “food away from home” (including fast food) is up 39% nationwide compared to 2019.
After gathering the numbers, the hard work began. A KIRO 7 crew visited three McDonald’s, three Burger Kings, and three Chick-fil-A’s across Tukwila, Renton, and Bellevue, purchasing three 10-piece McNuggets, three Whoppers with cheese, and three chicken sandwiches. Each item was then weighed without its packaging.
Here’s what we found
In 2019, a Whopper with cheese was reported to have an average weight of 316 grams. In 2026, KIRO 7 weighed three Whoppers with cheese at 298, 279, and 277 grams. That’s an average of 284.6 grams, down about 10%.
Burger King responded in a statement:
“We can confirm that the size of the Whopper patty has not changed. We still serve more than 1/4lb of 100% flame-grilled beef. We did change our bun earlier this year to a glazed bun, which may affect the weight slightly, and small weight differences are also normal for a freshly made sandwich.”
In 2019, the average chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A was reported at 187 grams. The three sandwiches purchased by KIRO 7 weighed 181, 170, and 162 grams. That’s an average of 171 grams, down 8.6% from 2019.
Chick-fil-A also responded in a statement:
“Due in part to the handcrafted nature of our food and our use of real, whole boneless breast of chicken, there may be variation in the size of chicken breast portions. Variations may also occur due to preparation techniques, supply sources, and regional differences.”
Finally, the average reported weight of a 10-piece McDonald’s chicken nugget was 159 grams in 2019. KIRO’s 2026 nugget orders weighed 152, 149 and 135 grams, averaging 145.3 grams. That’s down 8.6%.
McDonald’s did not respond to a request for comment on the findings.
Key ‘takeaway’
Across the board, portions were smaller than the 2019 reports despite the federal government’s report of food away from home costing nearly 40% more.
“It’s hard for them to point to just one thing and say, ‘Hey, this is why we are raising prices,’” Jeff Shulman, a marketing professor at the University of Washington, said.
Shulman said asking for more money for the same product is a hard sell, so companies in a bind need to find other ways to increase profits.
“If you raise prices, customers will notice, and there will be backlash,” he said. “If you shrink a nugget, maybe a nugget of your customers will notice, but not everyone will.”
Watch KIRO 7 News live Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. for the full story.