Eating well on the cheap can be tricky in America, especially when the chain restaurant definition of a "value menu" differs from a nutritionist's definition of value.
Add on the special offers, seasonal treats or the new twists on old menu items and the best buy for a buck can get very confusing.
Burger King franchisees voted twice last week on whether restaurants should lower the price on Burger King's double cheeseburger to $1, according to J.J. McNelis of Burger King Franchisee Mirabile Investment Corporation in Memphis, Tenn.
The proposal would mean a person could buy a quarter of the recommended 2,000 calorie daily diet for $1. A Burger King spokesman declined to confirm the vote, but wrote "many product and menu options are always in development and under consideration."
"We will certainly let you and our restaurant guests know when any menu or value decisions are made," Burger King spokesman Lauren Kuzniar wrote in an e-mail to ABCNews.com.
Nutritionists say calculating the true nutritional value per dollar of a value menu item would likely be difficult.
"What you want to avoid is the trap of getting more food for your money, because that's nutritional quicksand," said Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University.
"More for less may not be best," he said.
But to see what your dollar buys you in sheer calories (not vitamins, fat or salt), ABCNews.com has compiled a list of some of the most calorie-cheap and calorie-expensive menu items in popular chain restaurants.
The prices were all gathered in New York City, where chain restaurants must post calories by law. People are likely to get more calories per dollar in less expensive cities.
If you're pulling into a burger joint drive-through on a diet, avoiding the chili side dish isn't likely the first thought. Indeed, a small side of chili at Wendy's is only 180 calories and can offer some protein to boot.
But Wendy's chili chips and cheese option can deliver a surprising amount of calories per dollar, more than a cheeseburger, and more than a Big Mac at McDonalds.
The chili chips and cheese at Wendy's in New York packed in 380 calories per dollar.
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