There is little else more satisfying than biting into a delicious meal of fast food after a night of drinking - but the calorie count of these fourth meals may be enough to deter you.
In an effort to discover what fast food options appeal to late-night partiers, and just how many calories these meals pack, Rehabs.com surveyed more than 5,900 people about their post-drinking eating habits.
Across the US, those in search of a greasy post-drinks meal often choose from one of the popular and reliable options of fast food - which conveniently stay open late.
In most states, Tex-Mex proved to be the drunk meal of choice, with Taco Bell emerging as the overall winner.
Fortunately, the fast food chain happens to offer some of the healthiest menu items - but that doesn’t mean a tipsy stop will result in a meal you’d want to remember the next day.
The survey found that most people who eat Taco Bell after a night of drinking consume around 700-calories-worth of burritos, nachos, and quesadillas - with men eating an average of 730 and women eating just 15 calories less than that.
For the ravenous men and women who forgo tacos in favour of other popular options such as McDonald’s or Waffle House, the resulting calorie-consumption is even higher.
At McDonald’s, the average woman consumes 750 calories, while men consume 826 calories in Big Macs and McFlurries - and a late-night stop at Waffle House will average in a fourth meal comprised of 949 calories for women and 1,009 calories for men.
The survey’s findings confirmed what people who drink may have already known - on average, fulfilling alcohol-inspired cravings results in hundreds of calories worth of food consumption.
Factoring in the calorie-consumption from the alcohol intake means drunk eating can result in people consuming “over half of their recommended calories in these meals alone.”
However, the good news is there is a scientific excuse for eating while intoxicated.
According to a study published in Nature Communication by the Francis Crick Institute, alcohol triggers false “starvation alarms” in your brain, which makes you believe you are hungry.
And eating salty foods may have a beneficial effect on hangovers, as sodium helps your body retain water - although french fries are not the best option.
If you can resist the urge to eat after a night of drinking, your body will be better off.
