McDonald's employees share the 6 menu items they'd never eat

A crew member from Minnesota told Business Insider that they steered clear of a batch of the chain's ostensibly healthier options: the salads.

"I'm not a fan of tons of vegetables, and the caloric count in the items is astronomical," the crew member told Business Insider.

The southwest buttermilk crispy chicken salad comes in at 520 calories, the bacon ranch salad with buttermilk crispy chicken boasts 490 calories, and the bacon ranch grilled chicken salad has 320 calories.

For comparison, a Big Mac sandwich is 540 calories.

However, the chain's side salad is only 15 calories, for customers looking for a leaner, leafy option.

One McDonald's employee said the chain's sweet tea was a bit too sweet for their taste.

"Pound. Of. Sugar. Per gallon," the employee wrote in a 2013 Reddit thread.

A pound of sugar per gallon of McDonalds sweet tea would translate to a quarter pound — or about 113 grams — of sugar in a large, 32-ounce serving. But McDonalds reports there are actually only 38 grams of sugar in a large, 32-ounce McDonald's sweet tea.

Compare that to a large Coca-Cola, which contains 77 grams of sugar.

Still, according to the American Heart Association, men should only take in 36 grams of added sugar a day — and women should only consume 25 grams.

So, if you're determined refresh yourself with some McDonald's sweet tea this summer, consider ordering an extra small cup, which will feature 15 grams of sugar.

McDonald's' controversial McRib always causes a stir when it resurfaces on the menu.

But two former McDonald's crew members wrote in a 2013 Reddit thread that they were less than impressed with the sandwich based on its appearance.

"The way it looks before we put the sauce on it is absolutely revolting," one former crew member wrote. "It doesn't look like meat at all, it looks like a scab."

"A lot of people choose to be healthy and order our grilled chicken," a crew member wrote in a 2013 Reddit thread. "Not a lot of people realize that they're eating at a fast food joint and we will find a way to make anything unhealthy."

The crew member went on to explain that they wouldn't order the chain's grilled chicken sandwiches, because they were slathered in margarine at the time, and therefore less healthy than they appeared.

However, in 2015, the fast food giant revamped its grilled chicken, ditching the margarine and swapping in olive oil, canola oil, and herbs.

When McDonald's introduced its egg white delight McMuffin in 2013, it was viewed as a healthier alternative to the regular McMuffin.

But one employee was less than impressed.

"The egg white delight is just as unhealthy, if not more so, than the regular round eggs," a McDonald's employee wrote on a 2014 Reddit. "The amount of butter — at least in my store — sprayed on the grill must up the calorie and fat count like crazy."

The employee went on to recommend that customers order their breakfast sandwiches with a "round egg." If you don't specify, you'll receive a sandwich with a folded egg patty.

"At least the round egg is the real deal," the employee wrote.

According to McDonald's official website, the yolk-free version of the McMuffin has 280 calories — 20 calories less than its yolky counterpart.

Are you a current or former McDonald's crew member with a story to share? Email acain@businessinsider.com.