Dairy Queen, despite its name and ice cream-centric reputation, does offer some keto-friendly options. While the choices are limited, it is possible to order a keto snack or meal. The best option for a low-carb order is a bunless and sauceless beef burger with a plain side salad. Other keto-friendly choices include the Flamethrower GrillBurger without the bun and the Grilled Chicken BLT Salad. It's important to note that keto dieters should avoid Dairy Queen's ice cream, cakes, milkshakes, and other sweetened treats, as well as combo meals, fries, and chicken strips.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Keto-friendly options | Yes |
Ice cream keto-friendly | No |
Low-carb options | Yes |
Grilled chicken BLT salad keto-friendly | Yes |
Flamethrower Grillburger keto-friendly | Yes, without the bun |
Grilled chicken keto-friendly | Yes, without the dressing |
Turkey BLT keto-friendly | Yes, without the ciabatta roll |
Cheeseburger keto-friendly | Yes, without the bun |
Chicken Bacon Ranch keto-friendly | Yes, without the ciabatta roll |
Combo meals keto-friendly | No |
Drive-through available | Yes |
Nutritional information available | Yes |
What You'll Learn
Dairy Queen's keto-friendly options
Dairy Queen is known for its ice cream and desserts, but it is possible to eat keto at the fast-food chain. While there may not be a huge variety of keto-friendly options, you can still get a snack or a full low-carb meal.
The best way to order low-carb at Dairy Queen is to go for a bunless and sauceless burger. You can add extra bacon, pepper jack cheese, or Swiss cheese to your burger. Order a plain side salad without croutons to accompany your burger.
The choices available may vary by location, with some Dairy Queen stores offering breakfasts and grilled chicken options. If your nearest Dairy Queen only offers ice cream, you may need to find another spot to get your keto-friendly meal.
- Stay away from combo meals. While they may be a good deal, they usually include French fries or blizzards, which are not keto-friendly.
- Use the drive-through if possible. Going inside the store will expose you to tempting ice cream and cake options.
- Choose a salad. Salads are a great substitute for French fries or onion rings, and they provide extra vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. Dairy Queen offers a plain side salad or a chicken BLT salad.
- Check the nutrition information. Dairy Queen provides a nutritional breakdown and ingredients list on their website, so you can make informed choices.
- Search elsewhere for keto ice cream. Dairy Queen does not offer any keto-friendly ice cream options.
- Go with the rotisserie-style chicken bites. These are a good low-carb option, but be sure to ask for no fries or soft drinks on the side.
- Rotisserie-style chicken bites with ranch sauce (hold the fries and soft drink)
- Bacon cheese grillburger (no bun, sauce, or mayo)
- Flamethrower grillburger (no bun or flamethrower sauce)
- Cheeseburger (no bun, ketchup, or mayo)
- Turkey BLT (no ciabatta roll or mayo)
- Grilled chicken BLT salad (hold the dressing or ask for oil and vinegar instead)
- Chicken bacon ranch sandwich (hold the ranch dressing)
- Grilled chicken sandwich (no bun or sauce)
Remember to avoid treats such as ice cream, cakes, cookies, milkshakes, and sweetened beverages when ordering at Dairy Queen to stay keto-friendly.
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Keto ice cream alternatives
While Dairy Queen doesn't have keto ice cream, there are several keto-friendly ice cream brands available in the market. Here are some alternatives you can try:
Halo Top's Keto Series
Halo Top offers a range of keto ice cream flavours, including Chocolate Caramel Lava Cake, Mint Chocolate Cookie, and Banana Cream Pie. Their products have about 4–10 grams of net carbs per pint, helping you stay in ketosis. However, some people dislike the grainy texture of their ice cream.
Edy's Slow Churned No Sugar Added
Edy's replaces sugar in its fan-favourite flavours with sorbitol, maltitol syrup, and Splenda (sucralose). Their Vanilla Bean flavour contains 130 calories and 14 grams of net carbs per two-thirds-cup serving.
Enlightened
Enlightened offers keto ice cream options and low-calorie, non-keto options. Their keto options typically contain 2–3 grams of net carbs per serving, while their low-calorie options contain 7–12 grams of net carbs and 120–140 calories per two-thirds-cup serving. Enlightened uses allulose, a sugar substitute recognised by the FDA, along with sugar alcohol and monk fruit extract, to replace sugar.
So Delicious No Sugar Added (Dairy-Free)
So Delicious makes dairy-free ice cream from full-fat coconut milk, with negligible amounts of sugar. Their keto ice cream options are sweetened with erythritol, a sugar alcohol, and monk fruit extract. A two-thirds-cup serving typically has 130–160 calories, 9–10 grams of net carbs, and 2 grams of protein.
Rebel
Rebel is an ice cream brand specifically designed for people on the keto diet. Their pints are made with cream, other high-fat ingredients, erythritol, and monk fruit. While Rebel has a slightly higher fat and calorie content than other brands, it offers a negligible amount of sugar, with just 4–8 grams of net carbs per pint.
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Keto-friendly Dairy Queen desserts
Dairy Queen is famous for its desserts, ice cream, and other sweet treats, but it is possible to eat keto at the fast-food chain. While there are no keto-friendly ice cream options, there are some keto-friendly savoury options on the menu.
The key to ordering keto at Dairy Queen is to stick to bunless and sauceless burgers or grilled chicken sandwiches, accompanied by a side salad instead of fries or onion rings.
Bunless Flamethrower Grill Burger
This burger contains half a pound of beef, bacon, jalapenos, lettuce, pepper jack cheese, and tomatoes. By removing the bun, you significantly reduce the carb count, making it a keto-friendly option.
Bunless Cheeseburger
The basic cheeseburger with pickles, lettuce, onions, and mustard is another good keto option. Without the bun, it only has 3g of carbs, making it a tasty and keto-friendly choice.
Turkey BLT (No Ciabatta Roll)
This sandwich is a surprising keto-friendly option, featuring sliced turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Removing the ciabatta roll reduces the carbs and makes it a more keto-compliant choice.
Grilled Chicken BLT Salad
The Grilled Chicken BLT Salad is one of the best keto options at Dairy Queen. It comes with generous portions of bacon, cheese, grilled chicken, and two containers of ranch dressing on the side. Without the dressing, it has 7g net carbs, and even with the dressing, it's still a relatively low-carb option.
Chicken Bacon Ranch (No Ciabatta Roll)
This option features a grilled chicken breast filet, bacon, Swiss cheese, ranch sauce, tomato, and lettuce. Removing the ciabatta roll keeps it keto-friendly, and you can always ask for the ranch sauce on the side to control the amount you use.
While Dairy Queen doesn't offer keto-friendly desserts, these savoury options can be customised to fit your keto diet. However, it's important to note that the meat Dairy Queen uses is conventionally raised and may contain sugar, preservatives, and nitrates.
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Dairy Queen's keto-friendly salads
Dairy Queen is a fast-food chain that is famous for its desserts. While it does not have any inherently keto-friendly options, you can tweak some of its offerings to make them keto-compliant.
- Grilled Chicken BLT Salad: This salad features hefty portions of bacon, cheese, and chicken. It also comes with two containers of ranch dressing on the side. Without the dressing, the salad contains 7g of carbs. With the dressing, it has 10g of net carbs.
- Chicken BLT Salad: This salad includes crispy or grilled chicken, bacon, cheese, red cabbage, and shredded carrots. Be sure to skip the dressing or ask for oil and vinegar instead.
- Side Salad: Opt for a plain side salad without croutons or dressing. You can add lemon slices or oil and vinegar instead. This salad typically has 5g of carbs.
- Chicken Salad: If you're looking for a chicken salad, go for the grilled option instead of the crispy chicken salad. Make sure to skip the dressing or ask for a keto-friendly alternative.
When ordering keto-friendly options at Dairy Queen, it is important to be mindful of the ingredients and make adjustments as needed. Always check the nutrition information and choose salads wisely.
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Dairy Queen's keto-friendly sandwiches
Dairy Queen is a fast-food restaurant famous for its desserts, ice cream, cakes, milkshakes, and sweetened beverages. While it does not have a dedicated keto menu, there are some keto-friendly sandwiches available. Here are some tips to help you order keto-friendly sandwiches at Dairy Queen:
Modify Sandwiches by Removing High-Carb Ingredients:
- Turkey BLT: Remove the ciabatta roll/bun and mayonnaise. Consider substituting the mayo with a low-sugar, high-fat alternative. The macros for this sandwich without the bun and mayo are approximately 390 calories, 5g net carbs, and 27g protein.
- Chicken Bacon Ranch: Remove the ciabatta roll/bun and ranch dressing. The macros for this sandwich without the bun are approximately 310 calories, 5g net carbs, and 26g protein.
- Original Cheeseburger: Remove the bun. You can also add mayo for extra calories. The macros for this sandwich without the bun are approximately 220 calories, 3g net carbs, and 16g protein.
Opt for Grilled Chicken Sandwiches:
Instead of fried chicken sandwiches, choose grilled chicken options and remove the bun and sauce. For example, you can order the grilled chicken BLT salad or a grilled chicken sandwich without the bun and sauce.
Choose Bunless and Sauceless Beef Burgers:
Order a plain beef burger without the bun and sauce. You can add extra bacon, pepper jack cheese, or Swiss cheese. Here are some specific burger options:
- Bacon Cheese Grillburger: Remove the mayo.
- Flamethrower Grillburger: Remove the flamethrower sauce.
- Cheese Grillburger: Remove ketchup and mayo.
- Kansas City BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger: Remove the BBQ sauce.
- Deluxe Cheeseburger: Remove ketchup and mayo.
Check Nutrition Information:
Dairy Queen provides detailed nutritional information on their website, allowing you to plan your keto-friendly order in advance. Be mindful of the ingredients and their nutritional values, as well as the total calories.
Use the Drive-Through:
Using the drive-through can help you resist the temptation of cakes, ice cream, and other high-carb options available inside the restaurant.
Remember, while Dairy Queen offers some keto-friendly sandwich options, it is always a good idea to check the ingredients and make adjustments as needed to fit your specific keto diet plan.
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Frequently asked questions
No, DQ does not have keto ice cream. However, there are some keto-friendly options on the menu, such as bunless burgers and salads.
Some keto-friendly options at DQ include the Flamethrower Grillburger without the bun, the Grilled Chicken BLT Salad, and the Turkey BLT without the ciabatta roll.
To order keto at DQ, it is recommended to avoid combo meals, use the drive-through to avoid temptation, and choose salads or bunless burgers. It is also important to check the nutrition information and avoid high-carb ingredients.