Keto At Mcdonald's: What Are Your Options?

McDonald's is known for its burgers, fries, and shakes, but can you eat there while following a keto diet? The answer is yes, but with some modifications. The key to staying keto at McDonald's is to avoid bread, fried foods, and sauces with added sugar. Your best options are bunless burgers or a salad with grilled chicken. Cheese is okay, and you can add extra lettuce to make a burger salad. For breakfast, you can order any of the sandwiches without the bun or biscuit. Drinks-wise, stick to unsweetened iced tea, coffee with cream, or water. So, if you're craving a fast-food fix while on keto, McDonald's can be an option, but always check the nutrition information and make modifications where needed to stay within your macros.

Keto breakfast options at McDonald's

If you're looking for a keto breakfast at McDonald's, you'll have to skip the buns, biscuits, muffins, and hash browns. However, there are still plenty of options available. Here are some keto-friendly breakfast ideas at McDonald's:

Sausage McMuffin with Egg (No English Muffin)

Order a Sausage McMuffin with Egg and ask for no English muffin. This option provides a good combination of sausage and egg, making it a filling choice. It has 3 net carbs, 27 g of fat, and 15 g of protein.

Egg McMuffin (No English Muffin)

The Egg McMuffin without the bun is another keto-friendly option. It contains Canadian bacon and has 3 net carbs, 11 g of fat, and 12 g of protein.

Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit (No Biscuit)

Similar to the Sausage McMuffin, but with a folded egg instead of an egg patty. Ask for no biscuit to make it keto-friendly. It has 4 net carbs, 26 g of fat, and 15 g of protein.

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit (No Biscuit)

If you prefer bacon over sausage, go for the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit without the biscuit. This option has 4 net carbs, 13 g of fat, and 14 g of protein.

The Big Breakfast (No Hash Browns or Biscuit, Add Bacon and Cheese)

You can also order The Big Breakfast and customize it to make it keto-friendly. Skip the hash browns and biscuit, and add bacon and cheese instead. This option has 4 net carbs, 34.5 g of fat, and 28 g of protein.

Triple Breakfast Stack McGriddle (No Griddle Cake)

The Triple Breakfast Stack McGriddle without the griddle cake is another filling option. It has 7 g net carbs, 56.5 g of fat, and 32 g of protein, making it a good choice for those following a keto diet.

Keto Breakfast Drink Options

Be cautious with your beverage choices as well. Avoid sugary drinks and milk, as they contain high amounts of carbs. Stick to unsweetened coffee or tea, or go for diet sodas like Diet Coke or Coke Zero.

Keto McDonald's burgers

If you're following a keto diet, you can still eat at McDonald's—you'll just need to know what to order. The key thing to remember is to avoid bread and other carbs, such as fries and ketchup.

Bunless Burgers

You can order any of the burgers on the McDonald's menu without the bun. Here are some examples of keto-friendly burgers:

• Double Cheeseburger without the bun: 3g net carbs, 20g of fat, and 20g of protein.
• Quarter Pounder with Cheese without the bun and ketchup: 3g net carbs, 25g of fat, and 25g of protein.
• Big Mac without the bun, ketchup, or Big Mac sauce: 5g net carbs, 25g of fat, and 18g of protein.

Other Tips

• Extra lettuce: You can ask for extra shredded lettuce to make your burger more like a burger salad.
• Low-carb tortillas: If you want the feeling of eating a sandwich, bring your own low-carb tortillas.
• Sauces: Spicy Buffalo Sauce and Creamy Ranch Sauce are keto-friendly sauces. You can also ask for mustard or mayo.
• Drinks: Unsweetened iced tea, Coke Zero, and Diet Coke are good keto drink options.

Other Keto McDonald's Options

In addition to burgers, McDonald's has several other keto-friendly options, including:

• Sausage McMuffin with Egg without the English muffin: 3g carbs, 27g fat, and 15g protein.
• Egg McMuffin without the bun: 3g net carbs, 11g of fat, and 12g of protein.
• Side salad: 2g net carbs, 0g of fat, and 1g of protein.

Remember, it's important to check the ingredients and nutrition information for yourself, as well.

Keto McDonald's salads

Salads are a great option for keto dieters, and McDonald's has a few options to choose from.

Side Salad

A side salad at McDonald's contains romaine lettuce and/or up to five different kinds of lettuce. It has 3 grams of net carbs, 0 grams of fat, and 1 gram of protein. You can add some fat to this salad by adding a sauce from the list provided below.

Bacon Ranch Grilled Chicken Salad

The Bacon Ranch Grilled Chicken Salad is another option, containing 9 grams of carbs, 13 grams of fat, and 42 grams of protein. However, it is important to note that the ranch dressing that comes with this salad is not keto-friendly, as it contains 11 grams of carbs. Instead, you can add some fat to the salad by choosing one of the keto-approved sauces listed below.

Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad

The Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad is another option, containing 27 grams of carbs, 37 grams of protein, and 22 grams of fat. To make this salad more keto-friendly, you can remove the tortilla strips to reduce the carbs to 22 grams, and ditch the lime glaze dressing to bring it down to 15 grams of carbs.

Sauces

When ordering a salad at McDonald's while on the keto diet, it is important to choose a keto-friendly sauce or dressing. Here are some options:

• Spicy Buffalo Sauce: 1 gram of net carb, 3 grams of fat, and 0 grams of protein.
• Creamy Ranch Sauce: 1.5 grams of net carbs, 12 grams of fat, and 0 grams of protein.
• Signature Sauce: 3 grams of net carbs, 9 grams of fat, and 0 grams of protein.

Other Tips for Ordering Keto at McDonald's

When ordering keto at McDonald's, it is important to remember the following:

• Avoid the buns, biscuits, or bread.
• Order with no ketchup.
• Do not use the salad dressings, as they are high in carbs.
• Remove croutons and tomatoes from salads.
• Avoid French fries, frozen treats, and shakes.
• Only drink water or unsweetened iced tea.

Keto drinks and sides at McDonald's

Drinks

• Unsweetened iced tea
• Diet Coke
• Coke Zero
• Any other diet drink option, which can vary by location
• Water
• Unsweetened iced coffee

Sides

• Side salad
• Bacon ranch grilled chicken salad (no ranch dressing, but you can add creamy ranch dipping sauce for an additional 1.5g carbs)
• McDonald's side salad (no tomatoes)

Non-keto McDonald's menu items to avoid

If you're following a keto diet, there are several non-keto items on the McDonald's menu that you should avoid. Here's a list of foods to steer clear of to stay on track with your low-carb diet:

Bread and Buns

Avoid all types of bread and buns, including muffins, biscuits, and bagels. These typically contain at least 200 calories and 30-40 grams of carbs, which will quickly exceed your daily carb limit.

Ketchup and Sauces

Ketchup is a sneaky culprit, with the same amount of sugar as soda. One tablespoon has 3.8 grams of carbs. Other sauces to avoid include honey mustard sauce, tangy barbecue sauce, and sweet and sour sauce, which are high in carbs and sugar.

French Fries

A medium serving of McDonald's French fries contains 45.7 grams of carbs, making them a definite no-go on a keto diet.

Crispy Chicken and Nuggets

Breaded items like crispy chicken, chicken tenders, and nuggets are high in carbs. Instead, opt for grilled chicken options.

Salads and Salad Dressings

While salads may seem like a healthy option, be cautious. Avoid the salad dressings, as most are high in carbs. If you order a salad, ask for no croutons and skip the tomatoes to reduce the carb count.

Sugar-Free Beverages

Don't be fooled by sugar-free drinks, as they can still be high in carbs. Stick to unsweetened iced tea, Coke Zero, Diet Coke, or water.

Remember, when eating keto at McDonald's, your best options are bunless burgers or salads, with cheese as a safe addition. Always check the nutrition information and make modifications where needed to stay within your daily carb limit.

Frequently asked questions