Mcdonald's Ice Cream: Is It Keto-Friendly?

McDonald's ice cream is not keto-friendly. However, there are several ways to make a McDonald's meal keto-compliant. The key is to avoid heavy carbs like buns, wraps, bagels, biscuits, and french fries. It's also important to make wise condiment choices and be cautious with sugar-free options, which can be surprisingly high in carbs. For breakfast, the Egg McMuffin without the muffin is a good option, and for lunch or dinner, a bunless burger with extra lettuce or a low-carb tortilla wrap is a filling choice.

Alternatives

• Unsweetened iced tea
• Diet Coke
• Coke Zero
• Water

McDonald's ice cream alternatives for keto dieters

McDonald's ice cream is not keto-friendly, but there are plenty of other options for keto dieters at the fast-food chain. Here are some alternatives to help you stick to your keto diet while enjoying a tasty treat.

Keto-Friendly Breakfast Options

• Scrambled eggs – 1g Net Carbs, 8g Fat, 13g Protein
• Sausage patty – 1g Net Carbs, 18g Fat, 7g Protein
• Steak patty – 0g Net Carbs, 10g Fat, 12g Protein
• Bacon – 1g Net Carbs, 4.5g Fat, 5g Protein
• Folded egg – 2g Net Carbs, 4g Fat, 6g Protein
• Cheese – 1g Net Carbs, 4g Fat, 3g Protein
• Steak, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit (no biscuit) – 4g Net Carbs, 19g Fat, 29g Protein
• Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit (no biscuit) – 4g Net Carbs, 13g Fat, 14g Protein
• Sausage, Egg, and Cheese McMuffin or McGriddle (no muffin or griddle cake) – 4g Net Carbs, 26g Fat, 15g Protein
• Egg McMuffin (no muffin) – 3g Net Carbs, 11g Fat, 12g Protein

Keto-Friendly Lunch/Dinner Options

• Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich (no bun, no sauce) – 1g Net Carbs, 2g Fat, 29g Protein
• Pico Guacamole with Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich (no bun) – 6g Net Carbs, 19g Fat, 29g Protein
• Big Mac (no bun, no ketchup) – 5g Net Carbs, 25g Fat, 18g Protein
• Quarter Pounder with Cheese (no bun, no ketchup) – 3g Net Carbs, 25g Fat, 25g Protein
• Double Cheeseburger (no bun, no ketchup) – 3g Net Carbs, 20g Fat, 20g Protein
• Bacon McDouble (no bun, no ketchup) – 4g Net Carbs, 21g Fat, 23g Protein
• Spicy Buffalo Sauce – 1g Net Carbs, 3g Fat, 0g Protein
• Creamy Ranch Sauce – 1.5g Net Carbs, 12g Fat, 0g Protein
• Signature Sauce – 3g Net Carbs, 9g Fat, 0g Protein
• Unsweetened iced tea – 0g Net Carbs
• Diet Coke – 0g Net Carbs
• Coke Zero – 0g Net Carbs

Customisation Tips

When ordering at McDonald's, remember to ask for no buns, muffins, biscuits, or breading. Also, avoid ketchup on lunch and dinner sandwiches, as well as salad dressings and croutons. Instead, opt for approved sauces like Spicy Buffalo or Creamy Ranch.

For breakfast, the eggs and sausage options are usually the best, and you can ask for extra romaine to make a lettuce wrap or bring your own low-carb tortilla.

For drinks, stick to unsweetened iced tea, Coke Zero, Diet Coke, or unsweetened iced coffee without cream or milk.

Keto-friendly McDonald's breakfast options

If you're on a keto diet, you can still enjoy a McDonald's breakfast—you just need to know what to order and how to customise your meal.

What to Avoid

• Buns, biscuits, muffins, and bagels—a bun alone has 28 grams of carbs.
• Breaded items like crispy chicken or chicken nuggets are high in carbs.
• Ketchup—it's often added to sandwiches and has more sugar than you might expect.
• Salad dressings—most are surprisingly high in carbs.
• Hash browns
• Hotcakes
• Syrup
• Pancakes
• French fries
• Shakes
• Milk
• Orange juice
• McDonald's "sugar-free" coffee flavourings—while the flavouring itself has zero net carbs, McDonald's iced coffees also add cream and milk, which can add at least 9g of carbs to your drink.

What to Order

Breakfast Sandwiches

• Sausage, Egg and Cheese McMuffin or McGriddle (no English muffin or griddle cake)—4g net carbs, 26g of fat, and 15g of protein
• Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit (no biscuit)—4g net carbs, 13g of fat, and 14g of protein
• Egg McMuffin (no English muffin)—3g net carbs, 11g of fat, and 12g of protein
• Steak, Egg and Cheese Biscuit (no biscuit)—4g net carbs, 19g of fat, and 29g of protein

Big Breakfast Options

The standard "Big Breakfast" at McDonald's comes with hash browns, a biscuit, scrambled eggs, and a sausage patty. However, you can customise the meal. Here are some keto-friendly options:

• Scrambled Eggs—1g Net Carbs, 8g Fat, 13g Protein
• Sausage Patty—1g Net Carbs, 18g Fat, 7g Protein
• Steak Patty—0g Net Carbs, 10g Fat, 12g Protein
• Bacon—1g Net Carbs, 4.5g Fat, 5g Protein
• Folded Egg—2g Net Carbs, 4g Fat, 6g Protein
• Cheese—1g Net Carbs, 4g Fat, 3g Protein

Keto Breakfast Drinks

• Black coffee
• Iced coffee with no cream or milk and preferably no flavourings or sweeteners
• Unsweetened iced tea
• Diet Coke
• Coke Zero

McDonald's keto meal ideas

McDonald's is not typically associated with healthy eating, but it is possible to eat keto at the fast-food chain. The key is to avoid bread, sauces, and fried foods, and to stick to bunless burgers, grilled chicken, eggs, cheese, and salads. Here are some keto meal ideas for McDonald's:

Breakfast

• Sausage McMuffin with Egg Sans English Muffin: Keep the cheese and ditch the muffin for three grams of carbs. For a more filling option, order two and ditch the muffins, then stack the egg and sausage patties.
• Egg McMuffin Without The Bun: The egg and Canadian bacon provide plenty of protein, and Canadian bacon is lower in saturated fat than bacon or sausage.
• Bacon, Egg, And Cheese Biscuit, Minus The Biscuit: Without the bread, the bacon, egg, and cheese combo fits a keto breakfast.
• Sausage, Egg, & Cheese McMuffin: Order without the muffin to get a McDonald's sausage patty, a rounded egg, and a slice of cheese.
• Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit: Order without the biscuit to get a fluffy folded egg, bacon, and melted cheese.
• Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit: Same as above, but with a McDonald's sausage patty instead of bacon.
• Bacon, Egg, & Cheese McGriddle: Order without the griddle cakes to get bacon, a fluffy folded egg, and cheese.
• Sausage, Egg, & Cheese McGriddle: Same as above, but with a sausage patty instead of bacon.

Lunch/Dinner

• Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich: Order without the bun for two net carbs.
• Big Mac Without The Bun: You can still eat a Big Mac on keto, but it's not the healthiest option. Order without the bun and Big Mac sauce (the sauce adds two grams of carbs).
• Quarter Pounder with Cheese: Order without the bun and ketchup for three grams of net carbs.
• Double Cheeseburger: Order without the bun and ketchup for three grams of net carbs.
• Triple Cheeseburger: Order without the bun and ketchup for three grams of net carbs.
• Double Quarter Pounder: Order without the bun, cheese, and ketchup for four net carbs.
• Hamburger: Order without the bun and ketchup for one gram of net carbs.
• Cheeseburger: Order without the bun and ketchup for three grams of net carbs.
• McDouble: Order without the bun and ketchup for three grams of net carbs.
• Side Salad: Order without tomatoes for one net carb.

McDonald's keto drinks

McDonald's offers a variety of keto-friendly drinks, which are listed below:

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

It's important to note that while McDonald's "sugar-free" coffee flavorings have zero net carbs, their iced coffees also contain cream and milk, which can add at least 9g of carbs to your drink. Therefore, if you're looking for a coffee drink to pair with your keto meal, it's best to stick to hot, black coffee or iced coffee with no cream or milk.

McDonald's keto sauces

McDonald's offers a variety of keto-friendly sauces and condiments to accompany your meal. Here are some of the best options:

• Spicy Buffalo Sauce: This sauce is a great choice if you're looking for a kick of heat. It has 1g net carb, 3g of fat, and 0g of protein.
• Creamy Ranch Sauce: The creamy ranch sauce is a delicious and versatile option. It has 1.5g net carbs, 12g of fat, and 0g of protein.
• Signature Sauce: McDonald's signature sauce is a tasty option with 3g net carbs, 9g of fat, and 0g of protein.
• Mixing Spicy Buffalo and Creamy Ranch: For an extra flavour boost, try mixing the Spicy Buffalo and Creamy Ranch sauces together. It adds a nice balance of spice and creaminess to your meal.
• Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise is another keto-approved condiment with 0g net carbs, 9g of fat, and 0g of protein.

When ordering at McDonald's, remember to specify that you want your burgers and sandwiches without the buns and sauces, as these can add significant carbohydrates to your meal. You can also ask for extra lettuce to wrap your burger or bring your own low-carb tortilla.

Frequently asked questions