Following a keto diet has many benefits, and one of them is occasionally being able to enjoy some nostalgic fast food without veering off your nutrition plan. While we don’t recommend a daily McDonald’s meal on Keto, or any nutrition plan for that matter, there is room for an occasional visit to Ronald—if you choose wisely.
As the most basic you want to stick to bunless, sauceless breakfasts, and beef burgers. These are great options and the good news is that you can swap out the regular sauces that come with these meals for keto-friendly options.
In this McDonalds keto menu guide, you’ll find all the information you need to make the best choices possible to stay on track with keto.
Tips For Eating Low Carb at McDonalds
Before heading to McDonald’s, or any fast food place, keep in mind that there is a difference between eating something low-carb and eating a ketogenic diet.
Always remember that preparing your keto meals at home with keto-friendly ingredients is much better than getting something low-carb at a fast food restaurant.
If you’re in a pinch for food, then follow these tips for keeping it low-carb at McDonald’s.
#1. Stick with breakfast if you can
McDonald’s used to offer breakfast all day. However, most restaurants stop serving breakfast after 10:30 am now and switch over to their lunch menu.
Try the Egg McMuffin without the bun, which has egg, cheese, and ham on it. Here are some other good breakfast sandwich options:
- Sausage McMuffin with egg
- Bacon, egg and cheese biscuit
- Steak, egg and cheese biscuit
- Bacon, egg and cheese McGriddles
- Bacon, egg and cheese bagel
Note: You might have a hard time prying the cheese off the bread that it comes on, so ask to hold the biscuit or bagel entirely or you might end up with unwanted bits of bread in your sandwich.
#2. Use the nutritional calculator
McDonald’s lists all of the nutritional information right on its website, so use this as a resource when making a decision. You can also use the nutrition calculator to determine your macros if you customize your order.
Here are some of the lowest carb options at McDonald’s (and how to order them) based on the nutrition calculator:
- Bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit (minus the biscuit): 200 calories, 15 grams of fat, 4 grams of carbs, and 12 grams of protein
- Quarter pounder with cheese bacon (minus the bun and ketchup): 430 calories, 33 grams of fat, 5 grams of carbs, and 30 grams of protein
- Big Mac (no bun or Big Mac sauce): 250 calories, 18 grams of fat, 4 grams of carbs, and 18 grams of protein
You can check out their nutrition calculator here.
#3. Hold the sauce
McDonald’s has lots of sauces and dressings to choose from, which can be tempting. But let us tell you- there is nothing healthy or ketogenic about most of them.
Most dressings and sauces use refined sugar and sometimes even flour as a base. They also contribute to empty calories, which tend to add up quickly and can be the reason why you keep getting kicked out of ketosis.
While McDonald’s has a few options that seem OK on the keto diet, like mayonnaise and vinegar salad dressing, keep in mind that these may contain vegetable oils and refined sugar.
#4. Stay away from the sides
McDonald’s doesn’t have much in the way of sides. You can choose from French fries or apple slices, and neither of these options are suitable if you want to eat keto meals.
We noticed that some McDonald’s locations don’t even have a salad on their menu anymore. However, you can always ask if they can make you one. If so, hold the croutons and dressing.
#5. Don’t blow it on a beverage
What you drink is just as important as what you eat. Don’t be tempted by a McFlurry, even if it is on the dollar menu. Stick with bottled water, unsweetened iced tea, or coffee with cream.
Related: How To Order Low-Carb at Burger King
What To Order At McDonald’s for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
We’ve put together a list of some of our top picks for eating a low-carb diet at McDonald’s.
Keep in mind that you can use any of these options as a snack, too. Check them out below.
Keto Breakfast Options
Order any of these breakfast sandwiches without the bun, bagel, biscuit, or griddle cakes. Or you can simply take it off once you get the sandwich, but keep in mind that peeling the cheese off the bread might be hard.
Low-carb breakfast options:
- Egg McMuffin
- Sausage McMuffin
- Sausage McMuffin with egg
- Bacon, egg and cheese biscuit
- Sausage patty biscuit
- Sausage biscuit with egg
- Steak, cheese and egg biscuit
- Bacon, egg and cheese McGriddle
- Sausage McGriddle
- Sausage, egg and cheese McGriddle
- Bacon, egg and cheese bagel
Burgers
For all burgers, hold the bread and sauce. Also, hold the fries and all sides.
- Bacon smokehouse burger (minus the bun, onion rings, and sauce)
- Double bacon smokehouse burger (also minus the bread, onion rings, and sauce)
- Big Mac
- Quarter pounder with cheese (no sauce)
- Double quarter pounder with cheese (no sauce)
- Triple cheeseburger
- McDouble
- Double cheeseburger
- Bacon McDouble
- Hamburger or cheeseburger
- Plain side salad (if available)
Related: How To Order Low-Carb at Wendy’s
Foods To Avoid at McDonald’s
McDonald’s does not currently offer any chicken sandwiches that are not breaded, so you will need to stay away from these. Here are some other foods you should avoid at McDonald’s.
- Big breakfast
- Big breakfast with hotcakes
- Hotcakes with sausage
- Sausage burrito
- Hash browns
- Fruit and maple oatmeal
- Fruit n’ yogurt parfait
- Bacon smokehouse buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich
- Chicken McNuggets
- Chicken tenders
- Classic chicken sandwich
- McChicken sandwich
- Buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich
- Filet-O-Fish
- Bacon ranch salad with buttermilk crispy chicken
- Southwest buttermilk crispy chicken salad
- Southwest grilled chicken salad
- Happy Meals
- All shakes
- Vanilla cone
- Flurries
- Hot fudge sundaes
- All pies
- All cookies
Note that if your McDonalds offers an artisan grilled chicken sandwich, this can be a great option as long as you ditch the bun. However, ensure the chicken is grilled and not breaded.
Conclusion
McDonald’s is one of the most popular food chains available, and while they have low-carb options that you can enjoy every once and a while, they aren’t strictly ketogenic. Because of this, we recommend limiting your fast food intake to once a month or less.
The McDonald’s website is constantly changing, so it’s a good idea to look at the menu before you go. We recommend going with a breakfast sandwich or burger minus the bun and sauce.
Pair your McDonald’s sandwich with a plain side salad for added nutrients and skip all sides. Wash your meal down with bottled water, coffee and cream, or an unsweetened iced tea.
