Let’s face it – sometimes when you’re on the keto diet, those golden, crispy McDonald’s chicken nuggets start calling your name I’ve been there myself, sitting in the drive-thru line, desperately hoping that somehow these little bite-sized pieces of heaven might somehow be low-carb friendly
Well, I’ve got some bad news for all my fellow keto nugget lovers out there.
The Hard Truth About McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets
McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets are NOT keto-friendly
There, I said it. It hurts me as much as it hurts you.
According to the nutritional information available, here’s the breakdown of McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets:
- 4-piece: 170 calories, 10g fat, 10g carbs, 9g protein
- 6-piece: 250 calories, 15g fat, 15g carbs (14g net carbs), 14g protein
- 10-piece: 410 calories, 24g fat, 26g carbs (25g net carbs), 23g protein
With the standard daily carb limit on keto being around 20-25g net carbs, a single 10-piece order would basically use up your entire daily carb allowance! And let’s be honest, who eats just the nuggets without any sauce or sides?
Why Are Chicken McNuggets So High in Carbs?
The reason McDonald’s chicken nuggets are high in carbs boils down to one thing: breading.
That crispy, delicious coating that makes them so irresistible is basically a carb bomb. The nuggets are coated in a flour-based batter before being fried, which adds significant carbohydrates to what would otherwise be a protein-rich food.
As one keto expert at PureWow states, “Chicken McNuggets are far from keto-friendly, since they’re coated in crispy, drool-worthy breading that’s high in carbs.”
What About the Sauces?
If you’re thinking “maybe I can just have a few nuggets with a keto-friendly sauce,” I’ve got more disappointing news. Most McDonald’s dipping sauces are also loaded with carbs:
Keto-Friendly Sauces:
- Spicy Buffalo Sauce (1g net carbs)
- Creamy Ranch Sauce (1.5g net carbs)
- Mayonnaise (1g carbs)
- Mustard (0g carbs)
NOT Keto-Friendly Sauces:
- Honey Mustard Sauce (6g carbs, 4g sugar)
- Hot Mustard Sauce (8g carbs, 6g sugar)
- Tangy Barbeque Sauce (11g carbs, 9g sugar)
- Sweet ‘n Sour Sauce (11g carbs, 10g sugar)
Keto-Friendly McDonald’s Alternatives
Don’t worry, I’m not gonna leave you hanging at the drive-thru with nothing to order! There are still plenty of keto-friendly options at McDonald’s that can satisfy your cravings without kicking you out of ketosis.
Bunless Burgers
The easiest keto hack at McDonald’s is to order any burger without the bun. When you do this, they typically serve it in a plastic container with large pieces of leaf lettuce, which makes a great replacement for the bun.
Some popular bunless burger options include:
- Bacon McDouble (no bun, no ketchup): 4g net carbs, 21g fat, 23g protein
- Quarter Pounder with Cheese (no bun, no ketchup): 3g net carbs, 25g fat, 25g protein
- Big Mac (no bun, no ketchup or Big Mac sauce): 5g net carbs, 25g fat, 18g protein
Breakfast Options
McDonald’s breakfast menu also has some keto-friendly options if you make the right modifications:
- Sausage, Egg and Cheese McMuffin (no English muffin): 4g net carbs, 26g fat, 15g protein
- Egg McMuffin (no English muffin): 3g net carbs, 11g fat, 12g protein
- Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit (no biscuit): 4g net carbs, 13g fat, 14g protein
You can also order sides of individual breakfast items:
- Sausage patty (1g carbs)
- Bacon side (1g carbs)
- Round egg (1g carbs)
Drinks
While most McDonald’s beverages are loaded with sugar, there are a few keto-friendly options:
- Unsweetened iced tea (0g carbs)
- Diet Coke (0g carbs)
- Coke Zero (0g carbs)
- Black coffee (0g carbs)
My Personal McDonald’s Keto Meal Strategy
When I’m on the go and need to grab something from McDonald’s, here’s my go-to keto meal:
Two McDoubles (no bun or sauce), a Side Salad with creamy ranch sauce, and a side of mayonnaise
This entire meal comes to about 10g net carbs, 54g fat, and 18g protein – pretty decent macros for a keto meal on the go! The ranch sauce (not the dressing, which has 12g carbs) adds great flavor with minimal carbs.
DIY Keto Chicken Nuggets at Home
If you’re really craving chicken nuggets, your best bet is to make a keto version at home. Here’s a quick recipe I use:
Easy Keto Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients:
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into nugget-sized pieces
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Oil for frying
Instructions:
- Mix almond flour, Parmesan, and all seasonings in a bowl
- Dip chicken pieces in beaten egg, then coat in almond flour mixture
- Fry in oil until golden and cooked through (about 2-3 minutes per side)
- Drain on paper towels
These homemade nuggets have only about 2g net carbs per serving and taste amazingly close to the real thing!
While it’s disappointing that McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets aren’t keto-friendly, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy a meal at the Golden Arches while staying in ketosis.
Remember these key tips for eating keto at McDonald’s:
- Skip all breaded items (nuggets, crispy chicken, etc.)
- Order burgers without buns
- Breakfast items can work without the bread components
- Be wary of sauces and dressings – stick to mayo, mustard, buffalo sauce, or ranch sauce
- Drink water, unsweetened tea, or diet sodas
The most important thing is to plan ahead. Check the McDonald’s app or website before you go, or use their nutrition calculator to figure out the macros of your modified meal.
So next time you’re craving McNuggets on keto, just remind yourself that a bunless Quarter Pounder can be just as satisfying – and your body will thank you for keeping those ketones flowing!
Have you found any other keto hacks at McDonald’s? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
The Big Breakfast
Modified nutrition information: 350 calories, 28g fat, 3g carbs, 20g protein, 0g sugar, 0g fiber
Make it keto: ask for no hash brown, biscuit and hotcakes
As it stands, this massive meal contains about a day’s worth of calories and far too many carbs for anyone on a low-carb diet. (It also has an astounding 48 grams of sugar, and that’s not accounting for the extra syrup you’ll drench those hotcakes with.) To make this smorgasbord within reach, you’ll have to skip the biscuit, hotcakes and—the most painful cut of all—the hash brown. (You’ll also want to avoid the Fruit & Maple Oatmeal and all the McCafé Bakery breakfast treats—they’re loaded with carbs and sugar.) You may be thinking those little spud patties are basically just vegetables, but each one contains 18 grams of carbs. With those three items off your plate, you’ll be left with scrambled eggs and a sausage patty. Feel free to ask for a side of bacon or cheese on your eggs if you’d like to jazz things up a bit.
Modified nutrition information: 240 calories, 18g fat, 3g carbs, 17g protein, 0g sugar, 0g fiber
Make it keto: ask for no bun and ketchup
This juicy beauty starts with a beef patty and American cheese, which are topped with pickle slices, ketchup, onions and mustard. The bun is the source of most of the burger’s carbs (28 grams, to be exact), but the ketchup also clocks in at 2 grams of carbs and 2 grams of sugar per serving. Without them, the meal is totally keto-friendly. Ask for extra lettuce (or bring your own) to make a low-carb lettuce wrap or use your own low-carb bun if you’d like it to feel more like a regular burger. Also note that there are *tons* of burger options at McDonald’s, and they’re all fair game if you order them without a bun or ketchup. (As for the famous Big Mac, you may also want to skip the Big Mac sauce, since it contains 2 grams of carbs per serving.)
Other keto burger options: Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe (skip the tomatoes to save 1 gram of carbs), Quarter Pounder with Cheese and Bacon, Cheeseburger, Double Cheeseburger, Hamburger
Bacon, Egg And Cheese Mcgriddles
Modified nutrition information: 200 calories, 15g fat, 4g carbs, 12g protein, 1g sugar, 0g fiber
Make it keto: ask for no McGriddles griddle cakes
These sammies, held together by pancake-like cakes, are the stuff of dreams, but they contain a whopping 36 carbs and 14 grams of sugar. Without the griddle cakes in the picture, the fillings offer protein and fat with minimal carbs. (We’ll miss them in all their syrupy splendor, though.) The same goes for the other McGriddles menu options.
Other keto McGriddles options: Sausage McGriddles, Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddles
Modified nutrition information: 160 calories, 13g fat, 3g carbs, 9g protein, 1g sugar, 1g fiber
Make it keto: ask for no flour tortilla
This on-the-go handheld boasts scrambled egg, pork sausage, American cheese and a vegetable mix including tomatoes, onions and green chiles. Unfortunately for keto eaters, it’s wrapped in a carby tortilla. If you skip the tortilla, it eliminates nearly all the carbs in the meal, leaving you with protein, fat and even a little fiber to get you through the morning. You can either nosh on the scramble solo or bring your own low-carb tortilla or wrap to fill.
Keto / Ketovore Chicken Nuggets – Super Easy to Make, 1g Carbs per 4 Nuggets
FAQ
Is McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets keto friendly?
A 10-piece Chicken McNuggets meal from McDonald’s is keto-friendly because it contains only 2 grams of net carbohydrates. Net carbohydrates are the total carbohydrates minus the fiber and sugar alcohols, making this meal an excellent option for those following a ketogenic diet.
Does McDonald’s have a keto diet?
The keto diet is all about eating low-carb, high fat. This makes fast food restaurants like McDonald’s tricky when you are trying to stay in ketosis. However, with some modifications, you can enjoy some McDonald’s favorites and still stick to your keto diet. Here are fifteen of the best keto options at McDonald’s:
Can you eat a chicken sandwich on a keto diet?
Overall, the Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich with no bun from McDonald’s is an excellent keto-friendly option for those looking for a low-carb lunch or dinner. The 5 net carbs, 30g of protein, zero sugar, low fat, and high fiber make it a great choice for those following a keto diet.
Is McDonald’s grilled chicken club sandwich keto friendly?
A Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich from Mcdonald’s is one of the more keto-friendly options on the Mcdonald’s menu. It contains 17g of net carbs, which is within the range of a ketogenic diet. The Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich also contains 24g of protein and 11g of fat.
Is McDonald’s a good place to eat on a keto diet?
The Cheeseburger from Mcdonald’s is a great option for those following a keto-friendly lifestyle, as it balances protein, fat, and carbohydrates well. A Side Salad at McDonald’s is a great choice for those following a ketogenic diet, as it contains few net carbohydrates.
Does McDonald’s have a side salad on a keto diet?
A Side Salad at McDonald’s is a great choice for those following a ketogenic diet, as it contains few net carbohydrates. The Side Salad contains just 6 grams of net carbs, making it an ideal choice for those on a low-carb diet. The salad is also low in calories, containing just 90 calories, and is high in fiber with 4 grams.
Is McDonald’s chicken keto friendly?
The Chicken McNuggets are not keto. In fact, Mcdonald’s Nuggets are coated with starch and natural flavoring made of dextrose. Both will raise your blood sugar level quickly and take you out of ketosis.
Can I eat anything from McDonald’s on keto?
To order keto-friendly options at McDonald’s, focus on bunless burgers, like a Double Cheeseburger or Quarter Pounder with Cheese, and breakfast sandwiches, such as the Sausage McMuffin or Egg McMuffin, without the muffin. Also consider an Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich without the bun, or a side salad with a high-fat dipping sauce like creamy ranch instead of high-carb salad dressings. Remember to omit ketchup, as it contains carbs and sugar.
What’s the lowest carb item at McDonald’s?
To get the lowest carb options at McDonald’s, order breakfast sandwiches, burgers, or chicken without the buns, English muffins, and pastries. You can also skip high-carb sauces like ketchup, choosing alternatives like mustard or a keto-friendly sauce instead. For example, a bunless Sausage McMuffin with Egg has very few carbs, and a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese with no bun or ketchup is another good option.
What is the most keto friendly at McDonald’s?
- Big Mac (no bun, no ketchup or Big Mac sauce): 5g net carbs, 25g of fat, and 18g of protein. …
- Quarter Pounder with Cheese (no bun, no ketchup): 3g net carbs, 25g of fat, and 25g of protein.
- Double Cheeseburger (no bun, no ketchup): 3g net carbs, 20g of fat, and 20g of protein.