9 McDonald’s Meals You Can Enjoy Without the Extra Calories

If you're watching your diet, McDonald's may not always be at the top of your list for dining-out options, but sometimes, it can be the only one available to you. In situations like this, it's always best to be prepared so you aren't left with calorie-busting meals that can exceed your daily allotment.

According to the National Health Service, the recommended daily calorie count for adults is between 2,000 and 2,500 per day, which means that higher-calorie items on the McDonald’s menu account for over half the caloric limit, and that’s for just one meal. But this doesn't mean the menu doesn't have any good options. There are always selections available that shouldn't pack on any unnecessary calories.

There are certain McDonald's meals that you may want to avoid, such as the Big Breakfast® with Hotcakes. After all, with the name “big” in its title, it should come as no surprise that this meal clocks in at 1,340 calories, but that isn't the only breakfast option.

Not all food items at the Golden Arches are calorie-laden. If you’re going to enjoy food at McDonald’s, it’s best to stick to the options that won’t topple the recommended daily calorie limit. Here are just a few healthy options available. Read on to learn about the McDonald’s meals you can enjoy without the extra calories.

1. Grilled Chicken Salad

This one may be the most obvious choice, but the Grilled Chicken Salad from McDonald's is one of the healthier menu items. This fresh salad with grilled chicken and 4.5 oz of Dasani^® water comes to only 256 calories.

It typically has around 23-30 grams of protein, 1-7 grams of fat, 7-35 grams of carbohydrates, and 400-610 milligrams of sodium, depending on the specific salad and region. All those numbers are well within the appropriate nutrient and mineral intake levels for a meal of this kind from a fast food restaurant.

2. Sausage McMuffin®

Next up, we have the Sausage McMuffin^®, which is comprised of a whole-grain McMuffin^® with sausage, a fruit cup, and a cup of McCafe^® coffee. The standard Sausage McMuffin contains about 400 calories, 14 grams of protein, 26 grams of fat, 29 grams of carbohydrates, and 760 milligrams of sodium.

3. Egg McMuffin®

The classic Egg McMuffin^® stands at 366 calories for a whole-grain Egg McMuffin^®, a fruit cup, and the McCafe^® coffee. The standard Egg McMuffin contains about 310 calories, 17 grams of protein, 13 grams of fat, 30 grams of carbohydrates, and 770 milligrams of sodium. It's important to check how ingredients change the overall nutritional counts because while this item has 11 more calories than the sausage McMuffin®, it also has less sodium.

4. Cheeseburger Meal

An even more classic menu item is the McDonald's Cheeseburger, which is surprisingly low in calories given its reputation. This cheeseburger comes to 300 calories, with two buns, a burger patty, melted cheese, a fruit cup, and a 4.5-oz bottle of Dasani^® water.

It has about 15 grams of protein, 13 grams of fat, 32 grams of carbohydrates, and 720 milligrams of sodium. Note that the recommended daily intake of sodium is 2,300 milligrams (via FDA). It would only take 3 of these burgers to be over that number!

5. Filet-O-Fish®

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish^® includes this seafood sandwich, a fruit cup, and a cup of McCafe^® coffee. The standard Filet-O-Fish contains about 380 calories, 16 grams of protein, 19 grams of fat, 38 grams of carbohydrates, and 560 milligrams of sodium.

6. Grilled Chicken McWrap

The Grilled Chicken McWrap comes with a whole-grain wrap, crispy chicken, garden side salad, and a bottle of Dasani^® water. A Grilled Chicken McWrap typically contains between 390 and 500 calories, 23-25 grams of protein, 15-24 grams of fat, 36-41 grams of carbohydrates, and up to 1,060 milligrams of sodium. That's close to half the recommended limit.

7. Sausage McMuffin® With Eggs

This is another example of how one ingredient can really change the nutritional makeup of an item. The standard Sausage McMuffin^® with Egg contains about 480 calories, 20 grams of protein, 31 grams of fat, 30 grams of carbohydrates, and 830 milligrams of sodium.

8. Chicken Muffin

The Chicken Muffin contains between 278 and 400 calories, 14-20 grams of protein, 11-18 grams of fat, and 34-40 grams of carbohydrates. This meal comes with a wholegrain roasted chicken muffin, a fruit cup, and a McCafe^® roast coffee.

9. McChicken®

And, lastly, clocking in at 483 calories, we have the McChicken^® meal that comes with a fruit cup and Dasani® water. This classic McChicken® sandwich has 19 grams of protein and 18 grams of fat. There are 61 grams of carbohydrates and 860 milligrams of sodium. It would only take 3 of these delicious sandwiches to be over the recommended daily sodium intake as per the FDA guidelines.

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