Discover the 17 best low-carb McDonald’s keto options to keep you in ketosis when you’re out and about!
Staying in Keto when you’re on the run is a real challenge.
Fortunately, the world’s favorite fast-food restaurant chain has got your back.
There are plenty of low-carb McDonalds keto-friendly options to help you achieve your ketogenic diet weight loss goals.
In this article, we’ll steer you past the carb-heavy french fries and hash browns in search of the 17 smartest keto diet-approved foods that are served up under the Golden Arches.
Staying in Ketosis
Ketogenic diets are designed to eliminate glucose from the body. That means severely cutting back on your carbohydrate consumption.
When you do, you enter into a state called ketosis. In this state, your body must switch from a glucose burning to a fat-burning energy system.
It will then start using your stored body fat for energy. The result is rapid and consistent weight loss.
To stay in ketosis, you need to keep your daily carbohydrate intake to between 20-50 grams, or 5-10% of your total daily caloric total.
To do that you have to watch everything that you eat!
McDonalds Foods to Avoid
When you walk into McDonald’s, you’re entering into the carb zone.
That’s dangerous territory for anyone following the keto diet.
Sure, there are some great keto-friendly options at the world’s favorite fast-food restaurant. But there are many more that are overflowing with carbs.
You’ll need plenty of discipline to remain low carb at McDonald’s – especially when you catch the odor of those carb-loaded french fries!
Here are the top 13 Keto averse McDonald’s foods to stay away from:
- Buns
- Tortillas
- English muffins
- French fries
- Ketchup
- Anything labeled ‘Crispy’
- Hash browns
- Apple slices
- Croutons
- Ranch Dressing
- Milkshakes
- Ice cream
- Orange Juice
5 Best Keto Breakfast Foods
You can still start your day the low carb keto way when you’re on the go.
Whether you use the drive-thru or sit in-store, McDonald’s can fuel your day without throwing you out of keto – so long as you make wise food choices!
Here are your five best keto McDonalds options for breakfast:
- Triple Breakfast Stack McGriddle – 7g net carbs, 56.5g of fat, 32g of protein (Note: Ditch the griddlecake)
- Sausage, Egg and Cheese McMuffin – 4g net carbs, 26g of fat, and 15 grams of protein (Ditch the muffin, ask for more American cheese)
- Big Breakfast – 4g net carbs, 34.5g of fat, and 28g of protein (Ditch the hash brown and biscuit – add more eggs and bacon)
- Sausage Burrito – 4g net carbs, 12g of fat, and 9g of protein (Ditch the tortilla strips)
- Egg McMuffin – 3g net carbs, 11g of fat, and 12g of protein (Ditch the egg muffin)
Keto-Friendly Breakfast Drinks
It’s easy to forget about the high carb count of traditional breakfast drinks.
One cup of orange juice will smash through your entire carb allowance for the day.
Whole milk, with 12 grams of carbs in an 8-ounce cup, is also way too high in carbs. Even sugar-free coffee can be a problem – especially when it’s got added cream and milk.
So, what can you drink along with your keto-friendly McDonald’s breakfast?
Stick with either:
- Water
- Tea
- Black coffee
- Iced coffee without the cream or milk
9 Best Keto Burgers
Let’s face it; McDonald’s was built on burgers – and they taste great!
The good news for keto lovers is that you can still enjoy your favorite McDonald’s burger; just ditch the bun.
Many people are surprised at how many carbs are packed into that burger bun.
Consider this:
- A Quarter Pounder has 38 grams of carbs.
- A Quarter Pounder without the bun has 3 grams of carbs.
Imagine what a couple of double quarter pounders would do to your keto diet!
That’s the difference between getting kicked out of ketosis and staying in the fat-burning zone.
It’s simply a matter of removing the bun!
Here are the 9 best keto-friendly bunless burger options on the McDonald’s menu:
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More Low-Carb Fast Foods
You can find a wide range of low-carb foods on the McDonald’s Menu, that you can eat to stay in ketosis.
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Bottom Line
Staying low carb while you’re out and about is easy when there’s a McDonalds’ in town. But it requires a combination of discipline and smart choices.
This article has given you the essential knowledge to make the smart keto low carb choices. The discipline is over to you!
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