{"id":103477,"date":"2025-08-29T03:39:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T03:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/103477\/"},"modified":"2025-08-29T03:39:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T03:39:07","slug":"heres-what-you-can-eat-at-mcdonalds-without-gaining-weight-nutritionist-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/103477\/","title":{"rendered":"Here’s what you can eat at McDonald’s without gaining weight, nutritionist says"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometimes the drive-thru is unavoidable \u2013 but it doesn\u2019t have to be a diet disaster.<\/p>\n

Though fast food has long been associated with gaining weight, a nutritionist told Fox News Digital that you can eat select\u00a0McDonald\u2019s meals\u00a0without packing on lots of pounds.<\/p>\n

The key is moderation and\u00a0focusing on protein\u00a0<\/a>\u2013 and these \u201cdiet-friendly\u201d options shouldn\u2019t be consumed every day.<\/p>\n

Lauren Manaker, a South Carolina-based dietitian, helped compile some of the nutrition stats associated with McDonald\u2019s most popular dishes.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t want to order apple slices and\u00a0black coffee,\u00a0here are some McDonald\u2019s orders that won\u2019t sabotage your diet.<\/p>\n

1. Cheeseburger<\/p>\n

It turns out that in moderation, McDonald\u2019s cheeseburgers \u2013 and hamburgers by extension \u2013 can fit into a diet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese provide protein and iron from the beef, plus calcium from the cheese,\u201d Manaker told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n

McDonald\u2019s hamburgers and cheeseburgers range from 250 to 300 calories and offer 12 to 15 grams of protein, respectively.<\/p>\n

There are diet-friendly options at McDonald\u2019s that you can enjoy without worrying about gaining weight, according to nutritionists. Christopher Sadowski<\/p>\n

McDonald\u2019s cheeseburgers are a source of protein and calcium. Adobe Stock<\/p>\n

\u201cPair it with a side salad or fruit to add more nutrients to\u00a0the meal,\u201d\u00a0Manaker said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. Chicken McNuggets<\/p>\n

This is a quick and easy protein option \u2013 with a catch, Manaker said.<\/p>\n

McNuggets are friendlier to diets if you avoid the dipping sauces \u2013 170 calories for a pack of four, for example.<\/p>\n

Nutritionists recommend skipping the dipping sauces for nuggets. Eric BVD \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

\u201cBalance it out with apple slices or veggies on the side, and go light on the dipping sauces to keep sugar and sodium in check,\u201d she advised.<\/p>\n

3. Filet-O-Fish<\/p>\n

Even if it\u2019s fried, the Filet-O-Fish still offers a decent amount of protein at 16 grams.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s 390 calories, so it must be consumed in moderation \u2013 and you can ask for it without cheese.<\/p>\n

Filet-O-Fish have 16 grams of protein. Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cThis sandwich offers protein and omega-3s from the fish,\u201d Manaker said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pair it with\u00a0water or unsweetened tea\u00a0to keep the meal lighter.<\/p>\n

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4. Egg McMuffin<\/p>\n

The Egg McMuffin <\/a>is filled with vitamins B12, B6 (riboflavin), B5 and iodine, Manaker said.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a source of protein and contains Canadian bacon, which has less fat than traditional bacon, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Egg McMuffin contains several vitamins including B12 and B6. REUTERS<\/p>\n

At 310 calories and 17 grams of protein, these can fit pretty easily into a diet.<\/p>\n

5. Small latte<\/p>\n

A small latte at McDonald\u2019s is 140 calories, Manaker said.<\/p>\n

When made with whole milk, it offers 7 grams of protein and can be a filling beverage \u2013 and it\u2019s sodium-free, the nutritionist noted.<\/p>\n

A small latte at McDonald\u2019s is a good source of protein. dpa\/picture alliance via Getty Images<\/p>\n

6. McChicken<\/p>\n

The\u00a0McChicken sandwich\u00a0is about 400 calories and offers 14 grams of protein, Manaker said.<\/p>\n

Although an Egg McMuffin or a cheeseburger can offer more protein for fewer calories, this sandwich can still be part of a balanced diet.<\/p>\n

She suggested pairing it with apple slices instead of fries to keep the calorie count lower.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The McChicken contains more calories and less protein than a cheeseburger at McDonald\u2019s. Tribune News Service via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Manaker stressed that these\u00a0fast-food items\u00a0shouldn\u2019t be eaten every day, but they can still be part of a balanced diet.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about enjoying them as occasional treats while focusing on nutrient-dense foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean proteins most of the time,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Jill Charton, a celebrity fitness trainer, told Fox News Digital her only recommendations at McDonald\u2019s are the oatmeal and the\u00a0apple slices,\u00a0but she suggested planning ahead for people in a crunch.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we\u2019re trying to create healthy\u00a0nutrition habits,\u00a0planning ahead and combining an apple with raw nuts for the\u00a0road is way more nutrient-dense than anything available at a fast-food\u00a0restaurant,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Fox News Digital reached out to McDonald\u2019s for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sometimes the drive-thru is unavoidable \u2013 but it doesn\u2019t have to be a diet disaster. Though fast food…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":103478,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[64,63,8126,37911,23940,137,30119,1625,53664,532],"class_list":{"0":"post-103477","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-diets","11":"tag-fast-food","12":"tag-food-drink","13":"tag-health","14":"tag-junk-food","15":"tag-lifestyle","16":"tag-mcdonalds","17":"tag-nutrition"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103477"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103477\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}