McDonald's burger with half the calories and fat of the others

Let’s be honest: at times, most of us will crave some fatty, salty fast food - particularly the classic of the genre, McDonald's. And even if you pride yourself on eating very little ultra-processed junk, there are those evenings when we are travelling or need to find something to eat, and everything else is closed.

Of all the fast-food chains, for better or for worse, Macca’s is the place we are most likely to come across late at night, on a highway in the middle of nowhere, or for a meal that will not cost you a fortune to feed the family.

As a qualified dietician, I have to say that from a nutritional perspective, there is nothing "healthy" about ultra-processed fast food – it is high in fat, made with refined seed oils, packed full of salt, the carbs are generally white and sugary and there is very little in the way of decent vegetables or salad on offer (a Caesar salad doesn’t count!).

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Having said that, the healthier menu items that are on offer, like a soggy salad or the chicken wrap pale in comparison to a burger and fries meal deal for cost, taste, quality and the ability to keep you full for any extended period of time.

So, in the case you find yourself needing or wanting to order something from McDonalds, here are the top burger choices when it comes to fat and calories.

Filet-o-Fish

It may not be everyone's favourite, but from a fat and calorie perspective, of all the regular-sized burgers on the Macca’s menu, it is the Filet-o-fish that tops the list.

With 330 calories per burger, 14g of fat and 520mg of sodium, this option contains roughly half the calories and fat of the other burgers on the menu.

Hamburger

Indeed, the good old "Junior burger" is rather small, but if you were really hungry you would be actually better to eat two of these plain burgers than order a larger option.

With each hamburger clocking in at 249 calories and 9g of fat, even indulging in two would mean you have fewer calories and fat than most of the larger burgers on offer.

And, because it doesn't come with cheese you save yourself a decent amount of added salt.

McChicken

With 18g of protein, 450 calories and 20g of fat, whilst certainly not "healthy", this plain burger is relatively low in fat and calories for a fast-food burger, and hey, you do get a little lettuce.

You could also lighten this burger considerably if you asked for no mayo.

Grilled Chicken Deluxe

The benefit of ordering this burger is that you get considerably more protein, over 30g which makes for a much more satisfying burger for 505 calories and 27g of fat.

However, you can also reduce both the fat and sodium content if you ask for a burger minus the aioli.

If you want to get super fussy, you could also request no cheese which would leave you with a high-protein burger along with a little salad.

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Classic Angus

At over 700 calories, the Angus is certainly not a low-calorie option, the bonus of the Angus is that there is some salad, and you do get a decent 40g of protein per burger.

The downside is the massive 39g of fat which you can lower considerably if you ask for less or no cheese, and no mayo.

So, if you're really craving a fast-food fix, those are your best options at McDonald's from a dietician's point of view, but I would always recommend reconsidering the ultra-processed route whenever possible.

And remember, there are plenty of quick and easy meals you can make quickly with staple foods which will cost you just a few dollars, as I've written about before.

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