Golden Rules at the Golden Arches
what to order at mcdonald’scanada
(Nov.29.11)
No longer just a burger-and-fries haven, McDonald’s serves a whole bunch of goodies – from espresso drinks to meal-sized salads. Here’s your cheat sheet to enjoy the golden arches guilt-free:
Breakfast:
While the Fruit and Maple Oatmeal falls short on protein (just 5 grams), its 230 calories and 47 grams of carbs isn’t bad. If you’re watching your carb intake, a toasted English muffin with real butter or peanut butter would be a wiser choice.
If it’s a breakfast sandwich you crave, go for an Egg and Cheese McMuffin (but hold the meat). The 280 calories, 12 grams of fat and 29 grams of carbs won’t hurt you.
Lunch:
For something relatively healthy and tasty, opt for a grilled chicken salad – such as the Tuscan (340 calories, 13g fat). But make sure you stay away from the crispy chicken salads. Their sodium count is through the roof (more than 900 mg), not to mention the grams of fat from the fryer. As for dressings, always stick with an oil or balsamic and forget the creamy. For a sweet finish, enjoy a fun-sized pack of McDonaldland Cookies (40 calories, 7g carbs, 1.5 g fat).
Dinner:
We know what you’re thinking: a trip to McDonald’s without a burger and fries? Not so fast. We’ll give you a regular cheeseburger (300 calories, 12g fat, 15g protein) with a small order of fries (220 calories, 30 g carbs, 11 g fat), but let’s make it a relatively rare occurrence.
Other treats:
Grilled Chicken Wraps, such as the Spicy Buffalo Chicken Snack Wrap with Grilled Chicken (220 calories, 24 g carbs, 7 g fat, 15g protein) make great on-the-go meal options.
Pick up a skim milk or sugar-free vanilla Latte or Cappuccino (approximately 70 to 120 calories, 12g carbs, 0 to 3g of fat, and 6g protein).
Just say no:
Ten White Meat Chicken McNuggets. They might be white meat, and you may be thinking that 10 bite-sized pieces of chicken can’t be that bad – but at 520 calories, 34g fat and 1120 mg of sodium, they really are that bad.
Sweet Tip: For more healthy fare, check out McDonald’s online nutritional tool.
Thought That Was Sweet? You’ll Enjoy: