Eating out / Burgers & American / McDonald's

What I'd Order at McDonald's to Lose Weight

Skip the fries and the soda and a Double Quarter Pounder becomes a solid high-protein dinner at 51 grams.

John Schaefer, fat loss coach for 27 years · Updated October 2026

What do I order?

Tell me where you're eating and your goal weight. I'll tell you exactly what to get, with the calories and protein.

Want me to email you your numbers? Your calories, protein, carbs and fats for your goal weight, plus this page so you have it at the table.

Answers are estimates from published nutrition data, not medical advice.

My McDonald's orders

Bacon ranch grilled chicken salad

Lunch style

Premium Bacon Ranch Salad with grilled chicken

320calories42gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 18% of your calories and 40% of your protein for the day.

Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese

Carb meal

Burger only, no fries, water to drink

780calories51gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 43% of your calories and 49% of your protein for the day.

Quarter Pounder with Bacon

Carb meal

How I order it, the calories and the protein are in the Eating Out Playbook, along with 59 other chains and 25 kinds of restaurants.

See the Playbook ($7) →

The rule at McDonald's: the lunch style order is built on protein, fat and fiber. The carb meal is the one you have when this is your dinner, or the one meal of the day you're spending your carbs on.

Skip these at McDonald's

Big Arch1,020 cal
Big Breakfast with Hotcakes1,340 cal

Numbers from McDonald's's published nutrition data via fastfoodnutrition.org. Menus change, so check before you order.

How I fit any restaurant into the day

Protein firstEat the protein, then the vegetables and fats, then the carbs. You're satisfied before the bread matters.

One carb meal a dayBread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fries. Keep the big carb hit to one meal. On a night out, that's dinner.

Zoom out to the weekFat loss runs on your weekly average. One dinner out is easy to absorb when the rest of the week is steady.

The Eating Out Playbook

Every restaurant you go to, already figured out.

60 chains and 25 kinds of restaurants, including McDonald's. Search the place you're going, pick an order, and see how it fits your goal weight before you sit down. Works on your phone, $7 one time.

Get the Playbook Free: my numbers

Quick answers

What is the best high protein order at McDonald's?

Bacon ranch grilled chicken salad: Premium Bacon Ranch Salad with grilled chicken. It comes to about 320 calories and 42g of protein.

How many calories should I eat at McDonald's to lose weight?

It depends on your goal weight. I use goal weight x 12 for daily calories, so a 150 lb goal is 1,800 calories a day and a lunch around 500 to 800 of them. The bacon ranch grilled chicken salad is 18% of that day with 40% of the protein. Type your own goal weight on this page to see your numbers.

What should I avoid at McDonald's if I'm trying to lose weight?

The ones that stack calories with little protein: Big Arch (1,020 calories), Big Breakfast with Hotcakes (1,340 calories).

Can I eat McDonald's and still lose fat?

Yes. I've never told a client to stop eating out. Build the order around protein, keep the carbs for one meal a day, and McDonald's fits fine. Skip the fries and the soda and a Double Quarter Pounder becomes a solid high-protein dinner at 51 grams.