Eating OutDecember 7, 2025•12 min read
Fast Food Calorie Guide: What to Order at Every Chain
You can eat fast food and still lose weight. Here's exactly what to order at every major chain to stay on track.
The Golden Rules
- Grilled > fried (always)
- Skip the sauce or get it on the side
- Skip the soda (save 200-400 cal)
- Small/regular size, never "value" or upsized
- Check the app/website for nutrition before ordering
🍔 McDonald's
Best Choices (Under 400 cal)
- • McChicken (no mayo) — 290 cal, 14g protein
- • Hamburger — 250 cal, 12g protein
- • 4pc Chicken McNuggets — 170 cal, 9g protein
- • Egg McMuffin — 300 cal, 17g protein
- • Filet-O-Fish (no tartar) — 300 cal, 15g protein
- • Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad — 350 cal, 37g protein
Avoid (600+ cal)
- • Big Mac — 590 cal
- • Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese — 530 cal
- • Large Fries — 490 cal
- • McFlurry — 510-690 cal
🐔 Chick-fil-A
Best Choices (Under 400 cal)
- • Grilled Chicken Sandwich — 320 cal, 28g protein ⭐
- • Grilled Nuggets (8pc) — 130 cal, 25g protein ⭐
- • Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap — 350 cal, 37g protein
- • Market Salad w/ Grilled Chicken — 330 cal, 28g protein
- • Egg White Grill — 300 cal, 25g protein
Avoid
- • Spicy Deluxe Sandwich — 550 cal
- • Waffle Fries (large) — 510 cal
- • Frosted Lemonade — 520 cal
- • Any sauce adds 110-140 cal
🌯 Chipotle
How to Build a 500-cal Bowl
- • Base: Salad or half rice — 0-130 cal
- • Protein: Chicken (180 cal) or Steak (150 cal)
- • Fajita veggies — 20 cal
- • Salsa (any) — 15-25 cal
- • Skip: Cheese, sour cream, guac, queso
- • Total: ~400-500 cal, 35-40g protein
Calorie Bombs
- • Full scoop of rice — 210 cal
- • Guacamole — 230 cal
- • Queso — 120 cal
- • Cheese — 110 cal
- • Sour cream — 110 cal
- • Chips — 540 cal
- • A "fully loaded" burrito can hit 1,200+ cal
🥖 Subway
Best 6" Subs (Under 400 cal)
- • Turkey Breast — 280 cal, 18g protein ⭐
- • Roast Beef — 320 cal, 25g protein
- • Rotisserie Chicken — 350 cal, 29g protein
- • Veggie Delite — 200 cal, 8g protein
- • Black Forest Ham — 290 cal, 18g protein
Smart Building Tips
- • Choose 9-grain wheat or Italian (lowest cal breads)
- • Load up on veggies (free and low-cal)
- • Mustard/vinegar instead of mayo (save 100+ cal)
- • Skip cheese (saves 40-60 cal)
- • Get it as a salad/bowl to cut bread calories
🌮 Taco Bell
Best Choices (Under 350 cal)
- • Soft Taco (beef) — 180 cal
- • Crunchy Taco — 170 cal
- • Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme — 510 cal
- • Chicken Soft Taco — 170 cal
- • Power Menu Bowl (chicken) — 470 cal, 26g protein
- • Fresco style anything (swap cheese/sauce for pico)
Avoid
- • XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito — 870 cal
- • Nachos BellGrande — 760 cal
- • Mexican Pizza — 540 cal
🍔 Wendy's
Best Choices (Under 400 cal)
- • Jr. Hamburger — 250 cal, 13g protein
- • Grilled Chicken Sandwich — 370 cal, 34g protein ⭐
- • 4pc Chicken Nuggets — 170 cal
- • Apple Pecan Salad (half) — 340 cal
- • Chili (small) — 160 cal, 15g protein ⭐
- • Baked Potato (plain) — 270 cal
☕ Starbucks
Low-Cal Drinks
- • Black coffee — 5 cal
- • Cold brew (no milk) — 5 cal
- • Americano — 15 cal
- • Flat White with almond milk — 100 cal
- • Iced shaken espresso — 100 cal
- • Any drink with sugar-free syrup + nonfat milk
Sugar Bombs to Avoid
- • Venti Frappuccino — 400-500 cal
- • White Chocolate Mocha — 430 cal
- • Pumpkin Spice Latte — 390 cal
🥡 Panda Express
Best Entrees (Per Serving)
- • Grilled Teriyaki Chicken — 275 cal, 36g protein ⭐
- • String Bean Chicken — 190 cal, 14g protein
- • Broccoli Beef — 150 cal, 9g protein
- • Mushroom Chicken — 170 cal, 13g protein
- • Skip fried rice (520 cal), get steamed veggies (70 cal)
General Fast Food Hacks
- Check nutrition online first — Every chain has nutrition info
- Order kids' meals — Portion controlled, often 400-500 cal total
- Protein style/lettuce wrap — Available at many chains, saves 150+ cal
- Hold the special sauce — Most sauces are 100-150 cal
- Side of fruit — Most chains offer apple slices over fries
- Water or diet soda — Regular soda adds 200-400 empty calories
- Don't go hungry — Eat something before so you don't overorder
Key Takeaways
- • Fast food CAN fit your diet with smart choices
- • Grilled beats fried, always
- • Sauces, cheese, and drinks are hidden calorie bombs
- • Most chains have 300-400 cal options if you look
- • Check nutrition info before you order
Scan Fast Food with Pandish
Get instant calorie counts for any meal. AI-powered accuracy.