Seasoned keto dieters always recommend making your own keto meals. That way, you can control the ingredients you put in and make sure that everything’s accounted for in your daily macros. But let’s face it — you don’t always have the time to whip up a dish in your kitchen. Sometimes, getting takeout or driving through your favorite fast food chain is more practical.
If that sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together this guide to the best keto fast-food breakfast options that you can refer to the next time you’re short on time and need a quick keto breakfast fix.
Before we dive into our list of fast-food breakfast options, let’s lay down our criteria so you know which fast-food chains to go to, which to avoid, which meals to order, and which you can’t consume.
Since the ketogenic diet restricts carbohydrates to 5-10% of your daily macros (less than 50 grams a day), experts recommend sticking to these criteria:
At first glance at the criteria above, you might worry there’s no fast-food meal or keto snacks that can fit into your diet. On the contrary, you have quite a few options.
Here are some fast-food chains that keto dieters frequent for a quick, keto-friendly breakfast.
Arguably the most well-known fast-food chain, McDonald’s should definitely be on your radar for a quick keto-friendly breakfast fix. While most of the items on its menu aren’t keto-friendly in general, you can always request modifications to your order to meet your macros.
As a general rule, order burgers without the bun and ketchup. If you’re going for the sandwich, ask that the bread and sauces be removed.
Here are some keto-friendly McDonald’s meals you can try:
Each one of these will have approximately 2 to 4 grams of net carbs per serving. Pair your meal with the classic McDonald’s black coffee — you can ask for Stevia, Splenda, or monk fruit to sweeten your drink.
When it comes to what to avoid ordering at McDonald’s, you should steer clear of sugary drinks and desserts, like fountain sodas, milkshakes, and the McFlurry. Don’t order the crispy chicken or chicken nugget meals as they’re coated in breading. Of course, it goes without saying that french fries, bagels, and muffins should also be on your no-order list (sorry!).
As the world’s favorite coffee chain, it’s no surprise that Starbucks will make it to this list. It’s popular around the world not only for its coffee but also has a reputation for being very open to drink customizations. You can choose how much syrup or which type of milk goes into your coffee.
Some Starbucks drinks that can be keto-friendly with a bit of modifications include:
As for food, you can never go wrong with the Eggs and Cheese protein box, guaranteed keto-friendly and will keep you full until lunchtime!
Taco Bell is one of the few fast-food chains where you’ll find keto-friendly options on the menu. But you can also modify your orders to remove the bread, ask the chicken to be grilled, and add more veggies.
For breakfast at Taco Bell, you can go for the following:
Don’t order any high-carb dishes, such as potatoes, nachos, fries, tortillas, taco shells, beans, and of course, rice.
The stars in this fast food chain, are of course their selection of flame-grilled burgers. Keto dieters will be happy to know that Burger King allows the customization of your meal — you can order bunless burgers and breadless sandwiches.
Some Burger King breakfast options seasoned keto dieters swear by include:
Without the bread, each of these will have roughly 3 grams of total carbs, 15 grams of protein, and 26 grams of fat. Pair your breakfast meal with some black coffee to complete the feast.
As much as nutritionists recommend eating clean while observing the keto diet, there are days when you just don’t have the luxury of spending time in the kitchen to whip up a clean keto meal. When that happens, fast-food chains save the day.
You can most definitely head over to your favorite fast-food restaurant for breakfast on days when you’re running late or are out and about. Just remember to be selective with what you order and make sure you’re modifying your meals to suit your daily macros. You can also opting for chicharrones as a side can be a great way to keep your meal keto-friendly while still enjoying the convenience of fast food.
And as always, consume fast food in moderation — don’t make a habit out of eating fast food for breakfast every day.
