Satisfy Your Hunger with These Low-Calorie McDonald’s Options

McDonald's isn't the place you'd typically think of when you want a healthy meal. And if you follow a healthy or restricted meal plan, you may not want to eat at the Golden Arches. But sometimes, there aren't any other options and you're left wondering what meals won't ruin your diet. In moments like this, it's good to be prepared and have meal options in mind without worrying if what you order will exceed your daily calorie budget.

Dietary guidelines for adults vary depending on which entity you consult but according to the Department of Health and Human Services, the recommended daily calorie count for male adults is between 2,200 and 2,400 per day, and adult females is 1,600–1,800 per day. Many of the calorie-laden items at McDonald's account for more than half of the adult diet in just one meal.

Of course there are certain McDonald's meals you may want to avoid, like the Big Breakfast® with Hotcakes, that clocks in at a staggering 1,340 calories. But this doesn't mean the menu doesn't have any good options. Not everything at the Golden Arches is unhealthy, and if you're going to order food at McDonald’s, you should probably choose something that won't go over the recommended daily calorie limit.

Read on to find out how you can satisfy your hunger with these low-calorie McDonald’s options.

1. Grilled Chicken Salad

This one may be the most obvious choice but the Grilled Chicken Salad from McDonald's is one of the healthier menu items. This fresh salad with grilled chicken and 4.5 oz of Dasani^® water comes to only 256 calories.

It has 23 grams of protein, 7 grams of fat, 35 grams of carbohydrates, and 610 milligrams of sodium. All those numbers are well within the appropriate nutrient and mineral intake levels for a meal of this kind from a fast food restaurant.

2. Sausage McMuffin®

Next up we have the Sausage McMuffin^® which is comprised of a wholegrain McMuffin^® with sausage, a fruit cup, and a cup of the McCafe^® coffee. The calorie count for this menu item is 355, with 21 grams of protein, 12 grams of fat, 41 grams of carbohydrates, and 740 milligrams of sodium.

3. Egg McMuffin®

The classic Egg McMuffin^® stands at 366 calories for a wholegrain Egg McMuffin^®, a fruit cup, and the McCafe^® coffee. It has 23 grams of protein, 12 grams of fat, 41 grams of carbohydrates, and 670 milligrams of sodium. It's important to check how ingredients change the overall nutritional counts because while this item has 11 more calories than the sausage McMuffin®, it also has less sodium.

4. Cheeseburger Meal

An even more classic menu item is the McDonald's Cheeseburger, which is surprisingly low in calories given its reputation. This cheeseburger comes to 396 calories, with two buns, a burger patty, melted cheese, a fruit cup, and a 4.5 oz bottle of Dasani^® water.

It has 21 grams of protein, 13 grams of fat, 50 grams of carbohydrates, and 810 milligrams of sodium. Note that the recommended daily intake of sodium is 2,300 milligrams (via FDA). It would only take 3 of these burgers to be over that number.

5. Filet-O-Fish®

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish^® has 403 calories and includes this seafood sandwich, a fruit cup, and a cup of McCafe^® coffee. There are 15 grams of protein, 13 grams of fat, 38 grams of carbohydrates, and 570 milligrams of sodium.

6. Grilled Chicken McWrap

The Grilled Chicken McWrap comes with a whole grain wrap, crispy chicken, garden side salad, and a bottle of Dasani^® water. It has 426 calories, with 25 grams of protein, 18 grams of fat, 41 grams of carbohydrates, and a whopping 1,060 milligrams of sodium. That's close to half the recommended limit.

7. Sausage McMuffin® With Eggs

This is another example of how one ingredient can really change the nutritional makeup of an item. Just adding some eggs to the Sausage McMuffin^® with the McCafe^® coffee ups the calorie count to 434. It has 28 grams of protein, 17 grams of fat, 42 grams of carbohydrates, and 820 milligrams of sodium.

8. Chicken Muffin

The Chicken Muffin has 482 calories, with 22 grams of protein and 21 grams of fat. It has 50 grams of carbohydrates and 930 milligrams of sodium. This meal comes with a wholegrain roasted chicken muffin, a fruit cup, and a McCafe^® roast coffee.

9. McChicken®

And, lastly, clocking in at 483 calories, we have the McChicken^® meal that comes with a fruit cup and Dasani® water. This classic McChicken® sandwich has 19 grams of protein and 18 grams of fat. There are 61 grams of carbohydrates and 860 milligrams of sodium. It would only take 3 of these delicious sandwiches to be over the recommended daily sodium intake as per the FDA guidelines.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Michael Gordon / Shutterstock.com.