Knowing it’s possible to have a macro friendly McDonald’s breakfast is huge. Unbalanced meals can throw our blood sugar levels for a loop, as someone with diabetes. Especially when we’re traveling and out of our normal routine, we need balance to start our day. So we need macro-friendly options.
Why McDonald’s? No, they’re not paying me. I’m getting nothing out of this other than the satisfaction of potentially helping someone have better blood sugars. I chose them because I feel like they’re everywhere and they’re highly accessible on whatever road trip you may be taking when you need a quick breakfast. And even when you’re not traveling, you’re just in need of a low-fuss option.
Macro Friendly McDonald’s Breakfast
So how to we choose what to order to best help our blood sugar stay in range? The key is simply understanding the three essential nutrients in foods that help balance blood sugar. In an ideal world, all our food would be balanced appropriately, but that just isn’t the case, is it? So we adjust and figure it out.
How to Create a Macro Friendly Meal
Creating macro-friendly meals sounds way more complicated than it is. For someone with diabetes, a macro friendly meal balances three things: carbs (fiber), fat, and protein.
- FAT – healthy fats are super important in a healthy diet, and they help prevent a blood sugar spike after eating because they take longer to digest.
- CARBS (fiber) – we need healthy carbohydrates in our diets, but the ones with fiber are the best. Like the healthy fats, they slow digestion a bit to help prevent a blood sugar spike.
- PROTEIN – the protein we are looking for here is lean protein specifically.
I talk about this in my post about How to Plan a Diabetic Friendly Meal in case you’d like to dive a bit deeper.
All of the following is being taken from the McDonald’s breakfast menu website itself. Now, this information comes with a caveat… they can change this at any time. So my goal in sharing this with you is to use these examples to help you understand what to look for in macro-friendly breakfast options. Then you can check nutritional information for wherever you’re eating to know they are current. Sound good?
1. McMuffins
Ok. Let’s start with the most obvious and long-standing McDonald’s breakfast staple: the McMuffin. The three choices we have here are Egg McMuffin, Sausage McMuffin, and Sausage McMuffin with Egg. The only difference between the three is the source of protein in the meat choice.
EGG McMUFFIN
The original Egg McMuffin is canadian bacon, egg, and cheese on a buttered english muffin.
SAUSAGE McMUFFIN
The sausage McMuffin has a sausage patty and cheese on the english muffin — no egg.
SAUSAGE McMUFFIN WITH EGG
This is literally the sausage McMuffin with an egg.
When looking at the macros for these three, the ones with sausage have more calories and fat. The old standby Egg McMuffin has fewer calories and lower fat, making it a bit more balanced.
The dietary fiber in each of these is only 2g, which is hardly worth counting. So we’re counting all the carbs. (Do I wish they were served on a whole grain muffin? Yes. Yes, I do.) But here are the macros for these items:
Want to make a homemade Egg McMuffin? It’s way healthier. This one has 33 g carbohydrates and 9g fiber, so only 24g net carbs. Fat is at 26g (due to the addition of some optional avocado spread), and protein is a whopping 27g!
2. McGriddles
Next up in our macro friendly McDonald’s breakfast search is the McGriddle. The three choices we have here are similar to the choices for the McMuffin: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese McGriddle; Sausage McGriddle; and Sausage and Cheese McGriddle. Again, the only real difference between the three is the source of protein from the meat options.
BACON, EGG, AND CHEESE McGRIDDLE
This McGriddle consists of thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon, an egg, and American cheese between griddle cakes (think pancake meets bun).
SAUSAGE McGRIDDLE
The sausage version of the McGriddle is literally just sausage between the griddle cakes.
SAUSAGE AND CHEESE McGRIDDLE
And this variation is the Sausage McGriddle plus cheese.
When looking at the macros for these three, the sausage options again have more calories and fat. The bacon, egg, and cheese option has good grams of protein, but is higher in carbs and fat than the McMuffin options above.
It’s the griddle cake, friends. They are pretty sugary at 40g of carbs (along with 13g added sugars) in the “bun” alone. Plus, 33g of fat is 43% of your daily values for fat. And it’s only 8am, right?
Again, the dietary fiber in each of these is only 2g, which is hardly worth counting. So we’re counting all the carbs. Here are the macros for these items:
3. Biscuits
Now let’s take a look at the biscuit options. The three choices we have here are similar to the choices for the McGriddle: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit; Sausage Biscuit; and Sausage Biscuit with Egg. Again, the only real difference between the three is the source of protein from the meat options.
BACON, EGG, AND CHEESE BISCUIT
This biscuit consists of thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon, an egg, and American cheese on a buttered buttermilk biscuit.
SAUSAGE BISCUIT
The sausage version of the McGriddle is literally just sausage between the buttermilk biscuit.
SAUSAGE BISCUIT WITH EGG
And this variation is the Sausage Biscuit plus egg.
When looking at the macros for these three, I was honestly surprised. I figured the carb counts would be closer to that of the McMuffins, but they’re honestly not very far from the sugary McGriddles.
And the fat is certainly higher than the McGriddles. While the McGriddle is full of sugar, that buttermilk biscuit sure packs some fat.
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FOR A MACRO FRIENDLY MCDONALD’S BREAKFAST
So far, my vote for the most macro friendly McDonald’s breakfast would go to the original, the classic Egg McMuffin. All three types of these menu items so far are all roughly the same size, but the Egg McMuffin has more reasonable calorie count, reasonable carbs, and the lowest of all our options so far in fat. I’m no doctor or nutritionist, but it looks like the most balanced option to me, after having lived with diabetes for 30+ years. Let’s see if these additional menu items sway my opinion.
BONUS: How to plan and make healthy meals for diabetics
4. Hotcakes
If we stopped at McDonald’s for breakfast when I was a kid, this was all I wanted. Pancakes. Hotcakes. I feel like eating these for breakfast was such a highlight of childhood. So let’s see what McDonald’s has to offer with theirs.
HOTCAKES
This menu option includes three hotcakes with butter and syrup.
HOTCAKES WITH SAUSAGE
This variation just adds a sausage patty to the three hotcakes above.
When looking at the macros for these, my eyes bugged out a little. The hotcakes alone have 101g carbs (46 of which comes straight from the syrup) and only 9g protein. That’s way out of balance! When you add in the sausage for option 2, the protein goes up 6g, but the fat more than doubles.
I think if I were told to choose between these two options for breakfast, I would choose the hotcakes with sausage and bring my own sugar-free syrup (or just not use syrup). That would put us at 590 calories, 15g protein, 57g carbs, and 33 g fat. That’s a little bit better.
5. Other Items for a Macro Friendly McDonald’s Breakfast
This is where McDonald’s branches out a bit. And there are a couple of these I could certainly get behind nutritionally. Let’s take a quick look:
FRUIT AND MAPLE OATMEAL
This oatmeal is made of whole-grain oats with some cream and brown sugar, topped with red and green apples, cranberries, and two varieties of raisins.
HASH BROWNS
This is classic McDonald’s, isn’t it? The little hash brown patty in the white sleeve. Just don’t burn your tongue. Ask me how I know.
SAUSAGE BURRITO
This breakfast burrito is filled with scrambled eggs, sausage, diced vegetables, and cheese in a flour tortilla.
BIG BREAKFAST
This offering is a combination of several items: a buttermilk biscuit, scrambled eggs, sausage, and hash browns.
BIG BREAKFAST WITH HOTCAKES
And this variation is just the “big breakfast” above with the addition of hotcakes.
When looking at the macros for these menu options, I was all over the board. The oatmeal was the first item I’ve come across to have fiber of any count (4g per order), so I was pleased at that. The big breakfast and the big breakfast with hotcakes are both high calories, high carbs, and high fat.
But I was surprised at the sausage burrito — our first menu item with vegetables! That one is taking a run for first place against the Egg McMuffin for me right now!
The other thing they may sell you during breakfast hours is a package of apple slices. Unfortunately it’s a very small package and the skins have all been removed (which means the fiber is basically gone too). But again, you choose the best way to meet your nutrition goals and individual needs.
Quick SIDE NOTE
Before we get into beverages, I’m wishing they still sold the fruit and yogurt parfaits. That’s a McDonald’s menu item that would have certainly been more balanced! Unfortunately, I hear were discontinued in 2022.
6. Hot Coffees
Let’s switch it up a bit and tackle beverages, and let’s start with hot coffee drinks. Coffee is a staple for so many in the morning. But again, we have to know what we’re eating and drinking to manage our diabetes well. So which foods on their menu are macro friendly McDonald’s breakfast items?
This variety of hot coffee drinks are all over the board with macros. Some, like the standard coffee and Americano are basically nothing, and then you could order something that is 290 calories and 45g carbs.
If I were to pick something from this menu, knowing that I don’t jive well with black coffee solo, I would go with the cafe latte. With only 140 calories, I’m also getting 8 g protein and only 31g carbs. That’s honestly not that bad. And it would be flavored for me.
I’ve also been known to ask if they can provide a vanilla latte with sugar free syrup. Depending on the location, they may be able to do that. If they can, that brings that drink down to only 12g carbs. Much easier to swallow. Pun intended.
I personally don’t enjoy drinking my carbs very often. It just adds unneeded carbs and calories, in my opinion. I can be swayed for a milkshake every now and again, but I certainly don’t make it a practice to drink carbs each morning. Now, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. There are no “taboo” foods with diabetes. It’s all the timing and intentionality in what else you’re eating with it to balance things out.
The other issue you may want to consider is the effect of caffeine on blood sugar. If you’re interested in learning more, here’s info on a study about it.
7. Cold COFFEE
Iced coffee is always a popular choice, but it varies in macros as well. Here, you can see where the added sugar and syrups come into play. Again, they’re certainly not off limits. But know what you’re eating and drinking so you can manage your blood sugar levels appropriately.
Again, if I were to choose from this list below, I would opt for a latte. I like the flavor, and if they have sugar free syrup they can sub in, that will cut the carbs way down. I would also ask for a skim-milk latte to cut some of the fat as well.
Also, you may want to consider the effect of caffeine on blood sugar with cold coffees as well. If you’re interested in learning more, here’s info on a study about it.
Other Macro Friendly McDonald’s Breakfast Considerations
Other things to watch on the nutrition labels would be the saturated fat, mg of sodium, and anything else specific to your diet. I’m guessing the average healthy individual is fine eating fast food every once in a while. They say moderation is key. But remember any other nutrients you need to consider to know what menu choice is the right answer for you.
What Can We Learn about a Macro Friendly McDonald’s Breakfast
So what can we learn from our deep dive search for a macro friendly McDonald’s breakfast? Quite a bit, actually. Let’s take a look:
- We can choose what we eat. You can pick the best option for you. Although nothing is off limits, there are food combinations that are healthier choices and more blood sugar friendly than others. Again, the goal is a balance of fat, fiber, and protein for the best healthy breakfast orders.
- Perhaps you want to check the restaurants that are near where you’ll be staying ahead of time. Take a look at their nutrition facts and get an idea of the meals you might order while you’re away. That may help you make a better choice.
- There really isn’t a low carb high protein option on the McDonald’s menu. In case you’re going for a low-carb diet or high-protein diet, I would look elsewhere.
More to Take Away from this post
- There are nutritious options. The Sausage Burrito and the Egg McMuffin are vying for first place on the menu for me personally. They seem to be the most balanced choice. And a balanced diet is key for meeting health goals.
- Honestly, the oatmeal isn’t far behind the burrito and McMuffin for me. It’s got 4g fiber and fresh fruit.
- Another nutritious option while you travel (and I’ve done this a ton) is to simply pack a breakfast with you for the trip. That’s mostly because the nutritional quality of fast-food breakfasts is basically par at best. I have totally loaded up some bread, peanut butter, and banana for the road! Or plan some make-ahead breakfasts like my oatmeal bake. I like to start my day knowing what I’m eating and that my blood sugar is off to a good start for the day.
- Regardless of where you eat, you can look up nutrition guides online for the vast majority of fast food chains anymore. And where there’s a McDonald’s, there’s almost always a Burger King or Wendy’s or Taco Bell for fast food options, too.
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NOTE: I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietician. Nothing here should be taken as professional medical advice. Any information provided should be used as a general guideline only. For the most accurate information, please consult your doctor and nutrition based on the specific foods you eat.
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