High-Protein McDonald’s Orders: Compare the U.S. Menu

If you want a high-protein McDonald’s order, the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese has 48 grams of protein in one sandwich, but it also has 740 calories and 1,360 milligrams of sodium. For a smaller order, three McCrispy Strips provide 31 grams of protein at 400 calories; the tradeoff is 1,320 milligrams of sodium before sauce. At breakfast, an Egg McMuffin provides 17 grams of protein at 310 calories. These are standard U.S. menu figures checked October 10, 2026, not promises about every location or customized order.

The useful choice depends on how much food you want, not on the biggest protein number alone. Here is a comparison you can use at the counter.

High-protein McDonald’s menu comparison

Numbers are for each listed item or piece count, without a drink, fries, dipping sauce, or other add-ons. McDonald’s bases nutrition information on standard formulations and serving sizes; ingredients, preparation, and availability can vary. Check the current local menu when you order, especially for breakfast and strips.

A smaller breakfast or a bigger one?

The Egg McMuffin is the lighter of the two breakfast sandwiches shown: 17 grams of protein and 310 calories. The Sausage McMuffin with Egg adds just 3 grams of protein, while adding 170 calories and 6 grams of saturated fat compared with the Egg McMuffin. If you want sausage, that may be a tradeoff you gladly make. If you are choosing between them mainly for protein, the smaller sandwich gets you most of the way there.

Burgers: protein rises with the size of the sandwich

The McDouble supplies 22 grams of protein at 390 calories. A Quarter Pounder with Cheese steps up to 30 grams at 520 calories. The Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese reaches 48 grams, but its 740 calories and 20 grams of saturated fat make it a substantially larger meal. None of these is a protein supplement in disguise; each is a whole sandwich with a different portion size.

Chicken: compare strips, nuggets, and the sandwich separately

Three McCrispy Strips deliver 31 grams of protein at 400 calories, compared with 23 grams at 410 calories for 10 Chicken McNuggets. The strips also carry 1,320 milligrams of sodium versus 850 milligrams for the nuggets. Four strips raise protein to 41 grams, but sodium rises to 1,760 milligrams before any sauce. The McCrispy sandwich sits elsewhere in the comparison: 26 grams of protein, 470 calories, and 1,140 milligrams of sodium. If you want a sandwich, choose it as a sandwich; if you are comparing protein per listed serving, the strips answer a different need.

What about a two-item order?

You can order a McDouble and a four-piece Chicken McNuggets as two separate listed items. Their published values add to 31 grams of protein, 560 calories, and 1,260 milligrams of sodium, before sauce, fries, or a drink. That gives you more protein than the McDouble alone, with a larger total portion. It is an arithmetic example, not a special menu combo or a claim about a discounted meal. The four-piece nuggets alone provide 9 grams of protein at 170 calories, so you can decide whether that extra item is actually what you want.

How to make the comparison work for your meal

First decide whether you want one breakfast sandwich, one main item, or two separate items. Then compare the whole order rather than a protein badge or a viral screenshot. A sauce, fries, and a drink may be enjoyable parts of the meal, but the table does not include them. Add their published figures if you want a full nutrition estimate, and check the portion or size you actually receive. Protein is useful context, but calories, sodium, saturated fat, price, and how satisfying the food is to you can all change the choice.

For someone taking a GLP-1 medication, a smaller appetite may make the amount of food especially relevant. There is no McDonald’s order that is right for everyone on treatment. If your main question is how to eat comfortably at restaurants, our dining-out guide covers that broader decision. If you want more context on protein during treatment, read protein on GLP-1. Here, the menu comparison is the point: pick an item you can realistically eat and a tradeoff you understand.

McDonald’s figures can change. Before relying on any exact number later, reopen the linked U.S. item page or the restaurant’s nutrition information for the current item and size.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• McDonald’s U.S. menu and nutrition information, checked October 10, 2026. Each item in the table links to its official product page; the figures were read from McDonald’s live item nutrition data for the listed standard servings. Availability and nutrition can change.