It's 12:30 pm. Hunger is hitting harder than usual and you forgot to grab your pre-packed keto meal out of your fridge this morning. You could suck it up and go grab an overpriced juice from the cart downstairs. Yeah, it's totally keto-friendly but it'll also leave you wanting to eat your pencils by 3 p.m. when hunger strikes again. There are a few fast food joints on the block and the thought of a burger makes your mouth water. Well, it's your lucky day. There are a ton of fast food chains with keto fast food, so you can enjoy that burger on your keto diet completely guilt-free.
The best keto options in fast food meals might require some modification when ordering, but there are plenty of great menu items to choose from and you're certainly not going to be the first or only person ordering keto-friendly options. Remember that most fast-food ketchup isn't going to be keto, unless they have a sugar-free option. If you order a side salad with your burger, ask for no croutons (or be prepared to pick them off). In fact, here's a list of our top fast food options when going low-carb.
1.McDonald's
When you think of "dieting" the golden arches aren't the first things that come to mind. That being said, the burger chain does offer some keto friendly fast food if you know what to order. For breakfast try the Egg McMuffin or Bacon, egg and cheese McGriddle and order it without the bread. For lunch or dinner go for the Artisan grilled chicken sandwich without the dressing or a Double quarter pounder with cheese, no buns of course. Try your hardest to avoid the french fries.
2. Taco Bell
The people over at Pop Sugar say it's totally possible to eat a meal at Taco Bell while on the keto diet. Order the Beefy 5-Layer Burrito in a bowl without the tortilla and beans, and add in lettuce, jalapeños, and tomatoes.
3. Chick-fil-A
Grab your fill of chicken at this keto-friendly hot spot. For breakfast order the Egg White Grill without the bun or the Hash Brown Scramble Bowl without the hash browns. Lunchtime? Grab a grilled chicken sandwich without the bun, a hearty bowl of cobb salad with grilled chicken or grilled chicken nuggets. And don't worry about cutting out your favorite sauces either, Chick-fil-A's Zesty Buffalo Sauce is 0 net carbs while their Garlic & Herb Ranch Sauce is only 1 net carb.
4. Burger King
Like all of the other fast food choices, you'll want to order your sandwich without the bun. Burgers like the Double Cheeseburger and Whopper are great keto food options as well as the Grilled Chicken Sandwich without the bun.
5. Five Guys
If you are craving a burger, Five Guys is a mecca of low-carb options. Order your burger bunless in a bowl or in a lettuce wrap and pile on the extras like mushrooms, onions, jalapeños, and even mayonnaise. You can even get a bunless hot dog topped with relish, mustard, and onion. Yum!
6. Chipotle
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Ordering on a low carb diet is easy at Chipotle because you get to have a say about every single ingredient. And while it may seem like a healthy option to order a burrito bowl, your best bet is sticking with a salad bowl with double the protein. Try something like a double chicken salad with grilled vegetables, sour cream, cheese and salsa.
7. Subway
While Subway might seem like a weird option (all the bread!), the fast food restaurant boasts a great variety of salad options. For the best keto food items, stick with something like steak and add on cheese and as many veggies as desired. Top with olive oil and red wine vinegar or even guacamole. No ranch dressing here for those on a ketogenic diet!
8. KFC
While it isn't the healthiest choice, you can get keto fast food from KFC and still follow your diet. Order a grilled chicken breast or thigh with a side of green beans and you are in the clear.
9. Starbucks
There's no reason to skip out on your daily coffee! Enjoy your favorite beverage low-carb by switching out milk with a shot of heavy cream and sugar-free syrup. If you are looking for something fruitier, try the Pink Drink made with Passion tango tea, sugar-free syrup and creamer.
10. In-N-Out
Like Starbucks, California-based burger joint In-n-Out has a secret menu which isn't too much of a secret anymore. If you are looking to keep your diet and eat keto fast food, order your In-N-Out burger "protein style" for a burger wrapped in lettuce. Try ordering it with grilled onions and cheese for a burger you won't forget.
11. Wendy's
Using Wendy's mobile app makes it super easy to customize your meal so that you can easily order keto fast food options. You can add more meat or cheese, hold the condiments and get a lettuce wrap instead of a bun, and you can check the nutrition calculator as you change things to keep your carb counts on track. Order the Grilled Avocado BLT Chicken Sandwich (no bun or tomato), S'Awesome Bacon Cheeseburger, Baconator or the Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad with the southwest ranch salad dressing.
This post was originally published on February 21, 2019.
