For A High Protein McDonald's Meal, Order One Classic Sandwich

When it comes to getting your daily protein in, McDonald's might not be the first source you think of. The tasty Alaskan pollock-made Filet-O-Fish? Yes. The sweet (and iconic) McFlurry? Definitely. The many-ingredient-laden crispy french fries? You betcha. But there are actually a number of sandwiches on McDonald's menu that contain whopping servings of protein. There's one in particular that comes to mind and it's a classic.

That would be the McCrispy chicken sandwich, which clocks in with 26 grams of protein thanks to its sizable portion of meat. You can actually bolster the sandwich with additional protein — three grams' worth — if you add bacon when placing your order. This chicken sandwich, which began its life on the McDonald's menu as the Crispy Chicken sandwich in 2021 before being rebranded as the McCrispy in 2023 (and becoming a $1 billion brand-within-a-brand for the fast food chain), has enough protein on its own to keep you feeling full until dinnertime; especially if you were to accompany your meal at home with a fiber-filled side salad or some other serving of vegetables.

If chicken sandwiches aren't your thing, you're in luck. There are plenty of other options on Mcdonald's menu that are protein-packed which don't include meat that once clucked. First up? A simple Double Cheeseburger with two beef patties and two slices of cheese plus pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard. This sandwich contains 25 grams of protein, just one gram shy of the McCrispy Chicken. And as a nice additional surprise, if your days of drinking milk are long gone, it also contains 15% of your daily value of calcium.

Another great option for the carnivores among us is the Quarter Pounder with Cheese. This sandwich alone contains 30 grams of protein (it does have 1.5 grams of trans fats, which isn't great, though it still falls under the recommended daily limit of 2.2 grams per day). Like its Double Cheeseburger brethren, it also contains 15% of your daily recommended calcium intake. 

Finally, there's the Filet-O-Fish. While it doesn't have quite as much protein as the other three sandwiches already mentioned (a relatively low 16 grams), it also doesn't have nearly as many calories (just 380). And if you're watching your heart health, it contains about half as much sodium as the McCrispy Chicken, Double Cheeseburger, and Quarter Pounder.