If you have followed my work or had a look at the evidence-based fitness industry scene in the past decade, you pretty much must have heard that your body composition goals do not depend on eating clean or eating healthy all the time. Your weight loss comes down to your calories in vs. calories out aka calorie balance and to ensure that you are losing fat, it is necessary that you consume adequate Protein and lift weights 3 to 4 times in a week. 

And no, this is not a thing that I am claiming from anecdotal observations. This has been concluded via research and holds true for anyone and everyone. 

What this means is that you do not have to EXCLUSIVELY eat clean foods or the so-called healthy foods all the time. As this idea falls flat in its face by assuming certain foods are good for you and certain foods are bad for you. One food in particular never changes your body composition. It is the entirety of your diet and it has been shown that moderating this so-called junk food can lead to higher dietary satisfaction and adherence. Keeping this in mind, your beloved McDonald's can be had as an option occasionally while dieting. 

Here are five items you can order the next time in McDonald's which are under 400 kcals and have some okay-ish quantity of Protein in it:

1. McVeggie Burger

© mcdonaldsindia

Total kcals - 386 kcals

Protein - 9 grams

Carbohydrates - 56 grams

Fats - 14 grams

2. McEgg Muffin

© mcdonaldsindia

Total kcals - 281 kcals

Protein - 12 grams

Carbohydrates - 32 grams

Fats - 12 grams

3. Sausage McMuffin with Egg

© mcdonaldsindia

Total kcals - 273 kcals

Protein - 16 grams

Carbohydrates - 28 grams

Fats - 11 grams

4. McChicken Burger 

© mcdonaldsindia

Total kcals - 398 kcals

Protein - 15 grams

Carbohydrates - 48 grams

Fats - 15 grams

5. Filet-O-Fish

© mcdonaldsindia

Total kcals - 344 kcals

Protein - 15 grams

Carbohydrates - 39 grams

Fats - 14 grams

6. McMuffin 

© mcdonaldsindia

Total kcals - 299 kcals

Protein - 10 grams

Carbohydrates - 38 grams

Fats - 12 grams

7. McNuggets (6 pcs.)

© mcdonaldsindia

Total kcals - 399 kcals

Protein - 25 grams

Carbohydrates - 26 grams

Fats - 22 grams

8. Egg wrap with Chipotle 

© mcdonaldsindia

Total kcals - 310 kcals

Protein - 10 grams

Carbohydrates - 24 grams

Fats - 20 grams

Nutrition information and picture credits - McDonald's India website. 

With this information, you can now occasionally fit McDonald's into your diet and make it more enjoyable. 

Author bio:

Pratik Thakkar is the co-founder and director of GetSetGo Fitness, an online fitness company. He is regarded as someone who will make it easy for you to understand the process by putting things in the right context and providing science-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding. You can reach out to him at pratik@getsetgo.fitness and follow him on Instagram and Facebook.