The Healthiest Fast Food Breakfast Item You Can Buy At McDonald's Right Now

The fast food behemoth that's become synonymous with Americans' expanding waistlines probably isn't a place where you'd expect to find a healthy breakfast. McDonald's even went and ditched the one item that could assuage your guilt for pulling up to the drive-thru: salads. But the chain actually does offer a few dishes that would be dietician-approved as an occasional first meal when you're on the go and in a pinch. The best bet? Also likely to surprise you, it's none other than the classic Egg McMuffin.

Yes, there's processed American cheese, butter, and Canadian bacon — what sounds like all the makings of a typically addicting (and fatty) fast food meal — but the sandwich weighs in at a lighter calorie count than you might expect. According to McDonald's online nutritional calculator, the Egg McMuffin only contains 310 calories. Compare that to the other breakfast stacks, which all have at least 400 calories, from the Sausage McMuffin With Egg (480) to the Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Bagel (710) — the latter of which is more caloric than a Big Mac.

Saturated fat and sodium numbers also make the Egg McMuffin a comparatively healthier choice. Anytime you swap out the Canadian bacon for a sausage patty, you're increasing the amount of saturated fat. Additionally, customers who opt for a biscuit bread base over an English muffin are also significantly increasing their sodium intake. For instance, the Sausage Biscuit With Egg contains a whopping 1,190 milligrams of sodium — 52% of the recommended daily value — whereas the Egg McMuffin has 770 milligrams of sodium.

Then, there's the protein to consider. Over the last several years, social media platforms like TikTok have been flooded with content extolling the merits of high-protein diets, reviving the phenomenon (some of you may remember the Atkins craze of the early 2000s), only this time there are a lot more videos of people making whey shakes and cottage cheese-infused pancakes. The Egg McMuffin contains an impressive 17 grams of protein, a decent daily start for anyone interested in bulking up, but it's also enough for the average individual who simply wants to feel fuller, longer. According to Henry Ford Health, a high-protein breakfast can keep your blood sugar from plummeting, which tends to trigger disruptive and even potentially dangerous side effects like headaches, nausea, and lightheadedness.

Now, some may be wondering why McDonald's Fruit and Maple Oatmeal didn't get spotlighted as the healthiest breakfast option — a fair question to be sure. This humbler bowl of oats has fewer calories (320) and sodium (150 milligrams); however, with a mere 6 grams of protein, the meal runs the risk of leaving a customer still hungry for more, which could lead to poor snack choices to fill that void. Unless you happen to have a bag of nuts handy in the car or a hard-boiled egg waiting in the fridge at work, you're probably best off with the intermittent McMuffin. There's nothing wrong with indulging from time to time (our favorite breakfast item is a dark horse), especially if you find yourself at a McDonald's while traveling abroad. Always be sure to call ahead if you're not sure when breakfast service ends. Sadly, the era of all-day breakfast was killed off by COVID.