Better-for-You Fast-Food Breakfast Choices

McDonald's

Can you eat a healthful fast-food breakfast? It's not exactly simple, but there are some choices that are the lesser of several evils. Keep in mind that breakfast should be about 25 percent of your daily calories.

Calorie Rip-Offs

• Deluxe Breakfast (biscuit, eggs, sausage, and hash browns) without syrup or margarine: 1,070 calories, 55g fat, 2,090mg sodium, 109g carbs, 6g fiber, 36g protein.
• Hotcakes and Sausage (with two pats margarine and syrup): 780 calories, 33g fat, 9g saturated fat, 4g trans fat, 1,020mg sodium, 106g carbs, 3g fiber, 15g protein.

Picks

• English Muffin (no butter): 140 calories, 1.5g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 260mg sodium, 27g carbs, 2g fiber, 5g protein.
• Egg McMuffin: 300 calories, 12g fat, 820mg sodium, 30g carbs, 2g fiber, 18g protein.
• Scrambled Eggs (two): 170 calories, 11g fat, 4g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 180 mg sodium, 1g carbs, 0g fiber, 15g protein.

Fit Tip: Avoid the biscuits; they start at 250 calories and go up to 570. If you're going to go for something high in calories, you're better off, from a hunger perspective, having an Egg McMuffin. At least it has protein rather than just heavy carbs, which could leave you feeling hungry a few hours later. Also, watch out for the flavored coffees. McDonald's adds syrup, so the calories are up there (190 for a medium).