Nutritionist reveals the McDonald’s items she won’t buy - and the healthy options she would

Whether you love it, crave it or can’t stand the stuff, you can’t deny that McDonald’s is one of the few places around where you can find hot, relatively fresh and reasonably priced meals - and usually close by considering there’s one in every neighbourhood these days.

However, like most fast-food franchises, Macca’s is known for its ultra-processed food, which features heaps of fat, refined carbohydrates, salt and sugar on the ingredients list.

Writing for news.com.au, dietitian and nutritionist Susie Burrell has revealed which menu items are the healthiest options on offer.

So, if you unexpectedly end up on a Macca’s run, here are the top picks when you’re putting your nutrition first - and the ones to avoid.

Better Macca’s choices:

Chicken McBites

Every 10 bites have less than 200 calories and 11g of fat, making this one of the better snacks to grab when at your local Macca’s. Burrell recommends that you team it with a salad to satisfy your hunger.

Wholemeal Grilled Chicken Snack Wrap

If you don’t forget to order the grilled variety and request the wholemeal version, you will have stumbled on one of the leanest options on the menu. With just 9g of fat and 200 calories per serving, you can lighten the meal even further if you ask for no mayo.

McChicken

If you have a hankering for a burger, the McChicken is probably your best go, with 450 calories, 22g of fat and 600mg of sodium. It is nearly half the calorie and fat load of many of the other burgers on offer at the popular takeaway spot.

The worst:

BBQ Bacon Angus

One of the worst culprits when it comes to burgers is the BBQ Bacon Angus, Burrell reveals, with 40g of fat, 800 calories and a huge 1600mg of sodium - which is nearly your entire upper daily recommended intake. And not to mention the fries you probably get on the side ...

Double Quarter Pounder

With nearly no salad, two slices of cheese and two patties of meat, this simple burger will set you back more than 800 calories, a whopping 50g of fat (which is more than some people eat in a whole day) and more than 1400mg of sodium.

Crispy Caesar Salad

Don’t let the term “salad” fool you, eagle-eyed diners who pay attention to the nutritional information of the Crispy Caesar will realise it contains a massive 40g of fat and 1500mg of sodium, making it no healthier than a burger.

Big Brekkie Burger

As the title suggests, this loaded breakfast burger will add 40g of fat to your AM along with more than 1500mg of sodium in tow.

Frozen Coke

While the humble Fro Co is a popular Macca’s staple, Burrell notes it’s not so great for your health. Unless you opt for the Zero sugar variety, you’ll be drinking the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar.

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.