High-protein fast food
Sorted by total protein. Use the calorie ceiling to find the orders that hit your protein target without a 1,500-calorie price tag, and check the grams-per-100-calories column for the leanest options.
| # | Meal | kcal | Protein | g protein / 100 kcal | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | High-protein chicken bowl Chipotle | 740 | 77 g | 10.4 | 1,430 mg |
| 2 | 2-piece OR (breast + thigh) meal KFC | 980 | 65 g | 6.6 | 3,160 mg |
| 3 | Chicken burrito, the usual Chipotle | 1,085 | 60 g | 5.5 | 2,240 mg |
| 4 | Double QPC large meal McDonald’s | 1,420 | 55 g | 3.9 | 1,775 mg |
| 5 | Plate: fried rice, orange chicken, Beijing beef Panda Express | 1,490 | 50 g | 3.4 | 2,330 mg |
| 6 | Cheeseburger, all the way Five Guys | 980 | 49 g | 5.0 | 1,850 mg |
| 7 | Under 500: chicken bowl, no rice Chipotle | 470 | 47 g | 10.0 | 1,410 mg |
| 8 | Chicken burrito with queso & guac Qdoba | 990 | 46 g | 4.6 | 2,850 mg |
| 9 | Bacon cheeseburger lettuce wrap Five Guys | 680 | 46 g | 6.8 | 1,050 mg |
| 10 | Steak bowl with guac Chipotle | 910 | 44 g | 4.8 | 1,780 mg |
| 11 | Rotisserie chicken, double meat Subway | 430 | 44 g | 10.2 | 920 mg |
| 12 | Green Goddess Cobb + cold brew Panera | 540 | 42 g | 7.8 | 955 mg |
| 13 | No-bread bowl: double rotisserie chicken Subway | 285 | 40 g | 14.0 | 605 mg |
| 14 | Low-carb: Original Recipe breast + green beans KFC | 415 | 40 g | 9.6 | 1,450 mg |
| 15 | You Pick 2: half Frontega + cup broccoli cheddar Panera | 820 | 40 g | 4.9 | 2,380 mg |
| 16 | Bowl: super greens + teriyaki chicken Panda Express | 365 | 39 g | 10.7 | 790 mg |
| 17 | Tenders + green beans KFC | 515 | 39 g | 7.6 | 1,610 mg |
| 18 | Chicken + rice bowl CAVA | 760 | 38 g | 5.0 | 1,770 mg |
| 19 | Whopper medium meal Burger King | 1,320 | 36 g | 2.7 | 1,605 mg |
| 20 | Broccoli cheddar in a bread bowl Panera | 930 | 36 g | 3.9 | 2,670 mg |
| 21 | Dave’s Single combo Wendy’s | 940 | 35 g | 3.7 | 1,490 mg |
| 22 | Chicken sandwich meal Chick-fil-A | 1,200 | 34 g | 2.8 | 1,880 mg |
| 23 | Three barbacoa tacos Chipotle | 525 | 33 g | 6.3 | 1,220 mg |
| 24 | 8-count nuggets meal Chick-fil-A | 900 | 32 g | 3.6 | 1,670 mg |
| 25 | Little hamburger + Little Fries Five Guys | 1,020 | 32 g | 3.1 | 1,280 mg |
| 26 | Jr. Cheeseburger + small chili Wendy’s | 540 | 32 g | 5.9 | 1,700 mg |
| 27 | Low-carb / keto steak salad Chipotle | 540 | 31 g | 5.7 | 1,315 mg |
| 28 | Low-carb: grilled nuggets + side salad Chick-fil-A | 315 | 31 g | 9.8 | 1,090 mg |
| 29 | Steak bowl, no rice Qdoba | 415 | 31 g | 7.5 | 1,540 mg |
| 30 | Nuggets + Frosty Wendy’s | 800 | 31 g | 3.9 | 1,130 mg |
| 31 | Big Mac medium meal McDonald’s | 1,110 | 30 g | 2.7 | 1,325 mg |
| 32 | Famous Bowl + biscuit KFC | 920 | 30 g | 3.3 | 2,880 mg |
| 33 | Cantina bowl + beans & rice Taco Bell | 660 | 29 g | 4.4 | 1,640 mg |
| 34 | Late-night: Mexican Pizza + Doritos taco Taco Bell | 880 | 28 g | 3.2 | 1,480 mg |
| 35 | Plate: white rice, broccoli beef, string bean chicken Panda Express | 740 | 28 g | 3.8 | 1,110 mg |
| 36 | Whopper Jr. + chicken fries Burger King | 610 | 28 g | 4.6 | 1,310 mg |
| 37 | Meatball marinara with cheese Subway | 560 | 26 g | 4.6 | 1,400 mg |
| 38 | Grilled nuggets + fruit Chick-fil-A | 240 | 26 g | 10.8 | 590 mg |
| 39 | 10 McNuggets + small fries McDonald’s | 730 | 26 g | 3.6 | 1,370 mg |
| 40 | Greens + steak, light CAVA | 330 | 26 g | 7.9 | 880 mg |
| 41 | You Pick 2: half Caesar + cup chicken noodle Panera | 405 | 25 g | 6.0 | 1,350 mg |
| 42 | Three crunchy tacos Taco Bell | 510 | 24 g | 4.7 | 930 mg |
| 43 | Italian B.M.T. classic Subway | 495 | 22 g | 4.4 | 1,365 mg |
| 44 | Turkey on multigrain, all the veg Subway | 310 | 21 g | 6.8 | 1,010 mg |
| 45 | Tuna with mayo Subway | 595 | 21 g | 3.5 | 1,090 mg |
| 46 | White mocha + banana loaf Starbucks | 850 | 20 g | 2.4 | 570 mg |
| 47 | Sofritas salad Chipotle | 560 | 19 g | 3.4 | 2,335 mg |
| 48 | Egg McMuffin + hash brown McDonald’s | 450 | 19 g | 4.2 | 1,080 mg |
| 49 | Falafel pita CAVA | 760 | 18 g | 2.4 | 1,440 mg |
| 50 | Crunchwrap + Baja Blast Taco Bell | 820 | 16 g | 2.0 | 1,290 mg |
| 51 | Grande vanilla latte Starbucks | 270 | 13 g | 4.8 | 170 mg |
| 52 | Cold brew + egg white bites Starbucks | 175 | 12 g | 6.9 | 485 mg |
| 53 | Oat shaken espresso + croissant Starbucks | 380 | 7 g | 1.8 | 435 mg |
| 54 | Caramel Frappuccino with whip Starbucks | 395 | 4 g | 1.0 | 255 mg |
54 meals shown. Every row opens in its calculator so you can tweak it. Sodium over the 2,300 mg daily value is marked in red.
Where the protein is
At nearly every chain, the leanest protein is grilled chicken: 32 g for 180 calories at Chipotle, 25 g for 130 in Chick-fil-A Grilled Nuggets, 33 g for 275 in Panda Express teriyaki chicken. Doubling the protein scoop in a bowl is usually a better protein-per-calorie deal than adding a second item.
A useful benchmark
10 g of protein per 100 calories is excellent for restaurant food; 5 g is typical of a burger meal. The column in the table shows this for every meal so you can compare across chains.
Also see: low-carb fast food, healthiest fast food and low-calorie fast food.
FAQ
What fast food has the most protein?
Among the meals here, a two-piece Original Recipe KFC meal, double chicken at Chipotle and a Double Quarter Pounder meal all pass 55 g. For protein per calorie, a double-chicken Chipotle bowl and Chick-fil-A Grilled Nuggets lead.
How can I add protein to a fast food order cheaply?
Double the protein scoop in a bowl, add beans, choose chili as a side at Wendy’s, or pick egg-white bites at Starbucks.
How much protein should a meal have?
Many people aim for 25–40 g per meal; the label Daily Value is 50 g a day for a 2,000-calorie diet. Needs vary with body size and training.