Following a ketogenic diet, which is high in fat and very low in carbohydrates, can present challenges when eating out, especially at fast food restaurants. These establishments often rely on bread, tortillas, rice, and other high-carb ingredients. However, with some smart choices and modifications, it's possible to navigate the fast-food landscape while staying within your keto guidelines. Many fast-food staples can also be made keto-friendly by making some slight changes and removing certain ingredients.
General Strategies for Keto Fast Food
Before diving into specific restaurants, here are some overarching strategies for making keto-friendly choices:
- Skip the bread: The most obvious adjustment is to eliminate buns, tortillas, and other bread-based items.
- Embrace bowls and salads: Opt for meals served in bowls or as salads to avoid unnecessary carbs.
- Choose your toppings wisely: Be mindful of sauces and condiments, as many contain added sugars.
- Prioritize protein and healthy fats: Focus on meat, cheese, and healthy fats like avocado and olive oil to stay satiated.
- Plan ahead: Check menus online before you go to avoid impulse decisions.
Keto-Friendly Fast Food Choices
Burgers
Burgers are a fast-food staple, though the bun and some added condiments may make them inappropriate for people on keto diets. Many fast-food chains take this into consideration and offer a lower-carb version of their burgers without a bun. They may wrap the ingredients in a lettuce leaf to keep the structure similar to a burger, or simply package the ingredients in a wrapper with no bun.
A bunless burger wrapped in lettuce is a standard low carb, fast food meal. It’s high in protein, essentially carb-free, and available at many fast food burger establishments. If lettuce wraps are unavailable, you can ask to omit the bun instead.
In-N-Out offers their signature burgers "protein style," replacing the bun with a lettuce wrap. For example, the Double-Double with onion usually contains 39 grams of carbohydrates. Protein style, this same burger contains 11g total carbohydrates.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
You can further customize your burger by adding the following low carb toppings or additions, depending on availability and personal preferences:
- Cheese: 2.4 g of carbs per slice of American cheddar
- Bacon: 0.2 g of carbs per slice
- Mustard: 0.3 g of carbs per teaspoon (5 g)
- Mayo: 0.1 g of carbs per tbsp (14 g)
- Onions: 1.3 g of carbs per slice (14 g)
- Tomato: 0.8 g of carbs carbs per slice (20 g)
- Guacamole: 1.3 g of carbs per tbsp (15 g)
Full-fat mayonnaise tends to be high-fat and low-carb and can make a great alternative condiment for keto fast foods.
Sandwiches and Subs
Submarine sandwiches are very high in carbs. A typical sub has at least 50 grams (g) of carbs, most of which come from the bun. Some restaurants allow you to order your sub in a bowl rather than on a bun, which can significantly reduce the carb content of your meal.
Some fast-food chains may offer other options without bread to help people reduce their carbohydrate intake. For example, a chain might prepare a “breadless sub” using the same sandwich ingredients as a regular sub, but placing them on a bed of lettuce instead of inside a roll. This can greatly reduce the carbohydrates in a meal.
Subway is one of the most popular fast food sandwich shops worldwide. In recent years, the chain has been offering chopped salads that can be customized with the protein and vegetables of your choice. For example, Subway offers many of its signature subs as salads as well. Subway’s 6-inch black forest ham sub contains 42g of total carbohydrates. In comparison, a black forest ham salad contains 12g of total carbohydrates.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Here are the carb counts for a few sub bowl options at Jersey Mike’s:
- Turkey breast and provolone: 8 g of carbs, 2 g of which are fiber
- Club supreme: 9 g of carbs, 2 g of which are fiber
- Chicken salad: 9 g of carbs, 3 g of which are fiber
- California club: 13 grams of carbs, 6 g of which are fiber
You can order your meal this way from many other sub sandwich shops as well, including Subway. Simply request that it be prepared as a salad with olive oil and vinegar for the dressing.
Mexican-Inspired Options
Many people regard burritos as a favorite food. They typically contain meat, vegetables, rice, and beans wrapped in a large flour tortilla. This results in a meal that can easily pack more than 70 g of carbs. However, almost every Mexican restaurant allows you to leave out the tortilla and other high carb items. This is known as a burrito bowl or “bare” burrito.
Tortillas from burritos are higher in carbs than other options. Many fast-food chains offer burrito bowls. These are bowls that contain the same ingredients as the burrito, without the tortilla. Chipotle Mexican Grill is one example. The company offers a range of items made without tortillas. Keep in mind that other ingredients in burritos, such as rice and beans, can contain higher levels of carbohydrates than are usually allowed on keto diets.
A burrito bowl from Qdoba made with ground beef, guacamole, lettuce, fajita vegetables, and fresh salsa is a delicious and satisfying meal that provides just 13 g of carbs. El Pollo Loco offers a version of their double protein avocado Pollo fit bowl as a salad, which contains about 9g net carbs. Some chains may offer specific options suitable for many diets, including the keto diet. Chipotle offers a Keto Salad Bowl that uses a base of supergreens instead of beans, rice, or a tortilla. With the standard ingredients, the Keto Salad Bowl contains 17g of total carbohydrates. However, 10g of these are fiber, so the net carbs are much lower.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Chicken
Many fast food restaurants offer chicken options, though sometimes the chicken found in sandwiches or other meal options comes breaded and fried. This increases the carbohydrates in the meal and may make it unsuitable for keto diets. Opting for grilled chicken over fried chicken where possible can help cut out flour and unnecessary carbohydrates in a meal.
Grilled chicken is a lower carb option, which is available at many fast food franchises. Each piece of grilled KFC chicken contains 0 g of carbs. Nuggets While typical chicken nuggets may contain breading or flour that is unsuitable for keto diets, some restaurants offer nuggets that can fit into a keto diet. For example, Chick-fil-A offers grilled chicken nuggets. A 12-piece serving contains just 2g of carbs. Keep in mind that other ingredients such as dipping sauces can contain carbohydrates and sugars themselves, so pay attention to the low-carb options each restaurant has before adding them to a meal.
Breakfast Options
Many fast-food restaurants offer breakfast options. These options often include foods such as eggs, which are a simple, keto-friendly food. Looking for options based around eggs may provide a simple and filling meal that is lower in carbohydrates.
Sometimes the simplest breakfast option can be the most delicious, such as bacon or sausage and eggs. This traditional breakfast combination is available at most fast food restaurants and contains a minimal amount of carbs. A 2015 study in young women with overweight found that eating sausage and eggs for breakfast helped reduce appetite, lower blood sugar and insulin, and reduce calorie intake at lunch compared to a low protein, higher carb breakfast.
For example, some Mcdonald’s breakfast options are keto-friendly with a few changes. Their Big Breakfast, made without the biscuit or hash browns, contains just 3g of carbohydrates.
Salads
Larger, entree-sized salads from a number of fast-food chains may actually make suitable options for some keto diets, and provide enough energy to keep a person full. Many fast food restaurants will offer salads, though some of them may require tailoring to fit into a keto diet. Ingredients to look out for include sweetened dressings, as well as add-ons such as croutons or breaded chicken. With this said, a number of salads come keto-friendly.
For example, Arby’s offers an entree-size roast chicken salad that provides only 8g of total carbs per serving. Wendy’s offers a Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad that contains 13g carbs, with 7g of this being fiber.
Wings
While not a traditional choice for on-the-go eating, an order of buffalo wings may be a simple keto-friendly option in some cases. For example, Buffalo Wild Wings offers traditional style Original Buffalo wings that contain 2g of total carbs per 6-wing serving.
Depending on how they’re prepared, buffalo wings can be a low carb option at pizza places and sports bars. Traditionally, buffalo wings are covered in a spicy red sauce made from vinegar and hot red peppers. An order of three drummettes (105 g) typically has just 2.6 g of carbs. By contrast, other sauces can add a significant number of carbs, especially sweet types, such as barbecue, teriyaki, and anything made from honey. Sometimes the wings are breaded or battered and fried, which is especially common for boneless wings. Therefore, be sure to ask how the wings are made and order yours with no breading or batter.
Snack Options
While many common fast-food side dishes, such as fries and chips, are off-limits on a keto diet, there are a number of snack options available to-go that may fit into the keto diet.
- Hard-boiled eggs: Eggs are naturally low in carbs and a good source of protein. Hard-boiled eggs are a convenient way to enjoy eggs and are available at many takeaway restaurants, convenience stores, and gas stations. Hard-boiled eggs contain under 1g carbohydrates per large egg. Adding simple salt and pepper to the egg can add flavor without extra calories.
- String cheese: String cheese is a simple snack containing only cheese. The cheese sticks tend to be individually wrapped, making them a simple on-the-go snack option. The USDA note that one 24g stick of string cheese contains about 1g carbs.
- Nut butter packets: Single serving nut butter packets make a filling snack for many people adhering to a keto diet. For example, Justin’s offers many nut butter options that come in simple 32-gram squeeze packs, perfect for on-the-go snacking. Each Justin’s Classic almond butter packet contains 5g total carbs, with 3g coming from dietary fiber.
- Jerky: Jerky is another readily available option for people on the keto diet. Companies may make jerky from a number of foods, such as: beef, turkey, buffalo, venison, salmon, tuna. The meats and jerky themselves are naturally low in carbs. However, be aware of any added ingredients used in the seasonings. Popular flavors of jerky, such as teriyaki, can contain higher levels of sugars than a person may want in their keto-friendly snacks.
- Other snack options: While these are a few easily available snack options for a keto diet, there are other options to choose from. Other snacks which may be keto-friendly include: nuts, such as macadamias, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, or peanuts, seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds, pork rinds, specific keto-friendly chips made from cheese, nuts, or meat, tuna snacks without the crackers. Be aware of any added ingredients and check the label for full nutritional information
Keto-Friendly Drinks
Many restaurants and corner stores stock a selection of keto-friendly drinks. These include:
- Coffee or tea with half-and-half: Black coffee and unsweetened tea make simple drink alternatives at most fast-food restaurants, where sugar-sweetened beverages may add unwanted carbohydrates to a drink. For a bit of extra flavor, opting for half-and-half creamer can make for a more satisfying drink without adding too many carbs. The USDA note that half-and-half creamer contains about 1.3 carbs per fluid ounce.
- Tea with lemon: Many fast food restaurants offer hot tea as a beverage choice. Hot black or green tea is simply tea leaves and water, so it contains no carbohydrates on its own. Adding a lemon wedge to the hot tea can provide a brighter flavor than the tea alone, which may be more satisfying for some drinkers.
- Carbonated water: Some fast food locations offer carbonated water or soda water. This is a carb-free option that can provide a similar bubbly feeling as soda. Adding citrus fruits such as lemon or lime to the water can help provide some extra flavor.
- Diet soda: Most diet sodas have low or no sugar and are available at most fast-food restaurants. Most widely-available diet sodas are similarly low-carb and sugar-free.
Specific Restaurant Options
Here's a look at some popular fast-food chains and how to navigate their menus on a keto diet:
- McDonald's: Opt for burgers or breakfast sandwiches without the bun. Be cautious of condiments like ketchup.
- Starbucks: Focus on customizable drinks like coffee or espresso. Be mindful of added sugars in specialty items.
- Taco Bell: Skip the tortillas and rice, and customize your order in a bowl.
- Chick-fil-A: Choose grilled chicken and skip the sauces.
- Wendy's: Order burgers without the bun or as lettuce wraps.
- Carl's Jr./Hardee's: They offer "low carb style" options.
- Burger King: Similar to Wendy's, skip the bun and sauces.
- Subway: Create a chopped salad with your choice of protein and vegetables.
- Smoothie King: They offer Keto Champ Smoothies.
- Blaze Pizza: They offer a keto-friendly cauliflower crust.
- Jersey Mike's: Order a "sub in a tub."
- Popeyes: Blackened chicken tenders are a good option (availability may vary).
- Pizza Hut: Bone-in wings are a decent choice.
- El Pollo Loco: They have keto tacos, burritos, and cauliflower rice bowls.
Quick Keto Recipes
- Chicharrones
- Cheesy Cauli Bread
- Bacon Guac Bombs
- Cucumber Sushi
- Carbonara Deviled Eggs
- Bacon Spinach Dip
- Keto Peanut Butter Cup Fat Bombs
- Smoked Trout Spread
- Cool Ranch Zucchini Chips
- Pesto-Stuffed Burrata Bombs
- Bacon Zucchini Fries
- Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
- Keto Cookie Dough Bars
- Air Fryer Kale Chips
- BLT Egglets
- Keto Cereal
- Keto Tortilla Chips
- Keto Copycat Snickers Bar
- Best Guacamole
- Keto Oreos