Best fast-food high-protein orders under 400 calories
The top 10 restaurant items at 400 calories or less, ranked by protein per calorie.
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400 calories is a reasonable ceiling for a quick fast-food meal or a big snack. We took every restaurant item on The Hoard Board at 400 calories or less and ranked them by grams of protein per 100 calories, using each chain's published U.S. nutrition info.
21 items qualify: 11 from Starbucks, 6 from Chick-fil-A, 4 from McDonald's. Here are the top 10.
Top 10 fast-food items at 400 calories or less
| # | Item | Protein | Calories | Protein / 100 cal | Calories per 10 g protein | Leaderboard rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chick-fil-A Grilled Nuggets (8 ct) 1 item (as listed) | 25 g | 130 | 19.2 | 52 | #11 | label |
| 2 | Starbucks Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte (Grande) Grande (16 fl oz) | 29 g | 200 | 14.5 | 69 | #52 | label |
| 3 | Starbucks Iced Protein Matcha (Grande) Grande (16 fl oz) | 31 g | 260 | 11.9 | 84 | #70 | label |
| 4 | Chick-fil-A Chick-fil-A Nuggets (8 ct) 1 item (as listed) | 27 g | 250 | 10.8 | 93 | #85 | label |
| 5 | Starbucks Iced Vanilla Protein Latte (Grande) Grande (16 fl oz) | 29 g | 270 | 10.7 | 93 | #86 | label |
| 6 | Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips 1 item (as listed) | 29 g | 310 | 9.4 | 107 | #103 | label |
| 7 | Starbucks Protein Matcha (Grande, hot) Grande (16 fl oz) | 28 g | 300 | 9.3 | 107 | #104 | label |
| 8 | Chick-fil-A Egg White Grill 1 item (as listed) | 27 g | 300 | 9.0 | 111 | #109 | label |
| 9 | McDonald's McCrispy Strips (3 pc) 1 item (as listed) | 31 g | 400 | 7.8 | 129 | #111 | label |
| 10 | Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Sandwich 1 item (as listed) | 28 g | 390 | 7.2 | 139 | #114 | label |
Best pick at each chain
- Chick-fil-A: Grilled Nuggets (8 ct), 25 g for 130 calories (19.2).
- Starbucks: Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte (Grande), 29 g for 200 calories (14.5).
- McDonald's: McCrispy Strips (3 pc), 31 g for 400 calories (7.8).
What stands out
Chick-fil-A's Grilled Nuggets are in a different league. 25 g for 130 calories (19.2), 1.3 times the score of the next item on this list, Starbucks Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte (Grande).
McDonald's barely fits. Only 4 McDonald's items we track are 400 calories or less: McCrispy Strips (3 pc), McDouble, Egg McMuffin, Ranch Snack Wrap (McCrispy). Two of those sit exactly at 400.
Coffee counts. Starbucks protein drinks take several of the top 10 spots; the Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte (Grande) has 29 g for 200 calories.
Caveats
Restaurant items are standard U.S. recipes without sauces, sides or customization; we don't have restaurant prices. Numbers come from each brand's or restaurant's published nutrition info, linked in the table, and can change. Flavors with identical label numbers are grouped into one row. We track 143 products, not every product on the market, so a missing product isn't a verdict on it. We rank by protein per calorie only and don't track sugar, fat, sodium or ingredients. General information, not dietary advice.
See all 143 products on The Hoard Board, our full leaderboard, or read how we rank.
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Disclaimer: All numbers come from manufacturer labels, brand websites and restaurant nutrition pages on the dates shown on the leaderboard. They can change without notice, vary by location, flavor or customization, or differ from the product in your hand. Always check the current label. This article is general information only and is not medical, dietary or health advice.