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McDonald's vs Burger King: which is better for your macros?
The top protein play at McDonald's is the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (48g protein, 740 cal); Burger King answers with the Triple Whopper with Cheese (82g, 1570 cal). Below, all 31 meals we track at both chains go head-to-head on protein, calories, low-carb and vegetarian options — from each brand's official nutrition data, not AI guesses — with a verdict for cutting, bulking and keto.
The tale of the tape
McDonald's vs Burger King, by the numbers
| Head-to-head | McDonald's | Burger King |
|---|---|---|
| Highest-protein meal | 48g Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese | 82g Triple Whopper with Cheese |
| Leanest meal | 250 cal Hamburger | 320 cal Garden Grilled Chicken Salad & Diet Coke |
| Avg protein per meal | 24g | 38g |
| Avg calories per meal | 456 cal | 644 cal |
| Meals at 425 cal or less | 8 | 3 |
| Low-carb / keto meals | 3 | 4 |
| Vegetarian meals | 2 | 1 |
| Meals tracked | 15 | 16 |
✓ marks the stronger number for that row (more protein, fewer calories, or more options). Computed from the 31 meals we track — not the chains' full menus.
Top 5, ranked by protein
The highest-protein meals, side by side
🍟 McDonald's
| # | Meal | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Two 1/4 lb fresh beef patties, two slices American cheese, pickles, slivered onions, sesame seed bun | 48g | 740 |
| 2 | 4pc McCrispy Strips Four 100% white meat chicken strips in crispy black-pepper breading, no dipping sauce | 40g | 460 |
| 3 | Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese Quarter-pound fresh beef patty, two slices American cheese, thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, ketchup, mustard, pickles, slivered onions on a sesame seed bun | 36g | 630 |
| 4 | McDouble + McChicken McDouble (two beef patties, one slice American cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickles, onions) ordered with McChicken (crispy chicken patty, mayo, shredded lettuce) | 36g | 780 |
| 5 | Quarter Pounder with Cheese Fresh 1/4 lb beef patty, two slices American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun | 30g | 520 |
🍔 Burger King
| # | Meal | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Triple Whopper with Cheese Three flame-grilled beef patties, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, mayo on sesame bun | 82g | 1570 |
| 2 | Bacon King Two ¼ lb flame-grilled beef patties, thick-cut bacon, American cheese, ketchup, mayo on sesame bun | 61g | 1150 |
| 3 | Double Quarter Pound King Two ¼ lb flame-grilled beef patties, American cheese, pickles, onions, ketchup on sesame bun | 56g | 900 |
| 4 | Double Whopper Two flame-grilled beef patties, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, mayo on sesame bun — no cheese | 53g | 920 |
| 5 | Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Side Salad & Diet Coke Flame-grilled chicken breast on potato bun with honey mustard + garden side salad (romaine, tomatoes, no dressing) + Diet Coke (0 cal) — satisfying high-protein full meal | 44g | 490 |
MacroBite scores these against your daily protein & calorie targets and logs them in one tap. Get the app →
The verdict
Which is better for your goal?
Cutting
Burger King takes it. Its leanest high-protein pick, the Garden Grilled Chicken Salad & Diet Coke, packs 36g of protein into 320 calories — 11.3g per 100 cal, ahead of McDonald's best (4pc McCrispy Strips, 40g for 460 cal, 8.7g per 100 cal). Burger King lists 3 meals at 425 calories or less; McDonald's has 8.
Bulking
Burger King wins on raw protein. The Triple Whopper with Cheese tops out at 82g (1570 cal), beating McDonald's biggest hitter, the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, at 48g. For repeat trips, Burger King has 9 meals with 30g+ protein vs 5 at McDonald's.
Keto
Burger King is the keto-friendlier menu with 4 low-carb meals vs 3 at McDonald's. Best keto pick: the Garden Grilled Chicken Salad & Diet Coke — 36g protein, 16g carbs, 320 calories. At McDonald's, the 4pc McCrispy Strips (40g protein, 24g carbs) is the standout.
How we score it: cutting = most protein per calorie (25g protein floor) · bulking = highest absolute protein · keto = low-carb meals (20g carbs or less, or flagged low-carb in the official data). General nutrition info, not medical advice.
Dig deeper: full McDonald's menu → · full Burger King menu → · all chains ranked →
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Settle McDonald's vs Burger King with your own macros.
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