Ever since I adopted the low carb lifestyle, I have avoided fast food as much as I could. Since I'm a chef and know the art of making the best beef or pork burgers, I know how to make even better choices than high-carb fast food chains. But, sometimes, when I'm traveling, or my family wants to enjoy a specific restaurant, I have to make my way in!
Burger King is the undisputed King of fast food. Its menu offers a wide range of inexpensive and delicious items, but do they fit the low-carb lifestyle? For me, anything can fit into a low-carb diet if we make informed choices and eat in moderation. In this guide, I will share a few tips and tricks for eating low-carb at Burger King.
While I do not champion eating out regularly when following a low-carb diet, you can enjoy a low-carb meal at most restaurants, including famous fast-food joints like Burger King. The secret to successfully dining out on a low-carb diet is adhering to the core principle: reducing carb intake to leverage the body to use fats as the primary energy source.
Table of Contents
Understanding Burger King’s Menu
Burger King's menu is very straightforward. When you go to the website or app and click on the menu, you will be prompted to share your location to get the nearest restaurant and its menu items. Nonetheless, the food chain has similar menu categories in all the locations:
- Breakfast
- Burgers
- Chicken and fish
- Drinks and coffee
- Sides
- Sweets
Burger King does not have a dedicated low-carb menu section or boast any low-carb menu items upfront, but you can customize your order to make keto-friendly choices.
Since every menu item has nutritional information beneath it, you can easily know what to eliminate or add to your order to make it low-carb and increase its nutritional value. For instance, if you are hankering for a breakfast sandwich, you can leave out flour-based items like buns or biscuits and order the bacon, sausage, egg, and cheese on a bed of lettuce!
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Analyzing Nutritional Information
Burger King offers nutritional information for all its menu items but does not help you identify low-carb options. Checking nutritional information is crucial for customizing an order. To access the Burger King nutrition facts, go to the Nutrition Explorer page and click on a food item to see its nutritional value.
On a low-carb diet, carbs are the main focus when analyzing the nutritional information of a food item. Therefore, you must understand the concept of total carbs, net carbs and dietary fiber. Net carbs refer to the carb count of food when you subtract its dietary fiber content from its total carb count. Dietary fiber is subtracted because it does not affect blood sugar directly.
Total Carbs - Dietary Fiber = Net Carbs
A typical, strict low-carb diet recommends a reduced carb intake, depending on individual factors like metabolic health and level of activity. Therefore, you must consider your daily carb allowance when modifying an order and Burger King.
For example, a juicy whopper with bacon has 55.2 g net carbohydrates. To reduce the carbs, remove obvious high-carb ingredients like the bun. According to FoodData Central a typical burger bun contains 51.6 g of carbs. If you subtract that from the Burger King Whopper carbs, you will be left with 3.6 g net carbs for the bun-less option.
Burger King Whopper with Bacon Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
| Calories | 750 cal |
| Carbohydrates | 55.2 g |
| Fiber | 3.2 g |
| Sugar | 13.6 g |
| Protein | 37.5 g |
| Fat | 49 g |
| Saturated fat | 13.1 g |
| Trans fat | 1.2 g |
| Cholesterol | 100.1 mg |
| Sodium | 1430.3 mg |
BE WARNED: Burger King does not provide a nutritional calculator, so these are mere carbs estimates. I recommend sticking to homemade low-carb meals if you are not willing to compromise on carb count precision.
Low Carb Strategies at Burger King
While there is no such thing as a Burger King low-carb menu, the fast-food restaurant has many low-carb-friendly menu items that can fit the low-carb diet. With a few tips and tricks, you can satisfy your cravings without falling off your low-carb eating goals:
Tips for Eating Low Carb at Burger King
- Avoiding high-carb ingredients: Eliminate high-carb ingredients like hashbrowns, buns, biscuits, pancakes, and other flour-based foods. As for condiments, avoid sugar-heavy options like ketchup or anything with honey and other sweeteners.
- Embracing protein and fat: Be sure to load up on protein and fat when you eliminate carb-heavy ingredients for satiety. Request for extra cheese slices, eggs, and meat when you order a sandwich or burger.
- Choosing the right sides and beverages: Avoid high-carb sides like fries and hashbrowns. Instead, pair your burger or sandwich with a salad. Also, beware of hidden carbs in beverages. Take water or sparkling water to be on the safe side. You may also have sugar-free coffee or unsweetened tea if your location offers it.
Customizing Your Order
It is possible to have a keto Burger King meal if you modify the existing menu items carefully. Here are solid tricks for making a low-carb order at Burger King:
- How to request no bun: All Burger King burgers are low-carb friendly if you ditch the bun and other carb-heavy ingredients like sauces and dressings. Simply ask the cashier to put the sandwich or burger ingredients on a platter.
- Swapping high-carb sides for low-carb alternatives: Ignore all the high-carb sides like fries and add low-carb alternatives like the side salad to the order.
- Adding extra vegetables and protein: Once you pass the challenge of ordering bunless burgers and sandwiches, double the veggies and protein for satiety. You will end up with a simple low-carb meal, packed with flavor and enough calories to fill you up.
Low-Carb Burger King Menu
Here are Burger King's healthy options that you can use to create a low-carb order:
Low-Carb Burger Options
- The bun-less way: Deconstructing burgers is the key to eating low-carb at Burger King. Order any burger bun-less, then enhance it to increase its nutritional value and lower its carb count further. Add lettuce wraps and toppings like tomatoes, pickles, and onions for higher fiber content. As for condiments, choose low-carb options like the ranch dressing (2 g net carbs).
Low-Carb Chicken Options
- Grilled chicken sandwich: Calories 680, Carbs 63 g, Protein 23.4 g, Fat 39 g.
The original grilled chicken sandwich without the buns is wonderfully low-carb (11 g net carbs), and you can request extra bacon and cheese to increase its protein and fat content. - Bacon & cheese crispy chicken sandwich: Calories 890, Carbs 57 g, Protein 39.4 g, Fat 61 g.
This sandwich only has 5 g net carbs without the bun and ketchup. - Chicken nuggets (8-piece count): Calories 510, Carbs 25 g, Protein 18 g, Fat 38 g. The 8-piece fiery buffalo nuggets are a fantastic low-carb meal if you limit yourself to one serving.
Pair the chicken options with a side salad. Order extra lettuce, onions, and tomatoes for extra fiber. Use low-carb dipping sauces like ranch dressing to enhance the flavors.
Low-Carb Fish Options
- Big fish sandwich: Calories 570, Carbs 58 g, Protein 19.2 g, Fat 30 g.
This sandwich without the bun has 6 g net carbs. Have it served on a bed of lettuce and request extra low-carb toppings. Drizzle ranch dressing, mustard, or mayo for flavor. Avoid other sauces and dressing as they have hidden sugars. - Ensure that the sauces you are requesting fit the low-carb lifestyle as well.
Low-Carb Salad Options
- Garden side salad: Calories 110, Carbs 4 g, Protein 0 g, Fat 8 g.
This is the best low-carb Burger King salad. Drizzle a low-carb dressing like BK's ranch for maximum flavors and pair it with protein options. You may also add bacon and cheese to increase its protein and fat content. - Grilled chicken salad: Calories 490, Carbs 8 g, Protein 35 g.
This salad has several low-carb ingredients, including romaine, green leaf, and radicchio lettuce, bacon pieces, shredded cheddar cheese, half-sliced tomatoes, and a choice of dressings, which varies by location (choose ranch dressing). Order it without the croutons to reduce its carb content. I love this salad because the lettuce bed is always deep, and the chicken and bacon are always fresh and high-quality.
Low-Carb Breakfast Options
Breakfast Sandwiches:
- Sausage, egg & cheese croissanwich: Calories 882.9, Carbs 33.3 g, Protein 39.3 g, Fat 65.7 g.
Order the delicious sandwich without the bread to lower its carb content. Get extra cheese and slices of bacon to up the protein and fat content. - Bacon, egg & cheese biscuit: Calories 674.5, Carbs 32.6 g, Protein 28.7 g, Fat 47.9 g. This flavor-packed combo is low-carb-friendly if you take it without the biscuit.
Breakfast Platters:
- Fully loaded croissanwich platter: Calories 714.3, Carbs 33.6 g, Protein 34.7 g, Fat 49 g. Skip the croissant to lower the loaded platter's carb count.
I have a soft spot for the Burger King breakfast menu 2024, and I love how easy it is to modify the breakfast options. A general rule of thumb is removing flour-based breakfast ingredients like croissants, buns, muffins, and biscuits. Hash browns and high-carb condiments like ketchup have no place in your low-carb order as well. Prioritize the double versions of the menu items because they offer more meat without the bread. Be mindful of the carb content in other ingredients if getting double versions of the menu items.
As for drinks: water, sparkling water, sugar-free coffee, and unsweetened tea are your best bets. Avoid other beverages that may pile on your carb count.
Low-Carb Sides and Snacks
Low-Carb Side Options
- Garden side salad: Calories 110, Carbs 4 g, Protein 0 g, Fat 8 g.
The salad is a perfect side dish with delicious flavors that complement all the meat options. Order it with ranch salad dressing for extra flavors. - Bacon: Bacon is a fantastic low-carb side dish that adds extra flavor and crispness to meals. Add it to your order to increase protein and fat content.
When choosing a side, ignore all the carb-loaded options like onion rings, mozzarella sticks, fries, chicken fries, and hashbrowns. Even the tiniest portions will add enormous amounts of carbs to your meal. Also, avoid eating crispy chicken salads as a side if you are on a strict low-carb as they contain 20+ grams of carbs due to the breaded chicken.
Low-Carb Beverages
Best Low-Carb Beverage Choices
- Water: Water, whether plain or sparkling, is the safest drink to have at any restaurant for a low-carb dieter.
- Diet soda: According to nutritional data in Carb Manager, diet soda only has 0.1 g net carbs. Jazz up your meal with diet soda if water sounds too basic.
- Unsweetened iced tea: This is another keto-friendly option at Burger King. Choose the beverage if your location offers it.
- Coffee: Have sugar-free black coffee after your meal or alongside your favorite Burger King breakfast low-carb combo.
As tempting as they may be, ignore all the sugary drinks, milkshakes, and smoothies. They are all heavy on carbs and will instantly throw you off your ketogenic lifestyle.
Low Carb Desserts
As of now, Burger King does not have any low-carb-friendly desserts on their menu. Everything in the dessert section is sugar-heavy; think pies, shakes, and ice cream treats. Drink coffee or unsweetened tea, or head straight home for delightful low-carb treats if you still feel hungry after enjoying the other low-carb food options.
Making The Most of Your Low-Carb Experience at Burger King
Eating low-carb at Burger King is fun if you know what to order and how to communicate your low-carb needs with a special request. Here is how to make the most of your low-carb experience at the restaurant:
- Planning beforehand: Check out the Burger King menu online before visiting an outlet to see if there are any suitable low-carb modifications. Analyze the nutritional value of the menu items you are interested in and customize a low-carb order beforehand.
- Staying committed to your low-carb goals: Remember, you must be consistent to see results. Track your carb intake and ensure you don't exceed your daily carb allowance at Burger King. Double-check the nutritional content of the menu items to create an order that fits your goals. Don't be too hard on yourself either. Celebrate your successes and enjoy every step of the low-carb journey.
Bonus Section!
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Conclusion
There you go! In this guide, I have provided all the tips and tricks for Eating Low-Carb at Burger King. While I don't recommend frequent visits to a fast-food restaurant on a low-carb diet, you can occasionally enjoy some of your favorite Burger King flavors if you make smart choices. The tips in this guide are not for cheat days but for long-term success in eating delicious low-carb meals at Burger King.
The biggest trick is to remain updated on the nutritional information of the restaurant's menu items. With the nutritional info, you can easily modify an order to suit your low-carb eating plan. Make healthier choices like ditching a side of fries and onion rings for a salad. Get extra vegetables and a low-carb dressing. You will be happy to healthily enjoy the flame-broiled flavors that first made you fall in love with the King of fast food.
Make your first low-carb order at Burger King and share your experience with me. I am eager to know if you discovered more tricks or made any mistakes we could all learn from.
FAQs
Lettuce wraps are not a standard menu item on Burger King's menu like in other fast food restaurants. However, you can request for your sandwich or burger to be wrapped in lettuce instead of the usual bun, croissant, or biscuit serving.
Burger King is not the epitome of healthy food, but some of the restaurant's menu items fit various healthy diets, including keto options, if consumed in moderation.
No, Burger King does not serve breakfast items past 10.30 am or 11 am in some locations.
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