High protein fast food
435 items in the counted menu sections of 7 U.S. chains have an exact protein and calorie figure in their official data. The most protein in one item is 96 g: 10 ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips® (452g) at Chick-fil-A. Set a protein minimum or a calorie limit below and the list follows. Official data, read .
Find items by protein and calories
The first 25 of 435 items, most protein first.
| # | Chain and item | Protein (g) | Calories | Protein per 100 kcal (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chick-fil-A: 10 ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips®, 452g | 96 | 1,020 | 9.4 |
| 2 | Qdoba: Quesabirria Quesadilla | 55 | 1,080 | 5.1 |
| 3 | Qdoba: Double Protein Bowl - Steak | 52 | 1,040 | 5 |
| 4 | Taco Bell: Crispy Chicken Nuggets - 10 Piece | 51 | 640 | 8 |
| 5 | Qdoba: Double Protein Bowl - Chicken | 51 | 700 | 7.3 |
| 6 | Qdoba: Chicken Queso Burrito | 51 | 1,050 | 4.9 |
| 7 | Chick-fil-A: 10 ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Minis®, 318g | 49 | 910 | 5.4 |
| 8 | McDonald's: Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese | 48 | 740 | 6.5 |
| 9 | Qdoba: Quesabirria Burrito | 46 | 980 | 4.7 |
| 10 | Chick-fil-A: Chick-fil-A Cool Wrap®, 231g | 43 | 660 | 6.5 |
| 11 | Qdoba: Chicken Queso Bowl | 43 | 750 | 5.7 |
| 12 | Chick-fil-A: Cobb Salad w/ Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips®, 420g | 43 | 810 | 5.3 |
| 13 | Chick-fil-A: Spicy Southwest Salad w/ Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips®, 475g | 43 | 880 | 4.9 |
| 14 | Qdoba: Southwest Steak Burrito | 43 | 1,220 | 3.5 |
| 15 | Chick-fil-A: Cobb Salad w/ Nuggets, 411g | 41 | 830 | 4.9 |
| 16 | Chick-fil-A: 12 ct Chick-fil-A® Nuggets, 170g | 40 | 380 | 10.5 |
| 17 | Chick-fil-A: 4 ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips®, 181g | 39 | 410 | 9.5 |
| 18 | Chick-fil-A: Cobb Salad w/ Grilled Nuggets, 378g | 39 | 630 | 6.2 |
| 19 | Chick-fil-A: Spicy Southwest Salad w/ Grilled Nuggets, 434g | 39 | 700 | 5.6 |
| 20 | Chick-fil-A: Spicy Southwest Salad w/ Nuggets, 448g | 39 | 800 | 4.9 |
| 21 | Qdoba: Cholula® Hot & Sweet Chicken Burrito | 39 | 910 | 4.3 |
| 22 | Chick-fil-A: 12 ct Grilled Nuggets, 142g | 38 | 200 | 19 |
| 23 | Panda Express: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, 6.1 oz | 38 | 280 | 13.6 |
| 24 | Chick-fil-A: Grilled Chicken Club w/ Colby Jack, 237g | 37 | 520 | 7.1 |
| 25 | Chick-fil-A: Grilled Chicken Club w/ Pepper Jack, 237g | 37 | 520 | 7.1 |
Most protein at 500 calories or less
Single menu items, most protein first. The first 15 of 315.
| # | Chain and item | Protein (g) | Calories | Protein per 100 kcal (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chick-fil-A: 12 ct Chick-fil-A® Nuggets, 170g | 40 | 380 | 10.5 |
| 2 | Chick-fil-A: 4 ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips®, 181g | 39 | 410 | 9.5 |
| 3 | Chick-fil-A: 12 ct Grilled Nuggets, 142g | 38 | 200 | 19 |
| 4 | Panda Express: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, 6.1 oz | 38 | 280 | 13.6 |
| 5 | Chick-fil-A: Grilled Chicken Club w/ American, 230g | 34 | 490 | 6.9 |
| 6 | Chick-fil-A: Hash Brown Scramble Burrito w/ Grilled Filet - no hash brown, 258g | 34 | 500 | 6.8 |
| 7 | Qdoba: Keto Bowl - Chicken | 33 | 400 | 8.3 |
| 8 | Chick-fil-A: Chick-fil-A® Deluxe Sandwich w/ American, 247g | 32 | 490 | 6.5 |
| 9 | Chick-fil-A: Hash Brown Scramble Bowl w/ Spicy Chicken, 251g | 32 | 500 | 6.4 |
| 10 | Starbucks: Iced Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Matcha (Grande), 16 fl oz | 31 | 210 | 14.8 |
| 11 | Starbucks: Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Matcha (Grande), 16 fl oz | 31 | 210 | 14.8 |
| 12 | Starbucks: Iced Protein Matcha (Grande), 16 fl oz | 31 | 260 | 11.9 |
| 13 | Starbucks: Iced Caramel Protein Matcha (Grande), 16 fl oz | 31 | 270 | 11.5 |
| 14 | Chick-fil-A: Hash Brown Scramble Bowl w/ Spicy Chicken - no hash browns, 208g | 31 | 350 | 8.9 |
| 15 | McDonald's: Mccrispy Strips (3 Piece) | 31 | 400 | 7.8 |
The item with the most protein at each chain
One row per chain, most protein first. On a tie the item with fewer calories is shown.
| # | Chain and item | Protein (g) | Calories | Protein per 100 kcal (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chick-fil-A: 10 ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips®, 452g | 96 | 1,020 | 9.4 |
| 2 | Qdoba: Quesabirria Quesadilla | 55 | 1,080 | 5.1 |
| 3 | Taco Bell: Crispy Chicken Nuggets - 10 Piece | 51 | 640 | 8 |
| 4 | McDonald's: Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese | 48 | 740 | 6.5 |
| 5 | Panda Express: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, 6.1 oz | 38 | 280 | 13.6 |
| 6 | Dunkin: Double Sausage Breakfast Sandwich, 1 Sandwich | 33 | 900 | 3.7 |
| 7 | Starbucks: Iced Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Matcha (Grande), 16 fl oz | 31 | 210 | 14.8 |
What the numbers show
- Highest protein in one item: 96 g, 10 ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips® (452g) at Chick-fil-A.
- Highest protein at 500 calories or less: 40 g, 12 ct Chick-fil-A® Nuggets (170g) at Chick-fil-A, 380 calories.
- Highest protein per 100 calories among items with 20 g of protein or more: 19.2 g, 8 ct Grilled Nuggets (95g) at Chick-fil-A.
How this is counted
- Only the 7 U.S. chains on this site with a fixed menu are counted: Starbucks, Taco Bell, McDonald's, Panda Express, Chick-fil-A, Dunkin and Qdoba. Chains where you build the meal (Chipotle, Subway, Cava) are not in this list. The UK, Canada and the other countries are not mixed in.
- Each chain is counted over the same menu sections as its own high protein list: Starbucks: Protein Beverages, Breakfast, Bakery, Lunch and Snacks; Taco Bell: Cantina Chicken Menu, Tacos, Burritos, Nachos, Quesadillas, Specialties, Breakfast (Regional), New and Luxe Value Menu; McDonald's: Burgers, Chicken & Fish Sandwiches, McNuggets & McCrispy Strips, Snack Wrap and Breakfast; Panda Express: Vegetables, Chicken, Chicken Breast, Beef and Seafood; Chick-fil-A: Entrees, Salads and Breakfast; Dunkin: Avocado Toast, Bagels, Croissant Stuffers, Muffins, Omelet Bites, Protein Beverages, Sandwiches, Sandwiches - Regional and Stuffed Bagel Minis; Qdoba: Signature Eats. A section that is not named here adds no row.
- An item with protein or calories printed as a range or as "less than" an amount is not in the list. Unknown is never counted as zero.
- Kosher-store items, shared sizes (20 or more pieces, "Serves 2 or more") and rows named as a pack of 4 or more ("4 pack", "6 pk") are left out. A box of fewer than 20 pieces, for example a 10 ct box, stays in the list as one item with the size its name gives. Each row is one row of the official table, with the size the chain publishes. Nothing is scaled. Rows that the chain lists twice under one name, for example a value menu version, count once. A row that is not priced per serving or per item is left out.
- Protein per 100 calories is protein divided by calories, times 100. It compares density, not the size of the item. A restaurant can serve more or less than the official serving.
- This is a ranking by one number. It is not a recommendation.
High protein lists for one chain: Taco Bell, McDonald's, Chick-fil-A. Low calorie orders with the most protein.
Source
Every number on this page comes from the official data of each chain: Starbucks (read ), Taco Bell (read ), McDonald's (read ), Panda Express (read ), Chick-fil-A (read ), Dunkin (read ), Qdoba (read ). A script builds the tables and fills in each number in the sentences from the same rows. How the data is read and checked
Independent tool. Not affiliated with any restaurant chain. This is arithmetic on published numbers, not diet advice.