When it comes to fast food, chicken nuggets are a popular choice for many people looking for a quick and easy meal. McDonald’s 10 piece chicken McNuggets meal in particular is a frequent order. But for those watching their carb intake, the number of carbs in this meal is an important consideration.
The Chicken McNuggets
First, let’s examine the chicken McNuggets themselves. According to McDonald’s nutrition information, a 10 piece serving of chicken McNuggets contains 46g of total carbs.
Breaking this down further:
- Total fat: 18g
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Trans fat: 0.5g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
- Sodium: 800mg
- Total carbs: 46g
- Dietary fiber: 2g
- Sugars: 2g
- Protein: 25g
So in the McNuggets alone, you’re getting 46g of carbs. But that’s not all that comes in a 10 piece McNuggets meal.
The Side Order
A 10 piece McNuggets meal comes with a side order of fries and a drink. Let’s look at how each of these impact the total carb count.
French Fries
The standard side order for a McNuggets meal is a medium order of French fries. According to McDonald’s, a medium French fries contains:
- Total fat: 19g
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Trans fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 290mg
- Total carbs: 64g
- Dietary fiber: 5g
- Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 4g
So those medium fries are adding a whopping 64g of carbs to your meal!
Soft Drink
And finally, you get a medium soft drink with the 10 piece McNuggets meal. Let’s use Coca-cola as an example. A medium (21 oz) Coca-cola contains:
- Total fat: 0g
- Saturated fat: 0g
- Trans fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 15mg
- Total carbs: 69g
- Dietary fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 69g
- Protein: 0g
That’s another 69g of carbs from the soft drink alone.
Total Carbs
Now let’s add up the totals:
| Item | Total Carbs |
|---|---|
| 10 piece McNuggets | 46g |
| Medium French fries | 64g |
| Medium Coke | 69g |
| Total | 179g |
So in total, a 10 piece chicken McNuggets meal with medium fries and a medium Coke comes out to 179g of carbs. That’s a very high carb meal!
Lower Carb Options
If you’re looking for lower carb options, here are some ways to reduce the carbs when ordering a 10 piece McNuggets meal:
- Choose a small fry instead of a medium – small fries have 30g carbs compared to 64g in a medium
- Opt for a diet soda with 0g carbs
- Substitute apple slices (15g carbs) or a side salad (15g carbs) for the fries
- Share your fries with a friend to reduce your portion
- Order extra McNuggets instead of fries to increase protein and fat
Making just one of these swaps can dramatically reduce the carb content of your meal. For example:
| Item | Total Carbs |
|---|---|
| 10 piece McNuggets | 46g |
| Small French Fries | 30g |
| Diet Coke | 0g |
| Total | 76g |
By having a small fry and diet soda, you reduce the carb count to 76g – over 100g less than the standard medium size meal!
Lowest Carb Option
To make your McNuggets meal the absolute lowest carb option, follow these steps:
- Order a 10 piece McNuggets
- Choose a side salad instead of fries
- Opt for bottled water instead of soda
This will give you:
| Item | Total Carbs |
|---|---|
| 10 piece McNuggets | 46g |
| Side salad | 15g |
| Bottled water | 0g |
| Total | 61g |
Ordering your meal this way comes to just 61g of carbs – over 100g less carbs than the standard meal!
Other Tips for Lowering Carbs
In addition to swapping out fries and soda, here are some other tips for reducing carbs when ordering chicken nuggets:
- Order a 6 piece nuggets instead of a 10 piece to cut carbs by about 1/3
- Ask for extra sauce on the side and use sparingly
- Skip the breaded coating and order grilled chicken nuggets
- Remove the breading yourself before eating the nuggets
You may also want to consider making your own chicken nuggets at home. This allows you to control the ingredients and coatings to ensure a much lower carb content. There are many keto-friendly baked chicken nugget recipes online using ingredients like almond flour and parmesan cheese for the coating.
Choosing Low Carb Side Dishes
To make your entire meal lower carb, be mindful of your side dish choices. Here are some of the lowest carb options at McDonald’s:
| Side Dish | Carbs |
|---|---|
| Caesar Side Salad | 11g |
| Fruit & Maple Oatmeal | 33g |
| Bacon Ranch Salad with Grilled Chicken | 15g |
| Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad | 12g |
| Side Salad | 15g |
| Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich | 43g |
Whereas the standard medium french fries have 64g of carbs, all of these low carb side dishes keep you under 45g. Be mindful of salad dressings though, as creamy dressings like ranch can add more carbs.
Creating Your Own Low Carb Meal
For even more control over carbs, another option is to order items a la carte to create your own low carb meal. For example:
- Grilled chicken sandwich
- Side salad with vinaigrette
- Diet soda or water
This meal would come in around 60g total carbs – a big improvement over standard McDonald’s value meals. Don’t be afraid to customize your order to fit your dietary needs!
Low Carb Chicken Nugget Options at Other Restaurants
While this article focused specifically on McDonald’s, chicken nuggets are also popular at other fast food chains. Here’s a quick look at the carb counts in chicken nuggets meals at a few other restaurants:
Burger King
- 10 piece chicken nuggets – 18g carbs
- Medium fries – 38g carbs
- Medium Coke – 65g carbs
Total for meal: 121g carbs
Wendy’s
- 10 piece chicken nuggets – 13g carbs
- Medium fries – 46g carbs
- Medium Coke – 77g carbs
Total for meal: 136g carbs
Chick-fil-A
- 8 piece chicken nuggets – 16g carbs
- Medium waffle fries – 46g carbs
- Medium Coke – 73g carbs
Total for meal: 135g carbs
As you can see, carb counts are fairly comparable at most major fast food chains. Once again, you’ll want to avoid fries and sugary drinks to reduce carb intake.
Healthier Low Carb Chicken Nugget Alternatives
While fast food chicken nuggets are convenient, they are often deep fried and lacking in nutrition. For a healthier take, consider these low carb chicken nugget alternatives:
- Baked Chicken Tenders – Look for chicken breast tenders baked with little or no carb coating
- Grilled Chicken Breast – Get lean protein without the carbs and fat of frying
- Stuffed Chicken Breast – Chicken stuffed with cheese, veggies, or other low carb fillings
- Chicken Veggie Skewers – Alternate pieces of chicken with mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes etc.
These options provide the same satisfaction of chicken nuggets with more nutrition and fewer carbs. Be mindful of any high carb sauces or glazes added to these items as well.
Low Carb Dips and Condiments
When eating chicken nuggets or other breaded chicken, sauce and condiments can also drive up carbs quickly. Here are some low carb dip ideas under 5g carbs per serving:
- Ranch dressing
- Buffalo hot sauce
- BBQ sauce
- Honey mustard
- Blue cheese dressing
Ask for all sauces and dressings on the side and dip your nuggets lightly. Avoid sweet, sugary sauces like honey mustard or sweet and sour sauce, as these have much more added sugar and carbohydrates.
Keto-Friendly Chicken Nugget Recipes to Make at Home
To get total control over carbs, calories, and ingredients, you may want to try making keto chicken nuggets at home. Here are some great recipes to get you started:
Keto Baked Chicken Nuggets
This recipe uses pork rinds and parmesan cheese for the crunchy, carb-free coating.
- 1/2 cup pork rinds
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Pulse pork rinds and parmesan in a food processor until finely ground.
- Dip chicken chunks in beaten egg, then coat thoroughly in pork rind mixture.
- Arrange coated chicken on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Buffalo Chicken Nuggets
These saucy baked nuggets are a spicy, crowd-pleasing low carb option.
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup buffalo hot sauce
- 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a bowl, combine ground chicken, almond flour, egg, and 2 tbsp hot sauce.
- Form mixture into bite-size nuggets and arrange on baking sheet.
- Bake 20 minutes until cooked through.
- Toss baked nuggets in remaining hot sauce and top with blue cheese crumbles.
Ranch Chicken Nuggets
These baked nuggets are coated in a crispy, ranch flavored coating.
- 1/2 cup pork rinds
- 2 tbsp ranch seasoning
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into chunks
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a bag, crush pork rinds and mix with ranch seasoning.
- Dip chicken in egg, then toss in pork rind mixture to coat.
- Arrange chicken on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Conclusion
When ordered as part of a standard medium meal with fries and a soda, a McDonald’s 10 piece chicken McNuggets contains a whopping 179g of carbs. But by substituting lower carb side dishes and avoiding sugary drinks, you can reduce that carb count substantially. Other fast food chains offer similar options in the range of 120-140g carbs for a standard nuggets meal. So be choosy with your sides and condiments. Opt for grilled chicken, salads, and water instead of fries and soda. And consider baking your own keto-friendly chicken nuggets at home for the ultimate in low carb indulgence.
