Top 3 Noom-Friendly Meals At McDonald’s (Per Coach)

You may be wondering if McDonald’s can fit into your plan when using Noom.

As someone who grew up eating McDonald’s and has been using Noom for the past few months, I’ve figured out how to customize most Mcdonald’s orders to make them more Noom-friendly.

That’s what I’ll share with you below, including my top 3 meals to eat at McDonald’s if you’re on Noom.  

• Read my complete review of Noom (My Unbiased Opinion As A Nutrition Coach).

Can You Eat At McDonald’s On Noom?

Yes, you can eat McDonald’s while on Noom because of the flexibility that Noom’s calorie range and food color categorization system provide. However, you will have to be strategic about your order.

The key is to know what to order to ensure that you’re having a meal that (1) isn’t unreasonably high in calories and (2) keeps you full for longer periods.

Noom encourages users to split their calorie intake into 30% green foods (low-calorie foods), 45% yellow foods (moderate-calorie foods), and 25% red foods (higher-calorie foods), which is attainable at McDonald’s if you customize your order. 

• Related: Low-Calorie Drinks At McDonald’s

How To Eat A Noom-Friendly McDonald’s Meal

Here are my 4 tips for eating at McDonald’s while following Noom: 

Tip #1: Skip The Fries (or at least downsize)

I know what you’re thinking, the fries at McDonald’s are the best part of eating at McDonald’s, but they also pack the largest calorie punch because they’re high in carbs and fat.

My recommendation is to skip the fries and have more of everything else because I’d rather have more food that will actually keep me full.

However, if you feel differently and you’d rather make fries fit into your calorie range then order a smaller size. 

You could order a small fry for 240 calories, or a medium fry for 350 calories.

Tip #2: Order A Happy Meal

One way to make your favorite food items fit your Noom calorie range is to order a smaller size, which is why I love ordering from the kid’s menu. They have great meals that are lower in calories and they also tend to be served with healthier sides. 

Most happy meal combos are based around a protein source and have a reasonable number of calories, making them the perfect option for Noomers.

Some of the happy meal combos you can get are:

• 4 chicken nuggets, yogurt tube, apple slices, 1% milk for 330 calories
• 1 crispy chicken snack wrap, yogurt tube, apple slices, 1% milk for 450 calories
• 1 hamburger, yogurt tube, apple slices, 1% milk for 410 calories

Tip #3: Add A Side Of Color

To increase the number of green foods that you’re getting while eating at McDonald’s, you should focus on adding sides that have more color, like fruits and vegetables.

Adding color will help you meet your green food quota, fill you up with fewer calories, and provide you with more vitamins and minerals that support your overall health.

The color options at McDonald’s are:

• Apple Slices

• Side Salad
  • Garden Salad
  • Caesar Salad

• Smoothies
  • Kiwi Pineapple Banana
  • Strawberry Banana
  • Blueberry Pomegranate
  • Mango Pineapple

Alternatively, you could order a full-size salad and base your meal around more color rather than having it just as a side.

Tip #4: Customize For Fewer Fat Sources

My last tip to make your order more Noom-friendly is to customize your order to reduce fat sources because fat sources are the highest in calories and oftentimes menu items at McDonald’s have more than one.

The main fat sources at McDonald’s are:

• Cheese
• Beef
• Bacon
• Sausage
• Oil from frying
• Gravy
• Mayo
• Caesar Dressing
• Ranch Dressing

These will be the highest calorie menu items per serving, so if you’re having one then try to customize your order to remove another 

For example, if you’re having a burger make sure it’s a regular burger (240 calories) rather than a cheeseburger (290 calories. 

Additionally, ensure you choose one patty rather than two in a double hamburger (320 calories) or double cheeseburger (420 calories).

The 3 Best Noom McDonald’s Meals

These menu items already exist in Noom, so I recommend logging them by searching for McDonald’s menu items rather than trying to log each ingredient individually.

1. 4-Piece Chicken Nugget + Side Garden Salad

Chicken nuggets are one of my favorite things to order at McDonald’s because they feel very nostalgic. 

Although they may not be the healthiest option, they do provide some protein and when combined with a side salad, they can become a more balanced meal.

This meal would work well 3-4 hours before a workout to give your body time to digest the fat from the nuggets and salad dressing.

How To Order It

• 4-Piece Chicken Nuggets with a Side Garden Salad + Dressing (of your choice)

How This Performs In Noom

• 294 Calories, 29% green foods, 0% yellow foods, 71% red foods (based on approximate measures)

Green Foods: Garden Salad

Yellow Foods: N/A 

Red Foods: Chicken Nuggets, Low-Fat Italian Dressing

2. Hamburger + Apple Slices

Ordering a basic hamburger is the most noom-friendly way to order a burger or sandwich at McDonald’s because the chicken burgers are coated with breadcrumbs and fried, which makes them higher in calories than a beef patty.

What’s shocking is that a McDonald’s Hamburger is actually classified as a yellow food!

Adding apple slices on the side helps to bump up the nutrient content of this meal and add a green food to the meal. 

Alternatively, you could do a side salad if you wanted a higher-volume meal (aka more food to fill you up).

How To Order It

• Hamburger with your condiment of choice + Apple Slices

How This Performs In Noom

• 268 Calories, 10% green foods, 90% yellow foods, 0% red foods (based on approximate measures)

Green Foods: Apple Slices

Yellow Foods: Hamburger

Red Foods: N/A

3. Egg McMuffin + Apple Slices

An Egg McMuffin from McDonald’s is a great option to start your day because it offers a blend of carbs, fats, and protein. 

Adding apple slices adds color and increases the micronutrient (vitamin & mineral) content of the meal.

This would be the perfect pre-workout breakfast to enjoy 2 to 3 hours before your workout to fuel your activity.

How To Order It

• Egg McMuffin with Apple Slices

How This Performs In Noom

• 328 Calories, 9% green foods, 91% yellow foods, 0% red foods (based on approximate measures)

Green Foods: Apple Slices

Yellow Foods: Egg McMuffin

Red Foods: N/A

Meals To Avoid At McDonald’s

There are plenty of menu items at McDonald’s that wouldn’t be helpful while on Noom because of their calorie content and lack of green and yellow foods.

The meals to avoid are:

• Double Burgers. Burgers with more than one patty are higher in calories because of the fat content in the beef patties at McDonald’s. A basic double hamburger has 320 calories and a double cheeseburger has 420 calories. 

You would be better off ordering a single patty burger and adding a side that has more nutrients like a salad or apple slices.

• Big Mac or Double Big Mac. A regular big mac has 570 calories and a double big mac has a whopping 740 calories. These burgers are higher in calories than the regular burger because they have an extra bun and multiple beef patties.

• Combos including Fries. Most menu items at McDonald’s, like their burgers, sandwiches, and nuggets, are high enough in calories on their own, so pairing them with another high-calorie menu item, like fries, may not be the best idea if you want to stick to your calorie budget.

For example, a basic hamburger plus a small fry would have 480 calories and be entirely red foods.

• McCrispy Bacon Deluxe Sandwich. These sandwiches are a combination of bun (carbs), chicken burger (protein, carbs, fat), bacon (more fat), and mayo (even more fat) that come out to 590 calories for the sandwich alone.

• Biscuit or Bagel Breakfast Sandwiches with Bacon or Sausage. The biscuit and bagel breakfast sandwiches at McDonald’s are high in calories on their own because these carbs are calorie dense on their own, so pairing them with bacon or sausage and cheese will dramatically increase your calorie intake.

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