Fast Food Under 500 Calories With 30g+ Protein: Every Order That Qualifies
Only 20 fast food items hit 30g+ protein at 500 calories or less. Every one, by chain, from official nutrition data. Best: 38g for 200 calories.
Only 20 fast food items deliver 30g or more of protein for 500 calories or less, from 9 of the 21 chains in our Fast Food Protein Index. The most efficient is Chick-fil-A's 12-count Grilled Nuggets: 38g of protein for 200 calories. Jersey Mike's #19 BBQ Beef sub in a tub has the most protein, 48g for 400 calories.
How we found every qualifying order
Every number in this post comes from one file: our Fast Food Protein Index dataset, which holds 847 rows from 21 chains, each one copied from the chain's own nutrition page or PDF with the date we checked it. We kept only rows the dataset labels as food (no drinks, sauces, or build-your-own components), then applied two cutoffs: 500 calories or less and 30g of protein or more.
Out of 274 food items at 500 calories or less, 20 made it. That is 7.3%. Out of 172 food items with 30g or more of protein, the same 20 are the only ones that stay under 500 calories. High protein is easy at fast food, and low calorie is easy. Both at once is rare.
Each table below shows calories, protein, and protein per 100 calories, which is protein ÷ calories × 100. Menus change, so every chain section notes the date we last checked its official numbers. Want to filter by your own limits? The High Protein Fast Food Finder runs the same dataset with any calorie and protein cutoff you choose.
Every qualifying order, by chain
Jersey Mike's: 4 orders
| Item | Calories | Protein | Protein per 100 cal |
|---|---|---|---|
| #19 BBQ Beef, sub in a tub | 400 | 48g | 12.0g |
| #16 Mike's Chicken Philly, sub in a tub | 380 | 37g | 9.7g |
| #17 Mike's Famous Philly, sub in a tub | 440 | 34g | 7.7g |
| #7 Turkey and Provolone (Mike's Way), sub in a tub | 490 | 30g | 6.1g |
Checked October 4, 2026. All four are "sub in a tub," the sub fillings served in a bowl without bread. Full menu: Jersey Mike's calories.
Chick-fil-A: 3 orders
| Item | Calories | Protein | Protein per 100 cal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grilled Nuggets, 12-count | 200 | 38g | 19.0g |
| Nuggets, 12-count | 380 | 40g | 10.5g |
| Deluxe Sandwich (American cheese) | 490 | 32g | 6.5g |
Checked August 29, 2026. Full menu: Chick-fil-A calories.
Chipotle: 3 orders
| Item | Calories | Protein | Protein per 100 cal |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Protein Cup: chicken | 180 | 32g | 17.8g |
| High Protein Cup: pollo asado | 220 | 37g | 16.8g |
| High Protein, Low Calorie Bowl | 460 | 35g | 7.6g |
Checked October 3, 2026. Full menu: Chipotle calories, or build your own bowl with the Chipotle nutrition calculator.
KFC: 3 orders
| Item | Calories | Protein | Protein per 100 cal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Grilled Chicken Breast | 210 | 38g | 18.1g |
| Original Recipe Breast | 390 | 39g | 10.0g |
| Spicy Crispy Breast | 350 | 30g | 8.6g |
Checked September 27, 2026. Full menu: KFC calories.
Burger King: 2 orders
| Item | Calories | Protein | Protein per 100 cal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flame-Grilled Chicken Sandwich | 410 | 35g | 8.5g |
| Bacon Double Cheeseburger | 500 | 30g | 6.0g |
Checked October 3, 2026. The Bacon Double Cheeseburger qualifies exactly at the line: 500 calories, 30g. Full menu: Burger King calories.
Popeyes: 2 orders
| Item | Calories | Protein | Protein per 100 cal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackened Tenders, 5 pieces | 280 | 47g | 16.8g |
| Classic or Spicy Tenders, 3 pieces | 390 | 35g | 9.0g |
Checked October 3, 2026. Full menu: Popeyes calories.
Olive Garden: 1 order
| Item | Calories | Protein | Protein per 100 cal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 oz. Tuscan Sirloin | 480 | 46g | 9.6g |
Checked September 27, 2026. Full menu: Olive Garden calories.
Panda Express: 1 order
| Item | Calories | Protein | Protein per 100 cal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grilled Teriyaki Chicken | 280 | 38g | 13.6g |
Checked October 3, 2026. Full menu: Panda Express calories.
In-N-Out: 1 order
| Item | Calories | Protein | Protein per 100 cal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein Style Double-Double | 460 | 30g | 6.5g |
Checked August 29, 2026. "Protein Style" means the burger is wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun. Full menu: In-N-Out calories.
What the list tells you
Jersey Mike's has the most qualifying orders, and none of them has bread. All four are subs in a tub. Drop the bread and a sub becomes one of the best high-protein fast food orders there is: the #19 BBQ Beef tub has more protein (48g) than anything else on this list.
Chick-fil-A has the best ratio. The 12-count Grilled Nuggets return 19.0g of protein per 100 calories, just ahead of KFC's Kentucky Grilled Chicken Breast (18.1g) and Chipotle's chicken High Protein Cup (17.8g). The best item on the list is about three times as efficient as the last one, Burger King's Bacon Double Cheeseburger at 6.0g.
Chicken carries the list. 13 of the 20 orders are chicken. The rest are beef (Jersey Mike's #19 and #17, Olive Garden's sirloin, and two burgers), one turkey sub in a tub, and Chipotle's High Protein, Low Calorie Bowl. Seven skip the bun, bread, or tortilla entirely: the four tubs, the Protein Style burger, and Chipotle's two cups.
The typical qualifying order is 390 calories and 36g of protein. Those are the medians of all 20. The median ratio is 9.65g of protein per 100 calories, more than double the 3.82g median for the full index.
12 of 21 chains have zero qualifying food items. CAVA, Dairy Queen, Domino's, Dunkin', Five Guys, McDonald's, Panera, Raising Cane's, Starbucks, Subway, Sweetgreen, and Wendy's all miss. More on the close calls below.
The lowest-calorie picks: six orders under 300 calories
| Item | Chain | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Protein Cup: chicken | Chipotle | 180 | 32g |
| Grilled Nuggets, 12-count | Chick-fil-A | 200 | 38g |
| Kentucky Grilled Chicken Breast | KFC | 210 | 38g |
| High Protein Cup: pollo asado | Chipotle | 220 | 37g |
| Blackened Tenders, 5 pieces | Popeyes | 280 | 47g |
| Grilled Teriyaki Chicken | Panda Express | 280 | 38g |
All six are grilled, blackened, or plain cooked meat with no breading or bread. They are the cheapest high-protein picks on a calorie budget: at most 280 calories for 32 to 47g of protein. On their own, a 180-calorie cup is a protein side more than a lunch, which is where the next section comes in.
Five highest-protein orders under 500 calories
- Jersey Mike's #19 BBQ Beef, sub in a tub: 48g, 400 calories
- Popeyes Blackened Tenders, 5 pieces: 47g, 280 calories
- Olive Garden 6 oz. Tuscan Sirloin: 46g, 480 calories
- Chick-fil-A Nuggets, 12-count: 40g, 380 calories
- KFC Original Recipe Breast: 39g, 390 calories
Two of the five are breaded, fried chicken. A 12-count of regular nuggets or one Original Recipe breast still clears 39g under 400 calories, so "fried" does not automatically rule an order out.
Making it a meal, still under 500
Pair a lean pick with one more item from the same chain's official numbers and you still land under 500:
| Order | Math | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| KFC: Kentucky Grilled Chicken Breast + Kentucky Grilled Chicken Thigh + Corn on the Cob | 210 + 150 + 70 | 430 | 57g (38 + 17 + 2) |
| Panda Express: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken + Hot & Sour Soup, cup | 280 + 140 | 420 | 47g (38 + 9) |
| Popeyes: Blackened Tenders, 5 pieces + Mashed Potatoes with Cajun Gravy, regular | 280 + 110 | 390 | 50g (47 + 3) |
| Chipotle: High Protein Cup: chicken + High Protein Cup: pollo asado | 180 + 220 | 400 | 69g (32 + 37) |
The Chipotle double cup is the standout: 69g of protein for 400 calories, 17.2g per 100 calories. The KFC plate gives you two pieces of chicken and a side for 430.
Watch the sauce
Sauces are where a lean order quietly stops being lean. Two packets of Chick-fil-A Sauce (140 calories each, 0g protein) turn the 12-count Grilled Nuggets into 480 calories: 200 + 140 + 140. Protein stays at 38g, so the ratio falls from 19.0g to 7.9g per 100 calories. At Popeyes, a Buttermilk Ranch adds 130 calories to the 5-piece Blackened Tenders, for 410 total. Say "twelve grilled nuggets, two Chick-fil-A sauces" to Siri and Nouri counts the sauce too.
Close calls: the chains with no qualifying order
| Chain | Most protein at 500 cal or less | Lowest-calorie food with 30g+ |
|---|---|---|
| McDonald's | McCrispy: 470 cal, 26g | Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 520 cal, 30g |
| Wendy's | Grilled Chicken Wrap: 420 cal, 28g | Dave's Single: 560 cal, 31g |
| Subway | 6-inch Oven-Roasted Turkey: 480 cal, 26g | 6-inch Grilled Chicken: 510 cal, 31g |
| Panera | Bacon Turkey Bravo, half: 430 cal, 24g | Green Goddess Cobb, whole: 580 cal, 40g |
| Sweetgreen | Roasted Bacon Brussels: 440 cal, 14g | Chicken Pesto Parm: 510 cal, 38g |
| CAVA | Pita Chips: 280 cal, 10g | Greek Salad Bowl: 580 cal, 37g |
| Dairy Queen | Hamburger, double: 460 cal, 24g | Hamburger, triple: 610 cal, 33g |
| Raising Cane's | Chicken Finger: 130 cal, 12g | Chicken Sandwich: 810 cal, 45g |
| Domino's | Chicken Caesar Salad, 1 container: 220 cal, 19g | None |
| Dunkin' | Everything Bagel: 340 cal, 12g | None |
| Five Guys | Peanuts, 1 oz: 170 cal, 7g | None |
McDonald's, Subway, and Sweetgreen miss by 10 to 20 calories. CAVA and Sweetgreen bowls pack plenty of protein but land above 500 as listed; build your own in the CAVA nutrition calculator to see where yours lands. Five Guys does not publish protein for its finished burgers, which is why none of them appears. Subway sandwiches can be customized in the Subway nutrition calculator.
Starbucks has no qualifying food, but four of its drinks would pass the same cutoffs if drinks counted: the Iced Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Matcha and Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Matcha (210 calories, 31g each), the Iced Protein Matcha (260 calories, 31g), and the Iced Caramel Protein Matcha (270 calories, 31g). All are Grande, standard recipe, checked October 3, 2026.
How to log a fast food order in Nouri
A fast food order is the easiest meal of the day to log, as long as you log what you actually ordered. You already know it: the chain, the size, the count, the sauce. Typing or saying "Popeyes 5-piece blackened tenders with buttermilk ranch" is faster than scrolling a database for the right entry, and it keeps the sauce in the total.
I built Nouri after a database app made logging take several minutes per meal, and an AI photo app gave me numbers that came in low. With Nouri you type the order like a note, say it, snap a photo (Nouri turns it into a sentence first so you can correct it), or ask Siri from the lock screen: "Hey Siri, track food in Nouri." The calories and protein show up right away with the reasoning for each item, and if you say "no sauce" or "two sauces," it recalculates. Nouri scored 92.1/100 in our 100-meal accuracy benchmark (MyFitnessPal 77.0). Nouri is iPhone (iOS only), and you can try it free.
Your protein target comes from your body weight, 1.0 gram per pound by default or 1.2 with Prioritize Protein on, and your weekly Nouri Report shows how many days you actually hit it. If 200g a day is your number, see what 200 grams of protein looks like in real food.
FAQ
What fast food has the most protein for under 500 calories?
Jersey Mike's #19 BBQ Beef as a sub in a tub has the most: 48g of protein for 400 calories. Popeyes' 5-piece Blackened Tenders are close behind at 47g for 280 calories, and Olive Garden's 6 oz. Tuscan Sirloin has 46g for 480.
What is the best high protein, low calorie fast food?
By protein per calorie, Chick-fil-A's 12-count Grilled Nuggets win among 30g+ orders, with 38g for 200 calories (19.0g per 100 calories). KFC's Kentucky Grilled Chicken Breast (38g, 210 calories) and Chipotle's chicken High Protein Cup (32g, 180 calories) are next.
Which fast food chain has the most high protein options under 500 calories?
Jersey Mike's, with four: the #19 BBQ Beef, #16 Chicken Philly, #17 Famous Philly, and #7 Turkey and Provolone, all as subs in a tub. Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, and KFC have three each.
What is the lowest calorie fast food with 30 grams of protein?
Chipotle's High Protein Cup with chicken: 180 calories and 32g of protein. Chick-fil-A's 12-count Grilled Nuggets (200 calories, 38g) and KFC's Kentucky Grilled Chicken Breast (210 calories, 38g) are the next lowest.
Does McDonald's have anything with 30g of protein under 500 calories?
No. In our dataset, the closest is the McCrispy at 470 calories and 26g of protein. The Quarter Pounder with Cheese reaches 30g, but at 520 calories. See McDonald's calories for the full menu.
Is there a high protein option at Subway under 500 calories?
Not one that reaches 30g. The 6-inch Oven-Roasted Turkey has 26g for 480 calories, and the 6-inch Grilled Chicken has 31g but 510 calories. Our Subway calories guide has the full list.
What is the healthiest high protein order at Chick-fil-A?
By protein per calorie, the 12-count Grilled Nuggets: 38g for 200 calories. They are also the most efficient order on this entire list. Skip the dipping sauce or count it, since each Chick-fil-A Sauce packet adds 140 calories.
Is a sub in a tub at Jersey Mike's high in protein?
Yes. Four Jersey Mike's subs in a tub land at 30g or more under 500 calories, led by the #19 BBQ Beef at 48g for 400. Serving the fillings in a bowl without bread is what puts them under 500.
Are Starbucks protein drinks a good high protein fast food option?
Four Starbucks protein matcha drinks have 31g of protein for 210 to 270 calories as Grande, standard recipe. We left them out of the main list because it covers food, but they pass the same cutoffs. See Starbucks drink calories for the full menu.
How many calories should a high protein fast food meal have?
That depends on your daily target, but the 20 qualifying orders have a median of 390 calories and 36g of protein. Adding one side, like KFC corn on the cob or Panda Express hot and sour soup, keeps a full meal between about 390 and 430 calories in our examples.
Where can I see all fast food items ranked by protein?
Our Fast Food Protein Index ranks 708 items from 21 chains by protein per 100 calories, and the full dataset is free to download. The High Protein Fast Food Finder lets you filter it with your own calorie and protein limits.
What is the easiest way to track protein when you eat fast food?
Say or type the exact order in Nouri, sauce and side included, and the calories and protein show up right away. Your protein ring shows what is left for the day, so you know whether dinner needs to make up for lunch.
Twenty orders, nine chains, and one rule that holds across all of them: grilled or bread-free chicken and beef win. Log whichever one you pick in Nouri and see it against your protein target. For the full rankings, open the Fast Food Protein Index; for a bigger day, see 2,000-calorie fast food meals; and for your own target, try the protein intake calculator.
Sources
- Nouri Fast Food Protein Index dataset, nouriapp.co/assets/data/fast-food-protein-index.csv (847 rows, 21 chains; filtered to type "food", calories of 500 or less, protein of 30g or more; checked October 13, 2026). Each row's numbers come from the chain's official source below, on the date shown:
- Jersey Mike's, jerseymikes.com/menu/nutrition (checked October 4, 2026)
- Chick-fil-A, chick-fil-a.com/nutrition-allergens (checked August 29, 2026)
- Chipotle, chipotle.com/nutrition-calculator (checked October 3, 2026)
- KFC, kfc.com/full-nutrition-guide (checked September 27, 2026)
- Burger King, bk.com/nutrition-explorer (checked October 3, 2026)
- Popeyes, Popeyes nutrition PDF (checked October 3, 2026)
- Olive Garden, Olive Garden nutrition PDF (checked September 27, 2026)
- Panda Express, pandaexpress.com/nutritioninformation (checked October 3, 2026)
- In-N-Out, in-n-out.com/menu/nutrition-info (checked August 29, 2026)
- Close calls and drinks, same dataset: McDonald's (mcdonalds.com, checked August 29, 2026), Wendy's (order.wendys.com, checked September 26, 2026), Subway (Subway nutrition PDF, checked September 26, 2026), Panera (Panera nutrition guide, checked August 29, 2026), Sweetgreen (sweetgreen.com/nutrition, checked October 4, 2026), CAVA (CAVA nutrition PDF, checked October 4, 2026), Dairy Queen (dairyqueen.com, checked October 4, 2026), Raising Cane's (Raising Cane's nutrition PDF, checked October 4, 2026), Domino's (Domino's nutrition guide, checked September 27, 2026), Dunkin' (dunkindonuts.com/nutrition, checked September 26, 2026), Five Guys (Five Guys nutrition guide, checked October 3, 2026), Starbucks (starbucks.com/menu, checked October 3, 2026)
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