A Healthy Meal at McDonald's: Can It Be Done?

In addition, crispy chicken options generally cost you 100 calories more than grilled chicken options, even in salads.

“The worst is anything super-sized, fried, with lots of added sugars and saturated fats,” says Dr. Hoerr.

If McDonald’s breakfasts are your vice, steer clear of the “big” and “deluxe” breakfasts. The deluxe breakfast with scrambled eggs, a sausage patty, hash browns, three hotcakes and a large biscuit, without syrup and margarine, has 1,150 calories and 60 grams of fat. That's more than some people consume in a whole day.

3. Beware of Dollar Menu Pitfalls
McDonald’s dollar menu offers cheaper options, letting you effectively build a meal for about $3. But since many of the healthiest menu items aren’t on the dollar menu, it’s likely that these budget-friendly options constitute less healthy options. On the typical dollar menu, the healthiest items you can get are the side salad (20 calories and no fat, not including dressing) and the fruit and yogurt parfait.

“Dollar menu sales [which accounts for about 10% of McDonalds’ U.S. sales] have actually declined a bit in the last few months…after the double cheeseburger was replaced on the dollar menu by the McDouble,” spokeswoman Heidi Barker says. The McDouble is basically a double cheeseburger with one slice of cheese instead of two, which saves you about 50 calories. (Hey, every calorie counts.)

For more Mickey D health analysis, check out the Best and Worst Fast Food: McDonald's Edition from Lifehacker.