For A High-Protein Chick-Fil-A Breakfast, Order This Sandwich

Often fairly cheap, hand-held, and tasty, a fast food breakfast sandwich can be a lifesaver when you're on the go. However, not all fast food breakfasts leave you feeling energized. A carb-heavy meal like a blueberry muffin or a buttered bagel can lead to that dreaded mid-morning crash. If you're looking for a breakfast that powers you through your day instead of slowing you down, prioritizing protein is key.

At Chick-fil-A, you can find that perfect fast food balance of affordable, crave-worthy, and high in protein: the Egg White Grill. It's loaded with lean protein from grilled chicken and egg whites, while keeping the calorie and fat counts relatively low compared to many other breakfast sandwiches. Served on a toasted multigrain English muffin with a slice of American cheese, it's a balance of savory flavor and nutritional value. At 300 calories and 27 grams of protein, this sandwich provides over a third of its calories from protein, making it one of the smarter choices on fast food menus. Plus, it skips the heavy fried ingredients and carb overload that can leave you feeling sluggish.

If you don't absolutely need something handheld, there's the Hash Brown Scramble Bowl, featuring scrambled eggs, hash browns, and cheese. If you add grilled chicken, the hearty dish delivers a solid 31 grams of protein per 420 calories. Removing the hash browns leaves you with a 270-calorie meal that still provides a whopping 30 grams of protein, and nothing fried!

Even for breakfast, Chick-fil-A's menu is suffused with mouthwatering options. Their Chicken Biscuit is undeniably a fan favorite. Fluffy, buttery, and paired with that iconic crispy fried chicken, it's easy to see why this sandwich is one of their most popular breakfast items. But while it scores big on taste, it falls short in terms of nutrition. At 460 calories and 19 grams of protein, it delivers less than 20% of its calories from protein, while the butter and fried chicken can leave you feeling sluggish rather than fueled.

This is a common theme in fast food: what tastes best is often not the best for you. (Case in point, in our own ranking of fast food breakfast sandwiches, we selected the greasy Carl's Jr. Breakfast Burger as the number one for flavor. Delicious? Absolutely. Nutritious? Not so much.)

For protein and flavor, Chick-fil-A's Egg White Grill is the way to go. You can even up the flavor with some sauces. Their buffalo sauce, for example, adds a spicy kick for just 25 calories. Beyond Chick-fil-A, other fast food chains offer solid high-protein breakfasts. Starbucks' Bacon and Gruyere Egg Bites pack an impressive 19 grams of protein in a low-carb, bread-free option, while Panera Bread's Avocado, Egg White, and Spinach Breakfast Sandwich offers a balanced 19 grams of protein in a wholesome, nutrient-packed meal. These picks prove you can have convenience, flavor, and nutrition all in one.