The short answer
- A typical Chick-fil-A meal is lighter: 510 calories against 520.
- Chick-fil-A gives more protein in a typical meal: 29g against 21g.
- McDonald's is lower in sodium: 1,100mg against 1,260mg.
- Per calorie, Chick-fil-A is the leaner menu: 5.4g of protein per 100 calories against 4.2g.
These are medians across the complete meals in our data, not a judgement on any single order. What you pick matters more than where you go, so the tables below show the best and worst of each.
The menus side by side
| Across all meals | McDonald's | Chick-fil-A |
|---|---|---|
| Meals compared | 51 | 98 |
| Typical calories | 520 | 510 |
| Typical protein | 21g | 29g |
| Protein per 100 cal | 4.2g | 5.4g |
| Typical sodium | 1,100mg | 1,260mg |
| Meals at 500 cal or less | 24 of 51 | 47 of 98 |
| Meals with 30g+ protein | 11 of 51 | 48 of 98 |
Green marks the better figure in each row: fewer calories, less sodium, more protein.
Item against item
The closest equivalents on each menu, one serving each.
Crispy chicken sandwich
| Per serving | McCrispy | Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 470 | 420 |
| Protein | 26g | 29g |
| Net carbs | 45g | 40g |
| Fat | 20g | 16g |
| Sodium | 1,140mg | 1,470mg |
Spicy chicken sandwich
| Per serving | Spicy McCrispy | Spicy Chicken Sandwich |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 530 | 450 |
| Protein | 27g | 28g |
| Net carbs | 46g | 43g |
| Fat | 26g | 18g |
| Sodium | 1,320mg | 1,740mg |
Small fries
| Per serving | Small World Famous Fries | Small Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries® |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 230 | 320 |
| Protein | 3g | 4g |
| Net carbs | 28g | 31g |
| Fat | 11g | 19g |
| Sodium | 190mg | 190mg |
Highest-protein orders
McDonald's
| Order | Protein | Cal | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese + small fries | 51g | 970 | 1,550mg |
| McCrispy Strips + Ranch Snack Wrap | 48g | 800 | 2,290mg |
| Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese | 48g | 740 | 1,360mg |
| McDouble + McChicken | 36g | 780 | 1,480mg |
| Big Breakfast with Hotcakes | 36g | 1340 | 2,070mg |
Chick-fil-A
| Order | Protein | Cal | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 ct Chick-fil-A® Nuggets | 100g | 950 | 4,550mg |
| 30 ct Grilled Nuggets | 98g | 510 | 1,710mg |
| 10 ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips® | 96g | 1020 | 2,870mg |
| 10 ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Minis® | 49g | 910 | 2,640mg |
| 12 ct grilled nuggets + side salad | 44g | 670 | 1,360mg |
Lightest meals
McDonald's
| Order | Cal | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburger | 250 | 12g | 510mg |
| Bagel (plain) | 270 | 9g | 550mg |
| Cheeseburger | 300 | 15g | 720mg |
| Egg McMuffin | 310 | 17g | 770mg |
| Sausage Burrito | 310 | 13g | 800mg |
Chick-fil-A
| Order | Cal | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hash Brown Scramble Bowl w/ No Meat - no hash browns | 200 | 16g | 530mg |
| English Muffin | 200 | 5g | 190mg |
| 12 ct Grilled Nuggets | 200 | 38g | 660mg |
| 2 ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips® | 200 | 19g | 580mg |
| Berry Parfait w/ Cookie Crumbs | 240 | 12g | 85mg |
Check your own order
Build the exact meal you would order in the McDonald's calculator and the Chick-fil-A calculator, or let the macro finder search both for orders that fit your calories and protein.
Frequently asked questions
Is McDonald's or Chick-fil-A lower in calories?
A typical Chick-fil-A meal is lighter: 510 calories against 520. "Typical" means the median of the complete meals in our data: 51 at McDonald's and 98 at Chick-fil-A.
Which has more protein, McDonald's or Chick-fil-A?
Chick-fil-A gives more protein in a typical meal: 29g against 21g. The single highest-protein order is Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese + small fries at McDonald's (51g) and 30 ct Chick-fil-A® Nuggets at Chick-fil-A (100g).
What is the lightest meal at McDonald's and at Chick-fil-A?
At McDonald's it is Hamburger with 250 calories. At Chick-fil-A it is Hash Brown Scramble Bowl w/ No Meat - no hash browns with 200 calories.
McCrispy vs Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich: which has fewer calories?
McCrispy (McDonald's) has 470 calories and 26g of protein. Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich (Chick-fil-A) has 420 calories and 29g of protein.
Spicy McCrispy vs Spicy Chicken Sandwich: which has fewer calories?
Spicy McCrispy (McDonald's) has 530 calories and 27g of protein. Spicy Chicken Sandwich (Chick-fil-A) has 450 calories and 28g of protein.
About this comparison
Figures come from McDonald's official Nutrition Calculator (US), read in the browser and Chick-fil-A official Nutrition & Allergens page (US). MacroTray is independent and not affiliated with either restaurant. Read our methodology.