Burger King and the Whopper have been around for a long time in the U.S.—the chain opened in Florida in 1954, and the iconic burger hit the flame broiler soon after in 1957. As with most fast-food joints, you’ll find the cleanest protein and best nutritional value in its grilled chicken sandwich, a solid choice before hitting up the gym, as it’s a simple sandwich with white meat bookended by a potato roll, which means less white flour and more protein and fiber than a regular white bread roll.
Other good menu choices include breakfast items like the Maple Flavored Oatmeal and the Croissan’wich with ham, egg, and cheese, Whoppers or regular hamburgers without cheese, and holding back on mayonnaise to keep fat counts within a manageable range.
There are plenty of items on the menu, though, that can bust your macro budget with just a few bites, so stay away from the obvious ones like the bacon- laden double cheeseburgers and specialty Whoppers, which can easily flirt with 1,000 calories. Of course, you should steer clear of the shakes and fried foods like the onion rings (a large hits 500 calories), chicken nuggets, and salads with “bacon” and “ranch” in the title. Some of the breakfast items can also get out of control, like the big Egg-Normous Burrito, the Ultimate Breakfast Platter (almost 1,200 calories), and most of the biscuits, which all have at least 21 grams of fat.
PRE-WORKOUT PICK
Look for foods with protein for sustained energy and some carbohydrates to fuel muscle—stay away from fatty and calorie-heavy foods.
Grilled Chicken Sandwich, hold the mayo
White meat chicken fillet, lettuce, and tomato on a potato roll
Calories 370
Protein 26g
Carbs 39g
Fat 7g
POST-WORKOUT PICK
After an intense workout, you need to build your glycogen stores back up with carbs and lean protein to jump-start muscle-tissue repair and the building of new proteins.
Double Whopper Sandwich, hold the mayo
Two 1⁄4 lb beef patties, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, pickles, and white onions on a sesame seed bun
Calories 740
Protein 47g
Carbs 49g
Fat 40g
FAST-FOOD FATTENERS
Sometimes items that appear harmless can hide high amounts of fat and carbs, like this:
Egg-Normous Burrito
Sausage, bacon, eggs, hash browns, cheese sauce, creamy spicy sauce, and picante sauce in a our tortilla
