Game Changer: This Is How to Hack Your McDonald's Breakfast So It's Actually Healthy

When McDonald's announced that its breakfast menu would be available all day, a lot of people were happy. Let's face it: breakfast food has become a favorite for a lot of people, and those McMuffins were too good to stop serving when the Happy Meals and Big Macs started rolling out. What you may not realize is that breakfast at McDonald's can be the healthiest fare it serves — if you know how to order smartly. In the 1990s, the burger giant told customers "what you want is what you get." What we want is a fast, fit, and nutritious meal we can eat at any time. Here's how to make Ronald McDonald's kitchen your go-to spot for a healthy meal.

The standard McMuffin is composed of a whole egg, an English muffin, a slice of ham, and a slice of American cheese. Here's how it shakes out from a caloric perspective:

Calories: 300

Total Fat: 12 g

Saturated Fat: 6 g

Cholesterol: 245 mg

Sodium: 730 mg

Potassium: 0 mg

Total Carbohydrate: 29 g

Dietary Fiber: 1 g

Sugars: 2 g

Protein: 17 g

Order your McMuffin without cheese and toss the top piece of bread, and you just dropped about six grams of fat and 15 grams of carbs. According to Keisha Luke, culinary nutritionist, "Removing the slice of American cheese and half of the English muffin makes the McDonald's egg McMuffin an adequate breakfast or snack for anyone hoping to have a good breakfast on the go."

Are you struggling to make it home in time for a post-workout meal? Are you dreading making another shake? Why not take advantage of the all-day offering and make your McMuffin the best post-workout meal just by adding another egg and keeping off the cheese and top piece of bread? This will result in a bump of 12 grams of protein. "Adding an egg to your altered egg McMuffin (described above) is a very good post-workout meal because it doubles the protein, giving it to you exactly when you need it most," Luke said.

You can also make your McMuffin work for a great pre-workout meal just by tossing the cheese and keeping both pieces of bread. "By removing the slice of American cheese from the egg McMuffin, you're left with an adequate pre-workout snack, which will have more carbs to give you energy for your workout and protein to fuel your gains," Luke said.

Why rely on the drive-through when you can make your own? You shouldn't! In fact, Luke had the following directions to make your home egg sensation that much better: "Add 2 eggs, 1/4 cup mushrooms, 1/4 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup mixed veggies on an English muffin or, better yet, a whole-grain flatbread, which increases protein intake and veggie intake, assisting to sustain energy levels throughout the day."