When you’re in a rush but still trying to hit your goals

Recently, Delish published an article titled “This Is The Highest Protein Fast Food Breakfast You Can Order In The U.S.” (written by Megan Schaltegger).

And honestly? It’s not wrong.

The article rounds up fast food breakfasts that deliver 20–34 grams of protein — which sounds impressive when you’re trying to stay full, build muscle, or avoid the mid-morning snack spiral.

But once you read past the protein number… things get a little funny.

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The part we can’t stop thinking about

To hit that “high-protein” label at a drive-thru, most of the meals in the Delish roundup come with:

• 500–650+ calories
• 900–1,700mg sodium
• 10–19g saturated fat
• And a receipt that still says “under $10”

And that’s where the disconnect happens.

Because somehow, we’ve decided that protein cancels everything else out.

If it has 25–30g of protein, we stop asking questions.

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A quick tour of the highlights

Based on the Delish list:

• Steak breakfast quesadillas hit ~28g protein… at around 500 calories
• Bacon-and-egg wraps reach ~27g protein… closer to 640 calories
• Breakfast sandwiches deliver ~20–25g protein… with enough sodium to make lunch feel optional
• One burrito clocks 34g protein — and nearly an entire day’s worth of salt

Again: the protein math checks out.

The rest of the math is where things get interesting.

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“But it’s under $10”

This is the sneaky part.

Fast food breakfasts feel like a smart choice because:

• They’re cheap
• They’re fast
• They technically check the protein box

And once in a while? Totally fine.

But when you’re trying to hit early-year health targets, those choices add up fast.

Starting your day with:

• 600+ calories
• A sodium-heavy meal
• And limited flexibility for the rest of the day

…means by mid-morning you’re either:

• Hungry again
• Cutting calories later
• Or quietly pushing your goals to “next week”

That’s not failure — it’s just bad math repeating itself.

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Cheap in the drive-thru. Expensive on your goals.

Fast food breakfasts look low-cost on the receipt.

But when your goals are:

• Protein consistency
• Energy that lasts
• Fewer food decisions
• Predictable calories

Those “high-protein” drive-thru meals start costing you in other ways.

Momentum.
Consistency.
Progress.

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Or… skip the whole equation

Here’s the simple comparison Delish accidentally sets up:

To get 25+ grams of protein at a drive-thru, you usually need to eat 500–600+ calories.

Or…

You could just eat two high-protein waffles.

Two waffles:

• 23 grams of protein
• Significantly fewer calories
• No fryer oil
• No sodium roulette
• Ready in 90 seconds
• Eaten at home, in sweatpants, without regret

No line.
No crash.
No calorie gymnastics.

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The real takeaway

The Delish article proves something important:

Fast food can deliver protein.

It just does it in the least efficient, most calorie-dense way possible.

If your goal is to:

• Stay full
• Hit protein
• Keep calories under control
• Build habits that actually stick

You don’t need the drive-thru.

You need something fast, boring, repeatable, and effective.

Eat the waffles.
Call it a day.