Guide · Updated 11 September 2026
The healthiest fast food in Australia, chain by chain
Nando's is the healthiest fast food chain in Australia, and it's not close. Then Grill'd, then KFC, which surprises everyone. Sushi Hub is at the bottom of the mains list because the rolls are mostly rice, even though it also sells the single best cutting item in the country. Domino's, Boost Juice and Donut King are at the bottom of everything.
That's from one number, protein per 100 calories, across every main on every menu in the app. I'll explain why I use it, then give you the best order at each chain.
Why I rank on protein per calorie
"Healthy" is a slippery word for fast food. Nothing at a drive through is healthy the way a home cooked meal is. What you can measure is how much of what you eat is doing something useful. Protein keeps you full and keeps muscle on. Calories are the budget. So the question I ask of every item is, how much protein do I get for each 100 calories I spend.
Over 6 is excellent for takeaway. 4 to 6 is fine. Under 3 is a snack pretending to be a meal.
Here's where the typical main sits at each chain, looking at everything between 250 and 800 calories.
- Nando's, about 7.4
- Grill'd, about 5.7
- KFC, about 5.5
- Oporto, about 5.2
- Carl's Jr, about 4.7
- McDonald's, about 4.6
- Hungry Jack's, about 4.3
- Zambrero, about 4.3
- Guzman y Gomez, about 4.2
- Red Rooster, about 4.1
- Sushi Hub, about 3.6
- Domino's, about 2.3
- Boost Juice, about 2.0
- Donut King, about 1.3
The gap between the top and the bottom is bigger than most people expect. A typical Nando's main gives you three times the protein per calorie of a typical Domino's slice.
The best order at each chain
The chain ranking tells you where it's easy to eat well. The order tells you what to actually get. These are the best mains at each chain on the same number, best first, all from the chains' own figures.
| Item | kcal | kJ | Protein g | Fat g | Carbs g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assorted Sashimi Sushi Hub | 191 | 799 | 32.1 | 2.3 | 9.9 |
| Quarter PERi-PERi Chicken Nando's | 345 | 1,443 | 52.0 | 14.9 | 0.0 |
| 3 Grilled Chicken Tenders Oporto | 260 | 1,088 | 38.0 | 10.5 | 2.0 |
| Quarter Chicken Red Rooster | 280 | 1,172 | 34.9 | 11.4 | 8.8 |
| Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders - 3 Piece Carl's Jr. | 250 | 1,046 | 25.0 | 12.0 | 11.0 |
| HotBird - Panini Grill'd | 402 | 1,682 | 42.3 | 11.8 | 27.2 |
| Saucy Chicken Wings - No Sauce (5 Pack) Domino's | 374 | 1,565 | 34.0 | 24.4 | 5.0 |
| 1 Piece of Chicken KFC | 235 | 983 | 20.4 | 13.9 | 7.2 |
| Wondermelon Original Boost Juice | 191 | 799 | 13.1 | 2.3 | 27.3 |
| Mighty McMuffin McDonald's | 442 | 1,849 | 29.7 | 21.7 | 30.8 |
| Grilled Chicken Quesadilla Guzman y Gomez | 458 | 1,916 | 29.8 | 22.4 | 33.7 |
| Grilled Chicken Hungry Jack's | 350 | 1,464 | 22.4 | 17.0 | 26.7 |
| Grilled Chicken Classic Bowl Small Zambrero | 316 | 1,322 | 17.2 | 15.6 | 26.2 |
A few notes on that list.
Nando's quarter chicken is 345 calories with 52.0 grams of protein. There's nothing else at a chain that does that. Sushi Hub's Assorted Sashimi is 191 calories with 32.1 grams, which is why Sushi Hub is at the bottom of the chain list and still has the best single item. Red Rooster's quarter chicken is 280 calories with 34.9 grams, and it's the most underrated order in the country.
At Maccas the answer is the Mighty McMuffin before 10:30 and a Quarter Pounder after. At KFC it's the chicken itself, not the burgers. At Hungry Jack's it's the Grilled Chicken, which most people have never ordered.
The chains with no good order
Domino's best protein order is the wings with no sauce, and that's a side. Every pizza is under 5 grams of protein per 100 calories and most are under 4. You can eat pizza on a diet, you just have to eat half of one, and I wrote up how to do that.
Boost Juice has one drink I'd order on a cut, the Wondermelon, and everything else is 60 to 90 grams of sugar in a cup. Donut King is donuts. There's no version of that list where a donut does well, and the hot dogs are the saltiest things in the app per calorie.
Chatime doesn't publish sugar, and a milk tea is 340 to 670 calories with two or three grams of protein regardless.
The honest version of "healthy"
If someone asks me where to eat when they're trying to lose weight, I say Nando's or Grill'd, order chicken, skip the chips. If they say they're at Maccas, I say Quarter Pounder, no fries. The chain matters less than the order. Every chain in the top ten has a meal under 500 calories with over 25 grams of protein, and every chain including Nando's has a way to eat 1,500 calories in one sitting.
FAQ
What is the healthiest fast food chain in Australia?
Nando's, on protein per calorie across its menu. A quarter peri peri chicken is 345 calories with 52.0 grams of protein. Grill'd is second and KFC is third, because the chicken itself is good and it's the sides that aren't.
Which fast food is best for weight loss?
The one where you can get 25 to 40 grams of protein for under 500 calories. That's Nando's, Grill'd, KFC's chicken pieces, Red Rooster's roast chicken, Sushi Hub's sashimi, and the Grilled Chicken at Hungry Jack's. Maccas gets there at breakfast with the McMuffins.
Is KFC healthier than McDonald's?
On protein per calorie, yes. KFC's typical main is 5.5 grams of protein per 100 calories against 4.6 at McDonald's, because the chicken pieces are good value. Both chains fall apart when you add chips.