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RETURN OF THE MAC

These are five of the healthiest things you can buy in McDonald’s… and the bacon roll and hamburger are on the menu

Whether you're after a burger, salad, dessert or breakfast-to-go, nutritionist Lily Soutter reveals what should be on the menu for your next Maccies meal

McDONALD'S may not seem like the healthiest place to grab a bite to eat, but not all the meals are equally fatty and calorific.

, nutritionist Lily Soutter has revealed some of the healthiest meals on the menu - and there's some surprising choices in her list, including a burger and the bacon roll.

1. Bacon Roll: 319cals, 8.4g fat, 18g protein, 7g sugar

 The Bacon Roll is packed full of protein, helping to keep you full throughout the morning
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The Bacon Roll is packed full of protein, helping to keep you full throughout the morningCredit: McDonalds

Let's start with breakfast.

We wouldn't necessarily recommend scoffing one of these every day, but the humble Bacon Roll contains less additives, preservatives and extra ingredients than many options on the Maccies menu.

Lily added: "The protein will slow the rate at which sugar from the roll enters the blood stream allowing for more stable energy levels throughout the day."

2. Porridge: 194cals, 5.3g fat, 9.6g protein, 9.2g sugar

 The Porridge pot has a great mix of wholegrain carbs and protein
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The Porridge pot has a great mix of wholegrain carbs and proteinCredit: McDonalds

Unsurprisingly, the porridge pots are also a winner in her eyes.

The mixture of 9.6g protein and slow-release, wholegrain oats "means it'll keep you full up throughout the morning, rather than giving you the slump of a sweeter breakfast like a muffin," Lily said.

3. Hamburger: 250cals, 8.3g fat, 13g protein, 6.6g sugar

 You can even indulge in a Hamburger, but steer clear of the cheese and other extras
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You can even indulge in a Hamburger, but steer clear of the cheese and other extras

That's right, there's a burger on the list - but make sure you keep it plain.

Leave the cheese and other extras alone, and you're actually having a reasonably balanced lunch - with the added benefit of pickles and lettuce as toppings.

 It turns out you CAN visit McDonald's even if you're on a diet
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It turns out you CAN visit McDonald's even if you're on a dietCredit: Alamy

Lily said: "The beef patty is made of 100% pure beef, with no additives, fillers, binders, preservatives or flavour enhancers".

If you want to be really good, Lily recommends swapping your fries for a portion of carrot sticks - providing one of your five-a-day, fibre and carotene.

4. Grilled Chicken Salad: 133cal, 3.7g fat, 20g protein, 3.3g sugar

 The Grilled Chicken Salad is high in protein and low in calories
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The Grilled Chicken Salad is high in protein and low in caloriesCredit: McDonalds

This isn't the lowest calorie salad on the menu, but it's still got great credentials thanks to the filling 20g of protein.

At 133cals, it's still a decent diet meal. The dressing's an extra 30cals and 1g of fat, but Lily recommends drizzling it with a homemade mixture of oil and lemon juice instead.

5. Apple Pie: 250cal, 14g fat, 2.3g protein, 9.5g sugar

 Swap your McFlurry for the Apple Pie
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Swap your McFlurry for the Apple PieCredit: McDonalds

If you're on a diet, we'd recommend skipping dessert and going for some fresh fruit instead.

But, if you do fancy indulging, go for the classic Apple Pie.

It's a lower-calorie option than the McFlurries, and has the lowest sugar content too.

There's even 1.4g of healthy fibre in each pie. Nice one.

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