Like most fast food restaurants, Hardee’s is big on battered and fried foods as well as burgers. This can make eating keto at Hardee’s a little challenging. But, if you order carefully, you can make it work in an emergency.
Some of the best Hardee’s options on a keto diet are the bacon double-cheese burger or Frisco Angus burger without the bun. You can also enjoy a bacon (or sausage), egg, and cheese biscuit, minus the biscuit.
We never recommend making fast food your first choice, but when life happens, here’s how to order a low-carb Hardee’s meal to ensure you stay in ketosis.
Low-Carb. Most any sandwich can be made low-carb by swapping the bun for a lettuce wrap. If you want a taco, you can lower the carb content by not eating the shell.
Tips For Ordering Low Carb at Hardee’s
Hardee’s is open daily from about 6 AM until around 10 PM or 11 PM. They’ve always been known for being a breakfast place since they became a popular franchise back in the 1970s and it looks like they want to continue to keep it that way.
Keep in mind that eating at home is always best for you, especially if you’re on a ketogenic diet. This is because eating at home allows you to pick out your ingredients.
Eating at Hardee’s or any fast food restaurant once a month or so won’t hurt you too badly. Just make sure you never rely on fast food as your meal of choice and only hit the drive-through for an emergency only.
Dishes that are lowest in carbs
Here are the top items that are lowest in carbs at Hardee’s, based on the website’s nutrition information:
- Frisco Breakfast sandwich (2 grams carbs as hold as you hold the bun)
- Egg and cheese biscuit (2 grams carbs if you hold the biscuit)
- Add bacon for 0 grams extra carbs!
There are lots of opportunities to accidentally order something that contains hidden carbs, so make sure you follow these tips to keep your diet on track.
#1. Look up the nutritional information of your food
Start by visiting the Hardee’s menu. Click on your food of choice and customize it so that it matches your needs. You’ll be able to compare your modified version with the calories in the original dish.
For example, a ⅓ pound bacon cheese thickburger normally contains 850 calories, 54 grams of fat, 54 grams of carbs (51 grams net carbs), 3 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 42 grams of protein. But if you hold the bun and mayonnaise, your new macronutrient profile reads as follows: 400 calories, 27 grams of fat, 6 grams of carbs (5 grams net carbs), 1 gram of fiber, 3 grams of sugar and 35 grams of protein.
This is a great tool to use if you need to stay within a certain carb or fat ratio for the day and are worried that Hardee’s will put you over.
#2. Ask to “low-carb” it
Hardee’s used to have a “low-carb it” option that allowed you to order any burger without the bun. Instead, they would serve it to you in a lettuce wrap. They also had an option called “trim it,” where you could get a sandwich or burger as a lettuce wrap AND without bacon and cheese or other toppings that add to calories.
It does not appear that they offer these preparations anymore, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ask. Specifically, they used to have two “low-carb it” sandwiches, including the charbroiled chicken club sandwich and the ⅓ pound low-carb thickburger. The “low-carb it” option did not leave off the sugary sauces, so you will want to be sure to hold these if you order a lettuce wrap.
We noticed that the Hardee’s nutrition menu lists some of the older foods on their menu, such as the “low-carb it” options and the low-carb breakfast bowl. So be sure to ask what else is on the menu if you want something special as they might still be able to make these for you.
#3. Go with breakfast
Hardee’s used to serve breakfast all day, but it doesn’t appear that they do this anymore. You can still order off the breakfast menu until 10:30 at most locations.
We recommend going with a breakfast sandwich without the bun. This would be a good way to go as eggs, bacon, and meat are always guaranteed to be low-carb. Breakfast sandwiches are also less likely to contain sauce than burgers, so you won’t have to do as much customizing.
One thing to keep in mind is that Hardee’s uses “folded” eggs. We aren’t sure what this means as Hardee’s doesn’t include ingredients in their nutritional information, but we’re sure it contains some type of preservative to keep the eggs in patty form.
This makes the eggs easier to eat, especially without a bun, but it’s not something you want to indulge in often. They also have fried eggs, too. If you end up ordering breakfast, be sure to hold the hash browns and any tempting starchy sides that come with it, such as their scratch-made biscuits.
We like the prime rib and fried egg biscuit, which comes with slow cooked prime rib, Swiss cheese, and a fried egg on a biscuit. You can keep it low carb by holding the biscuit.
Eating low carb at Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s | Keto Chow
FAQ
What fast food has lettuce-wrapped burgers?
Does Carl’s Jr still do lettuce wrap burgers?
How many carbs are in Hardee’s low carb Thickburger?
How many calories in a Hardee’s low carb bowl?
How do you eat a low carb meal at Hardee’s?
Ask the server to “low-carb” it.Hardee’s used to offer keto-friendly services like “low carb it” or “trim it”. When you ask the server to low carb it, they will ditch the bread or wrap and turn it into a lettuce wrap. This is great in keeping the meal low carb and fiber-rich at the same time.
What are some foods with high calories but low in carbs?
The main foods on the list will be sources of lipids, such as chestnuts, almonds and walnuts, as well as avocados and coconuts, and sources of proteins such as meat.
What is the lowest carb at Hardee’s?
Here are the top items that are lowest in carbs at Hardee’s, based on the website’s nutrition information: Frisco Breakfast sandwich (2 grams carbs as hold as you hold the bun) Egg and cheese biscuit (2 grams carbs if you hold the biscuit)
Is Hardee’s a low-carb & keto-friendly restaurant?
At Hardee’s, opting for lettuce wraps instead of bread and holding the sugary sauces can help keep your meal low-carb and keto-friendly.” First, never order from the green/ red burrito menu. The dishes from the green and red burrito menu have the complete package—meet. Cheese, veggies, meats, and dressing.