High-Protein Breakfast Options at Taco Bell (Under 500 Calories)
First reality check: Taco Bell breakfast isn’t available everywhere
As of late 2024, Taco Bell lets franchise owners drop the breakfast menu if it doesn’t fit their local market, so some locations no longer serve breakfast at all. Company-owned stores keep breakfast, and many franchises still offer it, but it’s now “at participating locations only.”
So before you fall in love with any of these ideas, it’s worth checking whether your local Taco Bell actually does breakfast.
What “high-protein” means at Taco Bell (and why it’s tricky under 500 calories)
In most nutrition advice, a high-protein breakfast means roughly 20–30 grams of protein to support muscle maintenance, appetite control, and steady energy.
Taco Bell absolutely has items in that range—but most of them are heavy:
Breakfast Crunchwraps (bacon/sausage/steak): around 660–690 calories with roughly 20–21 g protein.
Grande Toasted Breakfast Burritos (bacon/sausage/steak): about 560–570 calories with 22–27 g protein.
Steak Breakfast Quesadilla: roughly 500–510 calories and about 28 g protein.
The protein is great, but they blow past (or sit right on) that 500-calorie line.
So if you’re strict about both high protein and staying under 500 calories, Taco Bell’s breakfast is more about “the best available compromises” than perfect macros. The one true under-500 star category is the Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito lineup.
Best Taco Bell breakfast items under 500 calories
These are the items that definitely stay under 500 calories and still give you more protein than sides or pastries.
1. Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito – Bacon
Calories: ~350
Protein: ~13 g
What it is:
A grilled flour tortilla filled with bacon, scrambled egg, and nacho cheese sauce.
Why it works (relatively speaking):
At 350 calories, it’s well under your 500-calorie cap.
Roughly 13 g protein puts it in the “solid” rather than “amazing” range, but that’s still much better than just eating hash browns or dessert-type items.
It’s one of the highest-protein choices under 400 calories on the breakfast menu.
This is the closest thing Taco Bell has to a “high-protein lite” breakfast wrap.
2. Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito – Sausage
Calories: ~340–350
Protein: ~10–11 g
What it is:
Sausage crumbles, scrambled egg, and nacho cheese in a grilled tortilla.
Why you might choose it:
Similar calories to the bacon version, but a bit less protein.
Still gives double-digit protein for 350 calories, which is not bad for fast food.
This is a decent choice if you prefer sausage flavor and aren’t obsessing over squeezing every gram of protein out of your breakfast.
3. Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito – Potato (Vegetarian)
Calories: ~340
Protein: ~10 g
What it is:
Scrambled egg, potatoes, tomatoes, and nacho cheese in a grilled tortilla.
Why it’s useful:
A vegetarian option that still hits around 10 g protein—better than an order of plain potatoes or a pastry.
At about 340 calories, you stay comfortably under 500 even if you add black coffee or diet soda.
If you don’t eat meat, this is the most protein you’re going to get from the Taco Bell breakfast menu for this calorie level.
What about “real” high-protein items like Crunchwraps and Grande Burritos?
This is where the trade-off gets obvious:
Breakfast Crunchwraps
~660–690 calories
~20–21 g protein
Grande Toasted Breakfast Burritos (bacon/sausage/steak)
~560–570 calories
~22–27 g protein
Steak Breakfast Quesadilla
~500–510 calories
~28 g protein
If your only goal is protein, these are fantastic. But if you’re trying to stay under 500 calories, they don’t really fit—especially the Crunchwraps and Grande burritos.
The Steak Breakfast Quesadilla hovers right around 500 calories, depending on which source you look at. It’s arguably usable if you’re not super strict and you’re okay with “about 500” instead of “definitely under 500.” But technically, it’s right at or slightly above the line.
Under-500 breakfast combos that make the most of Taco Bell
Because no single Taco Bell breakfast item under 500 calories hits that 20–30 g “classic high-protein” target on its own, your best move is to:
Use Taco Bell for the base, then rely on low-cal drinks and (optionally) outside protein to finish the job.
Combo 1: Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito (Bacon) + Zero-Cal Drink
Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito – Bacon: ~350 cal, ~13 g protein
Black coffee / diet soda / unsweetened iced tea: ~0–5 cal
Total: ~350–355 calories, 13 g protein
Why it’s the best in-menu option:
It gives you the most protein per calorie of the Cheesy Toasted group.
You’ve still got about 150 spare calories to hit later with a protein shake, Greek yogurt, or high-protein snack at home.
Combo 2: Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito (Sausage) + Black Coffee
Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito – Sausage: ~340–350 cal, 10–11 g protein
Black coffee / unsweet hot tea: ~0–5 cal
Total: ~345–355 calories, 10–11 g protein
Why you’d choose it:
You like sausage flavor more than bacon.
You’re okay with slightly lower protein and plan to make up the difference later in the day.
Combo 3: Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito (Potato) + Zero-Cal Drink
Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito – Potato: ~340 cal, ~10 g protein
Diet soda / black coffee / unsweet tea: ~0–5 cal
Total: ~340–345 calories, ~10 g protein
Why it’s nice:
Works for vegetarians (egg + cheese + potatoes + tomato).
Still a better protein hit than just ordering potatoes and salsa on their own.
Combo 4 (borderline): Steak Breakfast Quesadilla + Black Coffee
If you’re flexible on the 500-calorie rule:
Steak Breakfast Quesadilla: about 500–510 calories, 28 g protein
Black coffee: ~0–5 calories
Total: ~500–515 calories, 28 g protein
This is not strictly under 500, but it’s very close, and the protein is excellent. If your “under 500” goal is more of a guideline than a hard cap, this is the only truly “high-protein in one item” breakfast Taco Bell offers.
Customization tips to keep Taco Bell breakfast as macro-friendly as possible
Even with a limited breakfast lineup, a few tweaks can keep your order leaner and more protein-focused.
1. Use “Fresco” mode when possible
On Taco Bell’s site, items like the Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito show a “Make it Fresco” option, which:
Swaps dairy and mayo-based sauces for pico de gallo
Is listed as adding 0 calories to the base (because you’re replacing, not stacking).
In practice, this usually:
Lowers fat and total calories a bit
Adds some volume and freshness
Doesn’t change protein much (since the protein is mainly in the egg and meat)
If you want to push your total closer to 300–330 calories instead of 340–350, Fresco-style is your friend.
2. Don’t add hash browns or extra potatoes
It’s tempting to tack on a side of hash browns, but:
A small hash brown patty at Taco Bell is about 160 calories with basically no protein.
If your goal is “as much protein as possible under 500 calories,” almost every extra side of potatoes is just stealing calories from something else that could have provided protein later in the day.
3. Skip the extra cheese and sauces
Popular upgrades like extra cheese, creamy jalapeño, or guacamole add:
25–80+ extra calories per add-on, basically all from fat.
They barely move protein but push your burrito closer to 400–450 calories on their own. That’s not what you want when your best protein item is already only 10–13 g.
If you want more flavor, Fresco-style pico de gallo is the best low-cal choice.
4. Treat drinks as “free” calories – or not at all
Since almost none of Taco Bell’s breakfast protein comes from drinks, it makes no sense to spend calories there if you’re trying to stay under 500:
Stick to black coffee, unsweetened iced tea, or diet soda.
Avoid juices, sugary sodas, or sweet coffee drinks in the morning—those calories add up fast and do nothing for protein.
5. Think of Taco Bell as phase one of breakfast
Because no under-500 breakfast item here gives you 20–30 g of protein by itself, the practical plan looks like this:
Base at Taco Bell: one Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito (bacon, sausage, or potato) and a zero-cal drink.
Protein top-up later:
A scoop of protein powder mixed at home
A cup of Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese, leftover chicken, etc.
Use Taco Bell for the convenience and flavor, then finish your protein target elsewhere.
What to avoid if you’re serious about under 500 calories
If your main goals are “keep breakfast under 500” and “get reasonable protein,” be very cautious with:
Breakfast Crunchwraps – ~660–690 calories, ~20–21 g protein.
Grande Toasted Breakfast Burritos – ~560–570 calories, ~22–27 g protein.
Steak Breakfast Quesadilla – great protein, but basically right on 500+ calories.
Adding sides like hash browns – ~160 “empty” calories with almost no protein.
They’re totally fine as an occasional treat, but they don’t fit the high-protein under-500 strategy on a regular basis.
Quick Taco Bell ordering cheat sheet
If you just want simple scripts for the drive-thru that keep you in a good spot:
Best all-around choice (under 400 cal)
“Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito, bacon, Fresco style, and a black coffee.”
≈ 330–350 calories, ~13 g protein.
Sausage version
“Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito, sausage, and an unsweet iced tea.”
≈ 340–350 calories, ~10–11 g protein.
Vegetarian option
“Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito, potato, Fresco style, and water.”
≈ 330–340 calories, ~10 g protein.
Use one of these as your default, then plan a protein-heavy snack or lunch later. That way Taco Bell breakfast stays under 500 calories while still contributing meaningfully to your daily protein goal.
