Healthy McMuffin recipe: Man loses 60kg with drool worthy fast food swaps

A Queensland man who dropped 60kg by swapping his favourite fast food items with healthier versions has gone viral after sharing his “game changing” McDonald’s McMuffin recipe.

Dez Cerimagic went from 135kg to 75kg by creating healthier alternatives to the most popular fast-food items – enjoying everything from McDonald’s McChicken burgers and nuggets, to Hungry Jack’s whoppers and KFC zinger burgers.

Most recently, the 22-year-old from the Gold Coast sent TikTok followers into a frenzy after revealing how he makes a healthy McDonald’s sausage and egg McMuffin at home.

But while the Macca’s version has 23g of protein and 21g of fat, Cerimagic’s contains 36g of protein and just 14g of fat.

“For the longest time, people who wanted to lose weight thought they only needed to eat strict, boring, healthy foods” he told news.com.au.

“But in the long run, for most people, that’s not sustainable. People don’t want to just eat salad and vegetables all day.

“I don’t like to think of foods as good or bad, but if your goal is to lose weight, you can do that with just some simple swaps.

“It means you can still have your favourite foods, and lose weight and get healthier.

“I posted the McMuffin recipe, and it blew up. I think it’s because people love fast food and think they need to cut it out completely if they want to slim down.

“But I’m trying to teach people to think outside the box and still enjoy those types of meals.”

People were amazed by the simple swap, with many commenting that they were going to try it at home.

“This is what I need in my life right now, thanks for the fantastic breakfast idea,” one said.

“Wow, can’t believe there’s not more calories!” another commented.

“I’m going to prep these for my breakfasts.”

Others said the McMuffin “looks better than McDonald’s ones”.

Cerimagic began creating healthier alternatives after he reached 135kg in his late teens, which he said was due to inactivity combined with teenage stress and hormones.

But after switching to a calorie deficit diet – which means you can eat anything you want, provided your energy burned is more than your calories consumed – he managed to lose 60kg over three years.

“I didn’t even realise that I’d gained so much weight, but I did just have a ‘click’ moment where I knew I needed to turn my life around,” he said.

“But I ended up yo yo-ing with my weight in the first year, because I didn’t understand the science behind losing weight.

“Once I figured that out, it became a lot easier.

“Now I love sharing my healthy swaps online and educating people about calories and macros.”

DEZ’S HEALTHY MCMUFFIN SWAP

Ingredients – 6 servings

480g turkey mince (can be substituted for beef or chicken mince)
Garlic powder, onion powder & all purpose seasoning (or seasonings of choice)
6 eggs
6 toasted English breakfast muffins
6 servings light Laughing Cow cheese (light cream cheese)
6 slices smoked cheese

Method

1. Mix mince with spices, form into six patties and cook on high heat
2. Break 6 eggs into a bowl, whisk together and form into small greased oven baking dish
3. Bake at 200C for 5-7 minutes and cut into 6 pieces
4. Spread 1 serving light cream cheese across each muffin
5. Assemble muffins and top with slices of smoked cheese