The good news is, McBites are McDonald’s answer to the popcorn chicken served at Popeyes, KFC and Chick-fil-A. McBites are made with real chicken, whole pieces of breast and rib meat. There’s none of that McNugget extruded-chicken goop. Have you seen that YouTube video on how McNuggets are made?

Don’t. At least, don’t if you want to eat McNuggets ever again.

The bad news is, McBites are NOT the Egg McMuffin of popcorn chicken.

Here’s the blueprint: bite-size pieces of white-meat chicken, breaded and deep-fried. Served with a side packet of dipping sauce. Calories: 470 (for a 4.5-ounce “Regular” size box). Fat grams: 28. Sodium: 730 mg. Fiber: 2 g. Carbs: 33 g. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: $2.99.

McBites come in three “poppable” sizes: “Regular” for $2.99, a 3-ounce “Snack” pack for $1.99 and a 10-ounce “Shareable” box for $4.99. The “Shareable” tag is so you’ll know not to eat these by yourself — there are 1,050 calories and 63 grams of fat in there. The problem is, the Shareable box isn’t that huge. You won’t look at it and then search for a popcorn-chicken-grubbing friend. You can shake 10 ounces of McBites into your mouth and not feel like you’ve inhaled 1,050 calories.

When I eat a 1,000-calorie meal, I start looking for a place to nap. The Shareable box of McBites went down easy, and I snuck a few fries from a buddy.

I think the “Shareable” name is so McDonald’s can escape criticism for the calorie and fat wallop. “Hey, we SAID it was for two people!”

McBites have too much breading and too little chicken. They’re big, thick puffs of deep-fried breading with a morsel of chicken hiding inside. The breading is bland, too.

For sheer taste — and this is not a recommendation — McNuggets are your play.

McBites do come in an attractive, handy box with a sidecar for dipping sauce. The sauces are: Honey Mustard, Hot Mustard, Barbecue, Sweet ‘n’ Sour, Buffalo, Ranch, Chipotle BBQ and Sweet Chili. The sauces tack on another 30 to 110 calories. Go with Barbecue for maximum flavor.

McBites do not stack up against whole chicken nuggets at Popeyes and Chick-fil-A. And they pale in comparison with the best bargain in the drive-thru: five Spicy Nuggets for $1 at Wendy’s.