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Hamburger vs. McDonald's Big Mac — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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What are the differences between Hamburger and McDonald's Big Mac?

  • Hamburger is richer than McDonald's Big Mac in Vitamin B12, Vitamin B3, Iron, Zinc, and Monounsaturated Fat.
  • Hamburger's daily need coverage for Vitamin B12 is 23% more.
  • Hamburger has 2 times more Vitamin B3 than McDonald's Big Mac. While Hamburger has 5.365mg of Vitamin B3, McDonald's Big Mac has only 3.384mg.
  • The amount of Saturated Fat in McDonald's Big Mac is lower.

We used Fast foods, hamburger; double, regular, patty; plain and McDONALD'S, BIG MAC types in this article.

Infographic

Hamburger vs McDonald's Big Mac infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Contains more Iron +44%
Contains more Phosphorus +11.5%
Contains more Potassium +24.9%
Contains more Zinc +50.3%
Contains more Calcium +13.7%
Equal in Magnesium - 20
Equal in Copper - 0.098
Equal in Manganese - 0.206
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 31% 108% 15% 59% 20% 54% 79% 31% 29% 0%
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 35% 75% 15% 53% 16% 60% 53% 33% 27% 0%
Contains more Iron +44%
Contains more Phosphorus +11.5%
Contains more Potassium +24.9%
Contains more Zinc +50.3%
Contains more Calcium +13.7%
Equal in Magnesium - 20
Equal in Copper - 0.098
Equal in Manganese - 0.206

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
:
Contains more Vitamin B1 +23.3%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +19.6%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +58.5%
Contains more Folate +21.7%
Contains more Vitamin B12 +63.6%
Contains more Vitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin C +∞%
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 0% 0% 0% 0% 55% 58% 101% 19% 47% 43% 180% 0%
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 12% 0% 0% 2% 44% 49% 64% 0% 0% 35% 111% 0%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +23.3%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +19.6%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +58.5%
Contains more Folate +21.7%
Contains more Vitamin B12 +63.6%
Contains more Vitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin C +∞%

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Contains more Protein +44.5%
Contains more Carbs +20%
Contains more Water +20.2%
Equal in Fats - 14.96
Equal in Other - 1.84
17% 14% 24% 43% 2%
Protein: 17.08 g
Fats: 14.36 g
Carbs: 24.1 g
Water: 42.67 g
Other: 1.79 g
12% 15% 20% 51% 2%
Protein: 11.82 g
Fats: 14.96 g
Carbs: 20.08 g
Water: 51.3 g
Other: 1.84 g
Contains more Protein +44.5%
Contains more Carbs +20%
Contains more Water +20.2%
Equal in Fats - 14.96
Equal in Other - 1.84

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +58.2%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +24.2%
Contains less Saturated Fat -25.4%
46% 50% 3%
Saturated Fat: 5.096 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 5.495 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.38 g
50% 46% 4%
Saturated Fat: 3.803 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 3.474 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.306 g
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +58.2%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +24.2%
Contains less Saturated Fat -25.4%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Contains more Glucose +11.5%
Contains more Fructose +20.1%
Contains more Maltose +22.4%
Contains more Sucrose +109.1%
Contains more Lactose +146.2%
5% 28% 49% 3% 14%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0.22 g
Glucose: 1.16 g
Fructose: 2.03 g
Lactose: 0.13 g
Maltose: 0.6 g
Galactose: 0 g
12% 26% 42% 8% 12%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0.46 g
Glucose: 1.04 g
Fructose: 1.69 g
Lactose: 0.32 g
Maltose: 0.49 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more Glucose +11.5%
Contains more Fructose +20.1%
Contains more Maltose +22.4%
Contains more Sucrose +109.1%
Contains more Lactose +146.2%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Hamburger McDonald's Big Mac
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Glycemic Index Equal
Lower in price Equal
Rich in minerals Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Hamburger McDonald's Big Mac Opinion
Net carbs 23.2g 18.48g Hamburger
Protein 17.08g 11.82g Hamburger
Fats 14.36g 14.96g McDonald's Big Mac
Carbs 24.1g 20.08g Hamburger
Calories 295kcal 257kcal Hamburger
Fructose 2.03g 1.69g Hamburger
Sugar 4.15g 3.97g McDonald's Big Mac
Fiber 0.9g 1.6g McDonald's Big Mac
Calcium 102mg 116mg McDonald's Big Mac
Iron 2.88mg 2mg Hamburger
Magnesium 20mg 20mg
Phosphorus 136mg 122mg Hamburger
Potassium 226mg 181mg Hamburger
Sodium 414mg 460mg Hamburger
Zinc 2.87mg 1.91mg Hamburger
Copper 0.091mg 0.098mg McDonald's Big Mac
Manganese 0.217mg 0.206mg Hamburger
Vitamin A 0IU 188IU McDonald's Big Mac
Vitamin C 0mg 0.4mg McDonald's Big Mac
Vitamin B1 0.217mg 0.176mg Hamburger
Vitamin B2 0.25mg 0.209mg Hamburger
Vitamin B3 5.365mg 3.384mg Hamburger
Vitamin B5 0.31mg Hamburger
Vitamin B6 0.203mg Hamburger
Folate 56µg 46µg Hamburger
Vitamin B12 1.44µg 0.88µg Hamburger
Tryptophan 0.206mg Hamburger
Threonine 0.666mg Hamburger
Isoleucine 0.716mg Hamburger
Leucine 1.319mg Hamburger
Lysine 1.226mg Hamburger
Methionine 0.37mg Hamburger
Phenylalanine 0.677mg Hamburger
Valine 0.823mg Hamburger
Histidine 0.505mg Hamburger
Cholesterol 47mg 36mg McDonald's Big Mac
Trans Fat 0.814g 0.588g McDonald's Big Mac
Saturated Fat 5.096g 3.803g McDonald's Big Mac
Monounsaturated Fat 5.495g 3.474g Hamburger
Polyunsaturated fat 0.38g 0.306g Hamburger

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Hamburger McDonald's Big Mac
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet Equal

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
42%
Hamburger
26%
McDonald's Big Mac
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
42%
Hamburger
36%
McDonald's Big Mac

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.18g)
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 11mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 1.293g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Hamburger
Hamburger contains less Sodium (difference - 46mg)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Hamburger
Hamburger is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
?
The foods have equal glycemic indexes (66)
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($)
Which food is richer in minerals?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. McDonald's Big Mac - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170720/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.