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

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What are the main differences between cheese and mcDonald's Big Mac?

  • Cheese is richer in calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin B2, and zinc, while mcDonald's Big Mac is higher in iron, vitamin B3, and vitamin B1.
  • Cheese's daily need coverage for saturated fat is 75% higher.
  • McDonald's Big Mac has 7 times less vitamin A than cheese. Cheese has 1242IU of vitamin A, while mcDonald's Big Mac has 188IU.
  • McDonald's Big Mac is lower in saturated fat.
  • McDonald's Big Mac has a higher glycemic index (66) than cheese (0).

We used Cheese, cheddar and McDONALD'S, BIG MAC types in this comparison.

Infographic

Cheese 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.
Cheese
5
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 19% 213% 6.7% 5.3% 10% 99% 195% 85% 3.5% 155%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 14% 35% 16% 75% 33% 52% 52% 60% 27% 0%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +35%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +512.1%
Contains more ZincZinc +90.6%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +273%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +138.2%
Contains more IronIron +1328.6%
Contains more CopperCopper +226.7%
Contains less SodiumSodium -29.6%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +663%

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.
Cheese
9
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 110% 14% 9% 7.3% 99% 1.1% 25% 15% 138% 6% 20% 9%
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 1.3% 0% 0% 0% 44% 48% 63% 0% 0% 110% 0% 35% 0%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +104.8%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +25%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +506.9%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +5635.6%
Contains more FolateFolate +70.4%

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cheese
3
23% 33% 3% 37% 4%
Protein: 22.87 g
Fats: 33.31 g
Carbs: 3.09 g
Water: 37.02 g
Other: 3.71 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 ProteinProtein +93.5%
Contains more FatsFats +122.7%
Contains more OtherOther +101.6%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +549.8%
Contains more WaterWater +38.6%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cheese
2
64% 31% 5%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 18.867 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 9.246 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.421 g
50% 46% 4%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 3.803 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 3.474 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.306 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +166.1%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +364.4%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -79.8%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cheese
1
54% 25% 21%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 0.26 g
Fructose: 0 g
Lactose: 0.12 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0.1 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 GalactoseGalactose +∞%
Contains more SucroseSucrose +∞%
Contains more GlucoseGlucose +300%
Contains more FructoseFructose +∞%
Contains more LactoseLactose +166.7%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +∞%
~equal in Starch ~0g

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Cheese McDonald's Big Mac DV% diff.
Saturated fat 18.867g 3.803g 68%
Calcium 710mg 116mg 59%
Selenium 28.5µg 52%
Phosphorus 455mg 122mg 48%
Vitamin A 330µg 37%
Fats 33.31g 14.96g 28%
Iron 0.14mg 2mg 23%
Protein 22.87g 11.82g 22%
Cholesterol 99mg 36mg 21%
Vitamin B3 0.059mg 3.384mg 21%
Vitamin B2 0.428mg 0.209mg 17%
Zinc 3.64mg 1.91mg 16%
Monounsaturated fat 9.246g 3.474g 14%
Vitamin B1 0.029mg 0.176mg 12%
Vitamin B12 1.1µg 0.88µg 9%
Vitamin B5 0.41mg 8%
Manganese 0.027mg 0.206mg 8%
Copper 0.03mg 0.098mg 8%
Sodium 653mg 460mg 8%
Polyunsaturated fat 1.421g 0.306g 7%
Calories 404kcal 257kcal 7%
Carbs 3.09g 20.08g 6%
Fiber 0g 1.6g 6%
Vitamin B6 0.066mg 5%
Folate 27µg 46µg 5%
Vitamin E 0.71mg 5%
Vitamin D 0.6µg 3%
Potassium 76mg 181mg 3%
Vitamin D 24IU 3%
Choline 16.5mg 3%
Fructose 0g 1.69g 2%
Magnesium 27mg 20mg 2%
Vitamin K 2.4µg 2%
Vitamin C 0mg 0.4mg 0%
Net carbs 3.09g 18.48g N/A
Sugar 0.48g 3.97g N/A
Trans fat 0.917g 0.588g N/A
Tryptophan 0.547mg 0%
Threonine 1.044mg 0%
Isoleucine 1.206mg 0%
Leucine 1.939mg 0%
Lysine 1.025mg 0%
Methionine 0.547mg 0%
Phenylalanine 1.074mg 0%
Valine 1.404mg 0%
Histidine 0.547mg 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0.01g N/A
Omega-3 - DHA 0.001g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0.017g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.007g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

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

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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
35%
Cheese
23%
McDonald's Big Mac
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
79%
Cheese
36%
McDonald's Big Mac

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 63mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac contains less Sodium (difference - 193mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 15.064g)
Which food is cheaper?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is cheaper (difference - $2)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Cheese
Cheese is lower in Sugar (difference - 3.49g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Cheese
Cheese is lower in glycemic index (difference - 66)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Cheese
Cheese is relatively richer in vitamins
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. Cheese - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173414/nutrients
  2. 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.