Foodstruct Nutrition Search | Diet Analysis | Food Comparison | Glycemic Index Chart | Insulin Index Chart | Blog | Subscribe | Sign Up

Cheeseburger vs. McDonald's Quarter Pounder — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

Compare

Summary of differences between cheeseburgers and McDonald's Quarter Pounder

  • Cheeseburgers have more vitamin B1, phosphorus, manganese, monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat; however, McDonald's Quarter Pounder is higher in vitamin B12.
  • McDonald's Quarter Pounder covers your daily need for vitamin B12, 22% more than cheeseburgers.
  • Cheeseburgers have 6 times more polyunsaturated fat than McDonald's Quarter Pounder. While cheeseburgers have 1.658g of polyunsaturated fat, McDonald's Quarter Pounder has only 0.283g.
  • McDonald's Quarter Pounder has less saturated fat.

These are the specific foods used in this comparison Fast foods, cheeseburger; single, regular patty; plain and McDONALD'S, QUARTER POUNDER.

Infographic

Cheeseburger vs McDonald's Quarter Pounder 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.
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 19% 36% 17% 102% 37% 68% 69% 67% 41% 107%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 16% 25% 20% 90% 36% 73% 53% 56% 26% 0%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +18.2%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +41.7%
Contains more IronIron +12.4%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +29.8%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +58.8%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +15.8%
Contains less SodiumSodium -17.1%
~equal in Copper ~0.107mg
~equal in Zinc ~2.69mg

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.
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% 17% 10% 1.5% 73% 84% 98% 33% 53% 95% 11% 53% 16%
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 3% 0% 0% 0% 46% 79% 83% 0% 0% 160% 0% 42% 0%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +60.1%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +17.2%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +25%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +68.4%
~equal in Vitamin B2 ~0.344mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
17% 15% 28% 39% 2%
Protein: 16.51 g
Fats: 14.72 g
Carbs: 28.03 g
Water: 38.63 g
Other: 2.11 g
14% 12% 22% 50% 2%
Protein: 14.1 g
Fats: 11.55 g
Carbs: 22.17 g
Water: 50.37 g
Other: 1.81 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +17.1%
Contains more FatsFats +27.4%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +26.4%
Contains more OtherOther +16.6%
Contains more WaterWater +30.4%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
48% 40% 12%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 6.473 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 5.413 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.658 g
47% 49% 3%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 4.008 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 4.202 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.283 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +28.8%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +485.9%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -38.1%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
80% 7% 8% 3% 2%
Starch: 19.87 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 1.76 g
Fructose: 1.94 g
Lactose: 0.72 g
Maltose: 0.46 g
Galactose: 0 g
4% 37% 43% 14%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0.22 g
Glucose: 1.91 g
Fructose: 2.2 g
Lactose: 0.07 g
Maltose: 0.73 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more StarchStarch +∞%
Contains more LactoseLactose +928.6%
Contains more SucroseSucrose +∞%
Contains more FructoseFructose +13.4%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +58.7%
~equal in Glucose ~1.91g
~equal in Galactose ~0g

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Cheeseburger McDonald's Quarter Pounder DV% diff.
Selenium 19.6µg 36%
Vitamin B12 0.76µg 1.28µg 22%
Vitamin B6 0.228mg 18%
Vitamin B5 0.545mg 11%
Saturated fat 6.473g 4.008g 11%
Vitamin B1 0.293mg 0.183mg 9%
Polyunsaturated fat 1.658g 0.283g 9%
Starch 19.87g 8%
Vitamin A 50µg 6%
Phosphorus 161mg 124mg 5%
Vitamin B3 5.217mg 4.452mg 5%
Protein 16.51g 14.1g 5%
Fats 14.72g 11.55g 5%
Manganese 0.316mg 0.199mg 5%
Choline 28.9mg 5%
Calcium 119mg 84mg 4%
Vitamin K 4.2µg 4%
Folate 70µg 56µg 4%
Sodium 515mg 427mg 4%
Iron 2.71mg 2.41mg 4%
Monounsaturated fat 5.413g 4.202g 3%
Calories 308kcal 244kcal 3%
Vitamin E 0.52mg 3%
Zinc 2.49mg 2.69mg 2%
Fiber 2g 1.6g 2%
Carbs 28.03g 22.17g 2%
Vitamin D 0.1µg 1%
Vitamin B2 0.363mg 0.344mg 1%
Potassium 196mg 227mg 1%
Magnesium 26mg 22mg 1%
Cholesterol 43mg 39mg 1%
Vitamin C 0mg 0.9mg 1%
Net carbs 26.03g 20.57g N/A
Vitamin D 2IU 0%
Sugar 4.88g 5.13g N/A
Copper 0.111mg 0.107mg 0%
Trans fat 0.57g 0.724g N/A
Tryptophan 0.155mg 0%
Threonine 0.571mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.755mg 0%
Leucine 1.316mg 0%
Lysine 0.784mg 0%
Methionine 0.377mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.755mg 0%
Valine 0.881mg 0%
Histidine 0.445mg 0%
Fructose 1.94g 2.2g 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0.005g N/A
Omega-3 - ALA 0.125g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0.01g N/A
Omega-3 - Eicosatrienoic acid 0.001g N/A
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.005g N/A
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.015g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.004g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 1.322g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Cheeseburger McDonald's Quarter Pounder
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

People also compare

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%
Cheeseburger
32%
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
56%
Cheeseburger
40%
McDonald's Quarter Pounder

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
McDonald's Quarter Pounder is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 4mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
McDonald's Quarter Pounder contains less Sodium (difference - 88mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
McDonald's Quarter Pounder is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 2.465g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
McDonald's Quarter Pounder is lower in glycemic index (difference - 66)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.25g)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($)

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. Cheeseburger - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170690/nutrients
  2. McDonald's Quarter Pounder - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170321/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.