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  6. Fast food vs. McDonald's Big Mac

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

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The main differences between fast food and mcDonald's Big Mac

  • Fast food is richer in vitamin B3, iron, vitamin B2, vitamin B1, folate, manganese, and zinc, yet mcDonald's Big Mac is richer in calcium.
  • Daily need coverage for vitamin B3 for fast food is 14% higher.
  • Fast food contains 2 times more vitamin B1 than mcDonald's Big Mac. Fast food contains 0.317mg of vitamin B1, while mcDonald's Big Mac contains 0.176mg.
  • Fast food contains less sodium.

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

Infographic

Fast food 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.
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 19% 19% 17% 115% 40% 69% 57% 43% 47% 111%
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 IronIron +53%
Contains more CopperCopper +23.5%
Contains more ZincZinc +31.9%
Contains less SodiumSodium -28%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +73.3%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +87.1%
~equal in Potassium ~181mg
~equal in Phosphorus ~122mg

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% 3% 7.6% 1.5% 79% 84% 105% 32% 49% 111% 12% 60% 19%
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 B1Vitamin B1 +80.1%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +73.7%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +66%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +73.9%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0.88µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
17% 12% 32% 38%
Protein: 16.52 g
Fats: 12.01 g
Carbs: 31.5 g
Water: 38.45 g
Other: 1.52 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 +39.8%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +56.9%
Contains more FatsFats +24.6%
Contains more WaterWater +33.4%
Contains more OtherOther +21.1%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
41% 44% 15%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 4.493 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 4.835 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.68 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 +39.2%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +449%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -15.4%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
82% 7% 8% 2%
Starch: 22.87 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 2.05 g
Fructose: 2.27 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0.57 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 StarchStarch +∞%
Contains more GlucoseGlucose +97.1%
Contains more FructoseFructose +34.3%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +16.3%
Contains more SucroseSucrose +∞%
Contains more LactoseLactose +∞%
~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.
Fast food McDonald's Big Mac
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Glycemic Index Equal
Lower in price Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Fast food McDonald's Big Mac DV% diff.
Selenium 20.3µg 37%
Vitamin B6 0.212mg 16%
Vitamin B3 5.617mg 3.384mg 14%
Iron 3.06mg 2mg 13%
Vitamin B1 0.317mg 0.176mg 12%
Vitamin B2 0.363mg 0.209mg 12%
Vitamin B5 0.53mg 11%
Protein 16.52g 11.82g 9%
Folate 80µg 46µg 9%
Starch 22.87g 9%
Polyunsaturated fat 1.68g 0.306g 9%
Manganese 0.357mg 0.206mg 7%
Choline 34.4mg 6%
Zinc 2.52mg 1.91mg 6%
Sodium 331mg 460mg 6%
Calcium 62mg 116mg 5%
Fats 12.01g 14.96g 5%
Vitamin K 4.9µg 4%
Carbs 31.5g 20.08g 4%
Saturated fat 4.493g 3.803g 3%
Copper 0.121mg 0.098mg 3%
Monounsaturated fat 4.835g 3.474g 3%
Vitamin E 0.38mg 3%
Calories 297kcal 257kcal 2%
Phosphorus 134mg 122mg 2%
Magnesium 27mg 20mg 2%
Vitamin D 0.1µg 1%
Fructose 2.27g 1.69g 1%
Cholesterol 33mg 36mg 1%
Vitamin A 9µg 1%
Vitamin C 0mg 0.4mg 0%
Net carbs 29.8g 18.48g N/A
Vitamin D 2IU 0%
Potassium 197mg 181mg 0%
Sugar 4.88g 3.97g N/A
Fiber 1.7g 1.6g 0%
Vitamin B12 0.89µg 0.88µg 0%
Trans fat 0.514g 0.588g N/A
Tryptophan 0.144mg 0%
Threonine 0.46mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.642mg 0%
Leucine 1.13mg 0%
Lysine 0.785mg 0%
Methionine 0.306mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.67mg 0%
Valine 0.728mg 0%
Histidine 0.402mg 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0.005g N/A
Omega-3 - DHA 0.001g N/A
Omega-3 - ALA 0.121g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0.009g N/A
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.004g N/A
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.009g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.003g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 1.391g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Fast food McDonald's Big Mac
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs 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
43%
Fast food
23%
McDonald's Big Mac
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
54%
Fast food
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 - 0.91g)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 0.69g)
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Fast food
Fast food is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 3mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Fast food
Fast food contains less Sodium (difference - 129mg)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Fast food
Fast food is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Fast food
Fast food 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 ($)

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. Fast food - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170693/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.