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

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

Compare

Significant differences between fast food and mcDonald's cheeseburgers

  • Fast food has more vitamin B3, iron, vitamin B2, vitamin B1, zinc, manganese, and folate; however, mcDonald's cheeseburgers are richer in calcium.
  • McDonald's cheeseburgers cover your daily sodium needs 13% more than fast food.
  • McDonald's cheeseburgers have 2 times less manganese than fast food. Fast food has 0.357mg of manganese, while mcDonald's cheeseburgers have 0.23mg.
  • Fast food contains less sodium.

Specific food types used in this comparison are Fast foods, hamburger; single, regular patty; plain and McDONALD'S, Cheeseburger.

Infographic

Fast food vs McDonald's cheeseburger 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% 50% 18% 88% 32% 52% 60% 82% 30% 0%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +35%
Contains more IronIron +30.2%
Contains more CopperCopper +24.7%
Contains more ZincZinc +31.9%
Contains less SodiumSodium -47.1%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +55.2%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +169.4%
~equal in Potassium ~200mg
~equal in Phosphorus ~140mg

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 2% 0% 0% 0% 56% 60% 75% 0% 0% 108% 0% 44% 0%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +42.2%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +39.6%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +39.5%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +35.6%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0.86µg

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
13% 12% 28% 45% 2%
Protein: 12.97 g
Fats: 11.79 g
Carbs: 27.81 g
Water: 45 g
Other: 2.43 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +27.4%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +13.3%
Contains more WaterWater +17%
Contains more OtherOther +59.9%
~equal in Fats ~11.79g

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
53% 43% 4%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 4.435 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 3.631 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.355 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +33.2%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +373.2%
~equal in Saturated fat ~4.435g

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
4% 32% 42% 9% 14%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0.24 g
Glucose: 2.01 g
Fructose: 2.59 g
Lactose: 0.54 g
Maltose: 0.84 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more StarchStarch +∞%
Contains more SucroseSucrose +∞%
Contains more FructoseFructose +14.1%
Contains more LactoseLactose +∞%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +47.4%
~equal in Glucose ~2.01g
~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 cheeseburger
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in price Equal
Rich in minerals Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Fast food McDonald's cheeseburger DV% diff.
Selenium 20.3µg 37%
Vitamin B6 0.212mg 16%
Sodium 331mg 626mg 13%
Vitamin B5 0.53mg 11%
Calcium 62mg 167mg 11%
Vitamin B3 5.617mg 4.026mg 10%
Starch 22.87g 9%
Iron 3.06mg 2.35mg 9%
Polyunsaturated fat 1.68g 0.355g 9%
Vitamin B2 0.363mg 0.26mg 8%
Vitamin B1 0.317mg 0.223mg 8%
Protein 16.52g 12.97g 7%
Choline 34.4mg 6%
Zinc 2.52mg 1.91mg 6%
Manganese 0.357mg 0.23mg 6%
Folate 80µg 59µg 5%
Vitamin K 4.9µg 4%
Vitamin E 0.38mg 3%
Copper 0.121mg 0.097mg 3%
Monounsaturated fat 4.835g 3.631g 3%
Calories 297kcal 263kcal 2%
Magnesium 27mg 20mg 2%
Fiber 1.7g 1.1g 2%
Vitamin D 0.1µg 1%
Vitamin A 9µg 1%
Vitamin C 0mg 0.6mg 1%
Carbs 31.5g 27.81g 1%
Cholesterol 33mg 35mg 1%
Vitamin B12 0.89µg 0.86µg 1%
Phosphorus 134mg 140mg 1%
Fats 12.01g 11.79g 0%
Net carbs 29.8g 26.71g N/A
Vitamin D 2IU 0%
Potassium 197mg 200mg 0%
Sugar 4.88g 6.22g N/A
Trans fat 0.514g 0.647g N/A
Saturated fat 4.493g 4.435g 0%
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%
Fructose 2.27g 2.59g 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 cheeseburger
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
43%
Fast food
27%
McDonald's cheeseburger
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
54%
Fast food
43%
McDonald's cheeseburger

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
McDonald's cheeseburger
McDonald's cheeseburger is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 0.058000000000001g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
McDonald's cheeseburger
McDonald's cheeseburger is lower in glycemic index (difference - 66)
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Fast food
Fast food is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 2mg)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Fast food
Fast food is lower in Sugar (difference - 1.34g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Fast food
Fast food contains less Sodium (difference - 295mg)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Fast food
Fast food is relatively richer in vitamins
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. Fast food - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170693/nutrients
  2. McDonald's cheeseburger - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170320/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.