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

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A recap on differences between Fast food and McDonald's hamburger

  • Fast food is higher in Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B1, and Zinc, yet McDonald's hamburger is higher in Selenium, and Calcium.
  • McDonald's hamburger covers your daily Selenium needs 11% more than Fast food.
  • Fast food contains 2 times more Vitamin B2 than McDonald's hamburger. While Fast food contains 0.363mg of Vitamin B2, McDonald's hamburger contains only 0.239mg.
  • The amount of Saturated Fat in McDonald's hamburger is lower.

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

Infographic

Fast food vs McDonald's hamburger 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 15% 38% 17% 108% 32% 53% 46% 64% 42% 143%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +28.6%
Contains more CopperCopper +26%
Contains more ZincZinc +29.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +25.2%
Contains less SodiumSodium -33%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +104.8%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +29.1%
~equal in Potassium ~192mg
~equal in Iron ~2.87mg
~equal in Manganese ~0.322mg

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% 3.1% 7.6% 3% 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% 3.3% 0% 0% 62% 55% 85% 0% 0% 104% 0% 48% 0%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +28.3%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +51.9%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +23.6%
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 +∞%
~equal in Vitamin A ~55IU
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0.83µg

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% 10% 30% 45% 2%
Protein: 12.92 g
Fats: 10.09 g
Carbs: 30.28 g
Water: 44.53 g
Other: 2.18 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +27.9%
Contains more FatsFats +19%
Contains more WaterWater +15.8%
Contains more OtherOther +43.4%
~equal in Carbs ~30.28g

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
40% 43% 16%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 3.504 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 3.768 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.42 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +28.3%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +18.3%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -22%

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
35% 55% 10%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 2.1 g
Fructose: 3.3 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0.63 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more StarchStarch +∞%
Contains more FructoseFructose +45.4%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +10.5%
~equal in Sucrose ~0g
~equal in Glucose ~2.1g
~equal in Lactose ~0g
~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 hamburger
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in price Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Fast food McDonald's hamburger Opinion
Calories 297kcal 264kcal Fast food
Protein 16.52g 12.92g Fast food
Fats 12.01g 10.09g Fast food
Vitamin C 0mg 0.6mg McDonald's hamburger
Net carbs 29.8g 28.98g Fast food
Carbs 31.5g 30.28g Fast food
Cholesterol 33mg 27mg McDonald's hamburger
Vitamin D 2IU Fast food
Magnesium 27mg 21mg Fast food
Calcium 62mg 127mg McDonald's hamburger
Potassium 197mg 192mg Fast food
Iron 3.06mg 2.87mg Fast food
Sugar 4.88g 6.03g Fast food
Fiber 1.7g 1.3g Fast food
Copper 0.121mg 0.096mg Fast food
Zinc 2.52mg 1.95mg Fast food
Starch 22.87g Fast food
Phosphorus 134mg 107mg Fast food
Sodium 331mg 494mg Fast food
Vitamin A 51IU 55IU McDonald's hamburger
Vitamin A 9µg Fast food
Vitamin E 0.38mg Fast food
Vitamin D 0.1µg Fast food
Manganese 0.357mg 0.322mg Fast food
Selenium 20.3µg 26.2µg McDonald's hamburger
Vitamin B1 0.317mg 0.247mg Fast food
Vitamin B2 0.363mg 0.239mg Fast food
Vitamin B3 5.617mg 4.544mg Fast food
Vitamin B5 0.53mg Fast food
Vitamin B6 0.212mg Fast food
Vitamin B12 0.89µg 0.83µg Fast food
Vitamin K 4.9µg Fast food
Folate 80µg 64µg Fast food
Trans Fat 0.514g 0.428g McDonald's hamburger
Choline 34.4mg Fast food
Saturated Fat 4.493g 3.504g McDonald's hamburger
Monounsaturated Fat 4.835g 3.768g Fast food
Polyunsaturated fat 1.68g 1.42g Fast food
Tryptophan 0.144mg Fast food
Threonine 0.46mg Fast food
Isoleucine 0.642mg Fast food
Leucine 1.13mg Fast food
Lysine 0.785mg Fast food
Methionine 0.306mg Fast food
Phenylalanine 0.67mg Fast food
Valine 0.728mg Fast food
Histidine 0.402mg Fast food
Fructose 2.27g 3.3g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-3 - EPA 0.005g 0.002g Fast food
Omega-3 - DHA 0.001g 0g Fast food
Omega-3 - ALA 0.121g 0.134g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-3 - DPA 0.009g 0.006g Fast food
Omega-3 - Eicosatrienoic acid 0g 0.001g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.004g 0.004g
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.009g 0.011g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.003g 0.004g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 1.391g 1.135g Fast food

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Fast food McDonald's hamburger
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
43%
Fast food
28%
McDonald's hamburger
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
54%
Fast food
56%
McDonald's hamburger

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
McDonald's hamburger
McDonald's hamburger is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 6mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
McDonald's hamburger
McDonald's hamburger is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.989g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
McDonald's hamburger
McDonald's hamburger is lower in glycemic index (difference - 66)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Fast food
Fast food is lower in Sugar (difference - 1.15g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Fast food
Fast food contains less Sodium (difference - 163mg)
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 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 hamburger - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170717/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.