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

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The main differences between hamburgers and McDonald's Quarter Pounder

  • Hamburgers have more vitamin B12, iron, vitamin B3, and monounsaturated fat; however, McDonald's Quarter Pounder has more vitamin B2.
  • McDonald's Quarter Pounder is lower in saturated fat.

Food types used in this article are Fast foods, hamburger; double, regular, patty; plain and McDONALD'S, QUARTER POUNDER.

Infographic

Hamburger vs McDonald's Quarter Pounder infographic
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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 14% 31% 20% 108% 30% 78% 58% 54% 28% 0%
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 CalciumCalcium +21.4%
Contains more IronIron +19.5%
Contains more CopperCopper +17.6%
~equal in Magnesium ~22mg
~equal in Potassium ~227mg
~equal in Zinc ~2.69mg
~equal in Phosphorus ~124mg
~equal in Sodium ~427mg
~equal in Manganese ~0.199mg
~equal in Selenium ~µg

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% 0% 0% 0% 54% 58% 101% 19% 47% 180% 0% 42% 0%
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 B1Vitamin B1 +18.6%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +20.5%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +12.5%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +37.6%
~equal in Vitamin A ~µg
~equal in Vitamin E ~mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~µg
~equal in Folate ~56µg
~equal in Choline ~mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
17% 14% 24% 43% 2%
Protein: 17.08 g
Fats: 14.36 g
Carbs: 24.1 g
Water: 42.67 g
Other: 1.79 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 +21.1%
Contains more FatsFats +24.3%
Contains more WaterWater +18%
~equal in Carbs ~22.17g
~equal in Other ~1.81g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
46% 50% 3%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 5.096 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 5.495 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.38 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 +30.8%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +34.3%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -21.4%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
5% 28% 49% 3% 14%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0.22 g
Glucose: 1.16 g
Fructose: 2.03 g
Lactose: 0.13 g
Maltose: 0.6 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 LactoseLactose +85.7%
Contains more GlucoseGlucose +64.7%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +21.7%
~equal in Starch ~0g
~equal in Sucrose ~0.22g
~equal in Fructose ~2.2g
~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.
Hamburger McDonald's Quarter Pounder
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index 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 Hamburger McDonald's Quarter Pounder DV% diff.
Vitamin B6 0.203mg 16%
Vitamin B2 0.25mg 0.344mg 7%
Vitamin B12 1.44µg 1.28µg 7%
Vitamin B5 0.31mg 6%
Vitamin B3 5.365mg 4.452mg 6%
Protein 17.08g 14.1g 6%
Iron 2.88mg 2.41mg 6%
Saturated fat 5.096g 4.008g 5%
Fats 14.36g 11.55g 4%
Vitamin B1 0.217mg 0.183mg 3%
Monounsaturated fat 5.495g 4.202g 3%
Calories 295kcal 244kcal 3%
Cholesterol 47mg 39mg 3%
Fiber 0.9g 1.6g 3%
Zinc 2.87mg 2.69mg 2%
Phosphorus 136mg 124mg 2%
Calcium 102mg 84mg 2%
Copper 0.091mg 0.107mg 2%
Vitamin C 0mg 0.9mg 1%
Sodium 414mg 427mg 1%
Manganese 0.217mg 0.199mg 1%
Carbs 24.1g 22.17g 1%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.38g 0.283g 1%
Net carbs 23.2g 20.57g N/A
Magnesium 20mg 22mg 0%
Potassium 226mg 227mg 0%
Sugar 4.15g 5.13g N/A
Trans fat 0.814g 0.724g N/A
Folate 56µg 56µg 0%
Tryptophan 0.206mg 0%
Threonine 0.666mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.716mg 0%
Leucine 1.319mg 0%
Lysine 1.226mg 0%
Methionine 0.37mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.677mg 0%
Valine 0.823mg 0%
Histidine 0.505mg 0%
Fructose 2.03g 2.2g 0%

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Hamburger McDonald's Quarter Pounder
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
38%
Hamburger
32%
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
42%
Hamburger
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 - 8mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
McDonald's Quarter Pounder is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 1.088g)
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?
Hamburger
Hamburger is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.98g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Hamburger
Hamburger contains less Sodium (difference - 13mg)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Hamburger
Hamburger 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. 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.