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Ice cream vs. McDonald's Big Mac — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Important differences between ice cream and mcDonald's Big Mac

  • Ice cream has less iron, vitamin B3, vitamin B12, vitamin B1, zinc, folate, manganese, and copper.
  • McDonald's Big Mac's daily need coverage for iron is 24% more.
  • Ice cream has 2 times more saturated fat than mcDonald's Big Mac. Ice cream has 6.79g of saturated fat, while mcDonald's Big Mac has 3.803g.

The food varieties used in the comparison are Ice creams, vanilla and McDONALD'S, BIG MAC.

Infographic

Ice cream 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 10% 38% 18% 3.4% 7.7% 19% 45% 10% 1% 9.8%
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 less SodiumSodium -82.6%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +42.9%
Contains more IronIron +2122.2%
Contains more CopperCopper +326.1%
Contains more ZincZinc +176.8%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +16.2%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +2475%
~equal in Calcium ~116mg
~equal in Potassium ~181mg

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 2% 39% 6% 3% 10% 55% 2.2% 35% 11% 49% 0.75% 3.8% 14%
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 CVitamin C +50%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +14.8%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +329.3%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +2817.2%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +125.6%
Contains more FolateFolate +820%

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
4% 11% 24% 61%
Protein: 3.5 g
Fats: 11 g
Carbs: 23.6 g
Water: 61 g
Other: 0.9 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 CarbsCarbs +17.5%
Contains more WaterWater +18.9%
Contains more ProteinProtein +237.7%
Contains more FatsFats +36%
Contains more OtherOther +104.4%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
66% 29% 4%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 6.79 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 2.969 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.452 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 Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +47.7%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -44%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +17%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Ice cream McDonald's Big Mac DV% diff.
Iron 0.09mg 2mg 24%
Vitamin B3 0.116mg 3.384mg 20%
Vitamin B12 0.39µg 0.88µg 20%
Protein 3.5g 11.82g 17%
Sodium 80mg 460mg 17%
Saturated fat 6.79g 3.803g 14%
Vitamin A 118µg 13%
Vitamin B5 0.581mg 12%
Zinc 0.69mg 1.91mg 11%
Vitamin B1 0.041mg 0.176mg 11%
Folate 5µg 46µg 10%
Manganese 0.008mg 0.206mg 9%
Copper 0.023mg 0.098mg 8%
Fats 11g 14.96g 6%
Choline 26mg 5%
Vitamin B6 0.048mg 4%
Fiber 0.7g 1.6g 4%
Selenium 1.8µg 3%
Calories 207kcal 257kcal 3%
Cholesterol 44mg 36mg 3%
Vitamin E 0.3mg 2%
Phosphorus 105mg 122mg 2%
Fructose 1.69g 2%
Vitamin B2 0.24mg 0.209mg 2%
Vitamin D 0.2µg 1%
Potassium 199mg 181mg 1%
Calcium 128mg 116mg 1%
Magnesium 14mg 20mg 1%
Vitamin D 8IU 1%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.452g 0.306g 1%
Carbs 23.6g 20.08g 1%
Monounsaturated fat 2.969g 3.474g 1%
Vitamin C 0.6mg 0.4mg 0%
Net carbs 22.9g 18.48g N/A
Sugar 21.22g 3.97g N/A
Vitamin K 0.3µg 0%
Trans fat 0.588g N/A
Tryptophan 0.045mg 0%
Threonine 0.146mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.195mg 0%
Leucine 0.316mg 0%
Lysine 0.258mg 0%
Methionine 0.081mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.157mg 0%
Valine 0.217mg 0%
Histidine 0.088mg 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0.003g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Ice cream McDonald's Big Mac
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
18%
Ice cream
23%
McDonald's Big Mac
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
16%
Ice cream
36%
McDonald's Big Mac

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 8mg)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Sugar (difference - 17.25g)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 2.987g)
Which food is richer in minerals?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is relatively richer in minerals
Which food contains less Sodium?
Ice cream
Ice cream contains less Sodium (difference - 380mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Ice cream
Ice cream is lower in glycemic index (difference - 4)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Ice cream
Ice cream 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. Ice cream - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167575/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.