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

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

  • McDonald's Big Mac is richer in calcium, yet fast food is richer in vitamin B3, iron, vitamin B2, vitamin B1, folate, manganese, and zinc.
  • Daily need coverage for vitamin B3 for fast food is 14% higher.
  • McDonald's Big Mac contains 2 times more calcium than fast food. McDonald's Big Mac contains 116mg of calcium, while fast food contains 62mg.
  • Fast food contains less sodium.

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

Infographic

McDonald's Big Mac vs Fast food 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 14% 35% 16% 75% 33% 52% 52% 60% 27% 0%
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%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +87.1%
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%
~equal in Potassium ~197mg
~equal in Phosphorus ~134mg

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 1.3% 0% 0% 0% 44% 48% 63% 0% 0% 110% 0% 35% 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 0% 3% 7.6% 1.5% 79% 84% 105% 32% 49% 111% 12% 60% 19%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +80.1%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +73.7%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +66%
Contains more FolateFolate +73.9%
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0.89µg

Macronutrient Comparison

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

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
50% 46% 4%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 3.803 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 3.474 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.306 g
41% 44% 15%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 4.493 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 4.835 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.68 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -15.4%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +39.2%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +449%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
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
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
Contains more SucroseSucrose +∞%
Contains more LactoseLactose +∞%
Contains more StarchStarch +∞%
Contains more GlucoseGlucose +97.1%
Contains more FructoseFructose +34.3%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +16.3%
~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.
McDonald's Big Mac Fast food
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 McDonald's Big Mac Fast food DV% diff.
Selenium 20.3µg 37%
Vitamin B6 0.212mg 16%
Vitamin B3 3.384mg 5.617mg 14%
Iron 2mg 3.06mg 13%
Vitamin B1 0.176mg 0.317mg 12%
Vitamin B2 0.209mg 0.363mg 12%
Vitamin B5 0.53mg 11%
Protein 11.82g 16.52g 9%
Folate 46µg 80µg 9%
Starch 22.87g 9%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.306g 1.68g 9%
Manganese 0.206mg 0.357mg 7%
Choline 34.4mg 6%
Zinc 1.91mg 2.52mg 6%
Sodium 460mg 331mg 6%
Calcium 116mg 62mg 5%
Fats 14.96g 12.01g 5%
Vitamin K 4.9µg 4%
Carbs 20.08g 31.5g 4%
Saturated fat 3.803g 4.493g 3%
Copper 0.098mg 0.121mg 3%
Monounsaturated fat 3.474g 4.835g 3%
Vitamin E 0.38mg 3%
Calories 257kcal 297kcal 2%
Phosphorus 122mg 134mg 2%
Magnesium 20mg 27mg 2%
Vitamin D 0.1µg 1%
Fructose 1.69g 2.27g 1%
Cholesterol 36mg 33mg 1%
Vitamin A 9µg 1%
Vitamin C 0.4mg 0mg 0%
Net carbs 18.48g 29.8g N/A
Vitamin D 2IU 0%
Potassium 181mg 197mg 0%
Sugar 3.97g 4.88g N/A
Fiber 1.6g 1.7g 0%
Vitamin B12 0.88µg 0.89µg 0%
Trans fat 0.588g 0.514g 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
McDonald's Big Mac Fast food
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
23%
McDonald's Big Mac
43%
Fast food
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
36%
McDonald's Big Mac
54%
Fast food

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. McDonald's Big Mac - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170720/nutrients
  2. Fast food - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170693/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.