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

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A recap on differences between mcDonald's Big Mac and ice cream sandwich

  • McDonald's Big Mac is higher in vitamin B12, iron, zinc, vitamin B3, phosphorus, and fiber, yet ice cream sandwich is higher in copper and manganese.
  • McDonald's Big Mac covers your daily vitamin B12 needs 35% more than ice cream sandwich.
  • The amount of sodium in ice cream sandwich is lower.

Food varieties used in this article are McDONALD'S, BIG MAC and Ice cream sandwich.

Infographic

McDonald's Big Mac vs Ice cream sandwich 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 21% 26% 10% 9.8% 85% 16% 31% 17% 50% 17%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +34.9%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +57.4%
Contains more IronIron +669.2%
Contains more ZincZinc +218.3%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +69.4%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +45%
Contains more CopperCopper +159.2%
Contains less SodiumSodium -72%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +85%

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% 11% 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% 17% 8% 0% 28% 34% 29% 13% 6.5% 6.3% 3.3% 26% 4.4%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +58.6%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +43.2%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +116.1%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +1660%
Contains more FolateFolate +35.3%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +52.1%
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

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
4% 9% 37% 49%
Protein: 4.29 g
Fats: 8.57 g
Carbs: 37.14 g
Water: 48.9 g
Other: 1.1 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +175.5%
Contains more FatsFats +74.6%
Contains more OtherOther +67.3%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +85%
~equal in Water ~48.9g

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
32% 37% 31%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 2.317 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 2.661 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 2.272 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +30.6%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -39.1%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +642.5%

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 Ice cream sandwich
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in price Equal
Rich in minerals Equal
Rich in vitamins Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient McDonald's Big Mac Ice cream sandwich Opinion
Calories 257kcal 237kcal McDonald's Big Mac
Protein 11.82g 4.29g McDonald's Big Mac
Fats 14.96g 8.57g McDonald's Big Mac
Vitamin C 0.4mg 0mg McDonald's Big Mac
Net carbs 18.48g 37.14g Ice cream sandwich
Carbs 20.08g 37.14g Ice cream sandwich
Cholesterol 36mg 21mg Ice cream sandwich
Magnesium 20mg 29mg Ice cream sandwich
Calcium 116mg 86mg McDonald's Big Mac
Potassium 181mg 115mg McDonald's Big Mac
Iron 2mg 0.26mg McDonald's Big Mac
Sugar 3.97g 18.57g McDonald's Big Mac
Fiber 1.6g 0g McDonald's Big Mac
Copper 0.098mg 0.254mg Ice cream sandwich
Zinc 1.91mg 0.6mg McDonald's Big Mac
Phosphorus 122mg 72mg McDonald's Big Mac
Sodium 460mg 129mg Ice cream sandwich
Vitamin A 188IU 286IU Ice cream sandwich
Vitamin A 86µg Ice cream sandwich
Vitamin E 0.4mg Ice cream sandwich
Manganese 0.206mg 0.381mg Ice cream sandwich
Selenium 3.1µg Ice cream sandwich
Vitamin B1 0.176mg 0.111mg McDonald's Big Mac
Vitamin B2 0.209mg 0.146mg McDonald's Big Mac
Vitamin B3 3.384mg 1.566mg McDonald's Big Mac
Vitamin B5 0.209mg Ice cream sandwich
Vitamin B6 0.028mg Ice cream sandwich
Vitamin B12 0.88µg 0.05µg McDonald's Big Mac
Vitamin K 1.3µg Ice cream sandwich
Folate 46µg 34µg McDonald's Big Mac
Trans Fat 0.588g Ice cream sandwich
Choline 8mg Ice cream sandwich
Saturated Fat 3.803g 2.317g Ice cream sandwich
Monounsaturated Fat 3.474g 2.661g McDonald's Big Mac
Polyunsaturated fat 0.306g 2.272g Ice cream sandwich
Fructose 1.69g McDonald's Big Mac
Omega-3 - EPA 0.002g Ice cream sandwich
Omega-3 - DHA 0.001g Ice cream sandwich

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
McDonald's Big Mac Ice cream sandwich
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
24%
McDonald's Big Mac
13%
Ice cream sandwich
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
36%
McDonald's Big Mac
28%
Ice cream sandwich

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Sugar (difference - 14.6g)
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Ice cream sandwich
Ice cream sandwich is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 15mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Ice cream sandwich
Ice cream sandwich contains less Sodium (difference - 331mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Ice cream sandwich
Ice cream sandwich is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 1.486g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Ice cream sandwich
Ice cream sandwich is lower in glycemic index (difference - 5)
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.
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
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 Big Mac - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170720/nutrients
  2. Ice cream sandwich - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172226/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.