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

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How are mcDonald's Big Mac and mars different?

  • McDonald's Big Mac has more iron than mars.
  • Daily need coverage for saturated fat for mars is 39% higher.
  • McDonald's Big Mac contains 3 times more sodium than mars. While mcDonald's Big Mac contains 460mg of sodium, mars contains only 136mg.

McDONALD'S, BIG MAC and Candies, MARS SNACKFOOD US, M&M's Crispy Chocolate Candies are the varieties used in this article.

Infographic

McDonald's Big Mac vs Mars 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%
Mars
1
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 0% 27% 0% 32% 0% 0% 0% 18% 0% 0%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +∞%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +28.9%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +∞%
Contains more IronIron +132.6%
Contains more CopperCopper +∞%
Contains more ZincZinc +∞%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +∞%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +∞%
Contains less SodiumSodium -70.4%
~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 1.3% 0% 0% 0% 44% 48% 63% 0% 0% 110% 0% 35% 0%
Mars
1
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 1.7% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +∞%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +25%
~equal in Vitamin A ~µg
~equal in Vitamin E ~mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~µg
~equal in Vitamin B5 ~mg
~equal in Vitamin B6 ~mg
~equal in Vitamin K ~µg
~equal in Choline ~mg

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
Mars
3
4% 19% 72% 2% 2%
Protein: 4.28 g
Fats: 19.32 g
Carbs: 72.4 g
Water: 1.7 g
Other: 2.3 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +176.2%
Contains more WaterWater +2917.6%
Contains more FatsFats +29.1%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +260.6%
Contains more OtherOther +25%

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
Mars
0
100%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 11.651 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -67.4%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +∞%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +∞%

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 Mars
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in price ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient McDonald's Big Mac Mars DV% diff.
Vitamin B12 0.88µg 37%
Saturated fat 3.803g 11.651g 36%
Vitamin B3 3.384mg 21%
Zinc 1.91mg 17%
Carbs 20.08g 72.4g 17%
Phosphorus 122mg 17%
Vitamin B2 0.209mg 16%
Protein 11.82g 4.28g 15%
Vitamin B1 0.176mg 15%
Sodium 460mg 136mg 14%
Iron 2mg 0.86mg 14%
Folate 46µg 12%
Calories 257kcal 475kcal 11%
Copper 0.098mg 11%
Manganese 0.206mg 9%
Monounsaturated fat 3.474g 9%
Cholesterol 36mg 12mg 8%
Fats 14.96g 19.32g 7%
Potassium 181mg 5%
Magnesium 20mg 5%
Calcium 116mg 90mg 3%
Fiber 1.6g 2g 2%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.306g 2%
Fructose 1.69g 2%
Vitamin C 0.4mg 0.5mg 0%
Net carbs 18.48g 70.4g N/A
Sugar 3.97g 58.94g N/A
Trans fat 0.588g 0.131g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
McDonald's Big Mac Mars
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
23%
McDonald's Big Mac
0%
Mars
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
36%
McDonald's Big Mac
8%
Mars

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Sugar (difference - 54.97g)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 7.848g)
Which food is cheaper?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is cheaper (difference - $2)
Which food is richer in minerals?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Mars
Mars is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 24mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Mars
Mars contains less Sodium (difference - 324mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Mars
Mars is lower in glycemic index (difference - 4)

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. Mars - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168814/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.