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

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A recap on differences between McDonald's Big Mac and McDonald's hamburger

  • McDonald's hamburger is higher than McDonald's Big Mac in Iron, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B1, Manganese, and Polyunsaturated fat.
  • McDonald's hamburger covers your daily Iron needs 11% more than McDonald's Big Mac.
  • The amount of Sugar in McDonald's Big Mac is lower.

Food varieties used in this article are McDONALD'S, BIG MAC and McDONALD'S, Hamburger.

Infographic

McDonald's Big Mac vs McDonald's hamburger 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 15% 38% 17% 108% 32% 53% 46% 64% 42% 143%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +14%
Contains more IronIron +43.5%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +56.3%
~equal in Magnesium ~21mg
~equal in Calcium ~127mg
~equal in Potassium ~192mg
~equal in Copper ~0.096mg
~equal in Zinc ~1.95mg
~equal in Sodium ~494mg

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 2% 3.3% 0% 0% 62% 55% 85% 0% 0% 104% 0% 48% 0%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +241.8%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +50%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +40.3%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +14.4%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +34.3%
Contains more FolateFolate +39.1%
~equal in Vitamin E ~mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~µg
~equal in Vitamin B5 ~mg
~equal in Vitamin B6 ~mg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0.83µg
~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
13% 10% 30% 45% 2%
Protein: 12.92 g
Fats: 10.09 g
Carbs: 30.28 g
Water: 44.53 g
Other: 2.18 g
Contains more FatsFats +48.3%
Contains more WaterWater +15.2%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +50.8%
Contains more OtherOther +18.5%
~equal in Protein ~12.92g

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
40% 43% 16%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 3.504 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 3.768 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.42 g
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +364.1%
~equal in Saturated Fat ~3.504g
~equal in Monounsaturated Fat ~3.768g

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
35% 55% 10%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 2.1 g
Fructose: 3.3 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0.63 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more SucroseSucrose +∞%
Contains more LactoseLactose +∞%
Contains more GlucoseGlucose +101.9%
Contains more FructoseFructose +95.3%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +28.6%
~equal in Starch ~0g
~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 McDonald's hamburger
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in minerals ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in price Equal
Rich in vitamins Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient McDonald's Big Mac McDonald's hamburger Opinion
Calories 257kcal 264kcal McDonald's hamburger
Protein 11.82g 12.92g McDonald's hamburger
Fats 14.96g 10.09g McDonald's Big Mac
Vitamin C 0.4mg 0.6mg McDonald's hamburger
Net carbs 18.48g 28.98g McDonald's hamburger
Carbs 20.08g 30.28g McDonald's hamburger
Cholesterol 36mg 27mg McDonald's hamburger
Magnesium 20mg 21mg McDonald's hamburger
Calcium 116mg 127mg McDonald's hamburger
Potassium 181mg 192mg McDonald's hamburger
Iron 2mg 2.87mg McDonald's hamburger
Sugar 3.97g 6.03g McDonald's Big Mac
Fiber 1.6g 1.3g McDonald's Big Mac
Copper 0.098mg 0.096mg McDonald's Big Mac
Zinc 1.91mg 1.95mg McDonald's hamburger
Phosphorus 122mg 107mg McDonald's Big Mac
Sodium 460mg 494mg McDonald's Big Mac
Vitamin A 188IU 55IU McDonald's Big Mac
Manganese 0.206mg 0.322mg McDonald's hamburger
Selenium 26.2µg McDonald's hamburger
Vitamin B1 0.176mg 0.247mg McDonald's hamburger
Vitamin B2 0.209mg 0.239mg McDonald's hamburger
Vitamin B3 3.384mg 4.544mg McDonald's hamburger
Vitamin B12 0.88µg 0.83µg McDonald's Big Mac
Folate 46µg 64µg McDonald's hamburger
Trans Fat 0.588g 0.428g McDonald's hamburger
Saturated Fat 3.803g 3.504g McDonald's hamburger
Monounsaturated Fat 3.474g 3.768g McDonald's hamburger
Polyunsaturated fat 0.306g 1.42g McDonald's hamburger
Fructose 1.69g 3.3g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-3 - EPA 0.002g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-3 - ALA 0.134g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-3 - DPA 0.006g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-3 - Eicosatrienoic acid 0.001g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.004g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.011g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.004g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 1.135g McDonald's hamburger

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
McDonald's Big Mac McDonald's hamburger
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
28%
McDonald's hamburger
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
36%
McDonald's Big Mac
56%
McDonald's hamburger

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
McDonald's hamburger
McDonald's hamburger is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 9mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
McDonald's hamburger
McDonald's hamburger is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.299g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
McDonald's hamburger
McDonald's hamburger is lower in glycemic index (difference - 66)
Which food is richer in minerals?
McDonald's hamburger
McDonald's hamburger is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is lower in Sugar?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Sugar (difference - 2.06g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac contains less Sodium (difference - 34mg)
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($)
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. McDonald's hamburger - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170717/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.