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

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What are the main differences between mcDonald's Big Mac and wendy's hamburgers?

  • McDonald's Big Mac is richer in calcium, while wendy's hamburgers are higher in vitamin B12, iron, vitamin B1, zinc, and polyunsaturated fat.
  • Wendy's hamburgers' daily need coverage for vitamin B12 is 24% higher.
  • Wendy's hamburgers have 3 times less calcium than mcDonald's Big Mac. McDonald's Big Mac has 116mg of calcium, while wendy's hamburgers have 34mg.

We used McDONALD'S, BIG MAC and WENDY'S, CLASSIC SINGLE Hamburger, no cheese types in this comparison.

Infographic

McDonald's Big Mac vs Wendy'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 13% 10% 17% 102% 46% 67% 44% 52% 24% 99%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +241.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +18.4%
Contains more IronIron +36.5%
Contains more CopperCopper +41.8%
Contains more ZincZinc +29.3%
Contains less SodiumSodium -14.1%
~equal in Magnesium ~18mg
~equal in Potassium ~195mg
~equal in Manganese ~0.187mg

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 1.7% 0% 0% 0% 69% 47% 60% 20% 26% 181% 23% 0% 0%
Contains more FolateFolate +∞%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +25%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +56.3%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +64.8%
~equal in Vitamin A ~µg
~equal in Vitamin E ~mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~µg
~equal in Vitamin B2 ~0.205mg
~equal in Vitamin B3 ~3.225mg
~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% 11% 17% 58%
Protein: 12.63 g
Fats: 10.6 g
Carbs: 16.82 g
Water: 58.41 g
Other: 1.54 g
Contains more FatsFats +41.1%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +19.4%
Contains more OtherOther +19.5%
Contains more WaterWater +13.9%
~equal in Protein ~12.63g

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% 44% 17%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 3.689 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 4.077 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.55 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +17.4%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +406.5%
~equal in Saturated fat ~3.689g

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
81% 8% 9%
Starch: 11.52 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 1.14 g
Fructose: 1.32 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0.22 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more SucroseSucrose +∞%
Contains more FructoseFructose +28%
Contains more LactoseLactose +∞%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +122.7%
Contains more StarchStarch +∞%
~equal in Glucose ~1.14g
~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 Wendy's hamburger
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Sugar 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 Wendy's hamburger DV% diff.
Selenium 18.2µg 33%
Vitamin B12 0.88µg 1.45µg 24%
Folate 46µg 12%
Vitamin B6 0.114mg 9%
Iron 2mg 2.73mg 9%
Calcium 116mg 34mg 8%
Vitamin B1 0.176mg 0.275mg 8%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.306g 1.55g 8%
Vitamin K 9µg 8%
Fats 14.96g 10.6g 7%
Vitamin B5 0.336mg 7%
Zinc 1.91mg 2.47mg 5%
Starch 11.52g 5%
Copper 0.098mg 0.139mg 5%
Sodium 460mg 395mg 3%
Phosphorus 122mg 103mg 3%
Protein 11.82g 12.63g 2%
Calories 257kcal 213kcal 2%
Monounsaturated fat 3.474g 4.077g 2%
Manganese 0.206mg 0.187mg 1%
Fiber 1.6g 1.3g 1%
Vitamin B3 3.384mg 3.225mg 1%
Carbs 20.08g 16.82g 1%
Saturated fat 3.803g 3.689g 1%
Vitamin C 0.4mg 0.5mg 0%
Net carbs 18.48g 15.52g N/A
Cholesterol 36mg 35mg 0%
Magnesium 20mg 18mg 0%
Potassium 181mg 195mg 0%
Sugar 3.97g N/A
Vitamin B2 0.209mg 0.205mg 0%
Trans fat 0.588g N/A
Tryptophan 0.133mg 0%
Threonine 0.459mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.459mg 0%
Leucine 0.827mg 0%
Lysine 0.769mg 0%
Methionine 0.24mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.461mg 0%
Valine 0.524mg 0%
Histidine 0.301mg 0%
Fructose 1.69g 1.32g 0%

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
McDonald's Big Mac Wendy'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
23%
McDonald's Big Mac
33%
Wendy's hamburger
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
36%
McDonald's Big Mac
48%
Wendy's hamburger

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Wendy's hamburger
Wendy's hamburger is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 1mg)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Wendy's hamburger
Wendy's hamburger is lower in Sugar (difference - 3.97g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Wendy's hamburger
Wendy's hamburger contains less Sodium (difference - 65mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Wendy's hamburger
Wendy's hamburger is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 0.114g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Wendy's hamburger
Wendy's hamburger is lower in glycemic index (difference - 66)
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. Wendy's hamburger - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170722/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.