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

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Significant differences between mcDonald's cheeseburgers and mcDonald's Big Mac

  • The amount of calcium in mcDonald's cheeseburgers is higher than in mcDonald's Big Mac.
  • McDonald's Big Mac has 2 times less sugar than mcDonald's cheeseburgers. McDonald's cheeseburgers have 6.22g of sugar, while mcDonald's Big Mac has 3.97g.

Specific food types used in this comparison are McDONALD'S, Cheeseburger and McDONALD'S, BIG MAC.

Infographic

McDonald's cheeseburger vs McDonald's Big Mac 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% 50% 18% 88% 32% 52% 60% 82% 30% 0%
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%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +44%
Contains more IronIron +17.5%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +14.8%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +11.7%
Contains less SodiumSodium -26.5%
~equal in Magnesium ~20mg
~equal in Potassium ~181mg
~equal in Copper ~0.098mg
~equal in Zinc ~1.91mg
~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 2% 0% 0% 0% 56% 60% 75% 0% 0% 108% 0% 44% 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 1.3% 0% 0% 0% 44% 48% 63% 0% 0% 110% 0% 35% 0%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +50%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +26.7%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +24.4%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +19%
Contains more FolateFolate +28.3%
~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 B12 ~0.88µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~µg
~equal in Choline ~mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
13% 12% 28% 45% 2%
Protein: 12.97 g
Fats: 11.79 g
Carbs: 27.81 g
Water: 45 g
Other: 2.43 g
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
Contains more CarbsCarbs +38.5%
Contains more OtherOther +32.1%
Contains more FatsFats +26.9%
Contains more WaterWater +14%
~equal in Protein ~11.82g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
53% 43% 4%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 4.435 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 3.631 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.355 g
50% 46% 4%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 3.803 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 3.474 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.306 g
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +16%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -14.3%
~equal in Monounsaturated fat ~3.474g

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
4% 32% 42% 9% 14%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0.24 g
Glucose: 2.01 g
Fructose: 2.59 g
Lactose: 0.54 g
Maltose: 0.84 g
Galactose: 0 g
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
Contains more GlucoseGlucose +93.3%
Contains more FructoseFructose +53.3%
Contains more LactoseLactose +68.8%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +71.4%
Contains more SucroseSucrose +91.7%
~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 cheeseburger McDonald's Big Mac
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in price Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient McDonald's cheeseburger McDonald's Big Mac DV% diff.
Sodium 626mg 460mg 7%
Calcium 167mg 116mg 5%
Fats 11.79g 14.96g 5%
Vitamin B3 4.026mg 3.384mg 4%
Iron 2.35mg 2mg 4%
Vitamin B2 0.26mg 0.209mg 4%
Vitamin B1 0.223mg 0.176mg 4%
Saturated fat 4.435g 3.803g 3%
Folate 59µg 46µg 3%
Carbs 27.81g 20.08g 3%
Phosphorus 140mg 122mg 3%
Fiber 1.1g 1.6g 2%
Protein 12.97g 11.82g 2%
Vitamin B12 0.86µg 0.88µg 1%
Manganese 0.23mg 0.206mg 1%
Potassium 200mg 181mg 1%
Fructose 2.59g 1.69g 1%
Calories 263kcal 257kcal 0%
Vitamin C 0.6mg 0.4mg 0%
Net carbs 26.71g 18.48g N/A
Cholesterol 35mg 36mg 0%
Magnesium 20mg 20mg 0%
Sugar 6.22g 3.97g N/A
Copper 0.097mg 0.098mg 0%
Zinc 1.91mg 1.91mg 0%
Trans fat 0.647g 0.588g N/A
Monounsaturated fat 3.631g 3.474g 0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.355g 0.306g 0%

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
McDonald's cheeseburger McDonald's Big Mac
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
27%
McDonald's cheeseburger
23%
McDonald's Big Mac
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
43%
McDonald's cheeseburger
36%
McDonald's Big Mac

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
McDonald's cheeseburger
McDonald's cheeseburger is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 1mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
McDonald's cheeseburger
McDonald's cheeseburger is lower in glycemic index (difference - 66)
Which food is richer in minerals?
McDonald's cheeseburger
McDonald's cheeseburger is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
McDonald's cheeseburger
McDonald's cheeseburger is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is lower in Sugar?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Sugar (difference - 2.25g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac contains less Sodium (difference - 166mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 0.632g)
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 cheeseburger - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170320/nutrients
  2. McDonald's Big Mac - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170720/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.