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McDonald's hamburger vs. Fast food — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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A recap on differences between McDonald's hamburger and Fast food

  • McDonald's hamburger is higher in Selenium, and Calcium, yet Fast food is higher in Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B1, and Zinc.
  • McDonald's hamburger covers your daily Selenium needs 11% more than Fast food.
  • McDonald's hamburger contains 2 times more Calcium than Fast food. While McDonald's hamburger contains 127mg of Calcium, Fast food contains only 62mg.
  • The amount of Sodium in Fast food is lower.

Food varieties used in this article are McDONALD'S, Hamburger and Fast foods, hamburger; single, regular patty; plain.

Infographic

McDonald's hamburger vs Fast food 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 15% 38% 17% 108% 32% 53% 46% 64% 42% 143%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 19% 19% 17% 115% 40% 69% 57% 43% 47% 111%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +104.8%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +29.1%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +28.6%
Contains more CopperCopper +26%
Contains more ZincZinc +29.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +25.2%
Contains less SodiumSodium -33%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +10.9%
~equal in Potassium ~197mg
~equal in Iron ~3.06mg

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% 3.3% 0% 0% 62% 55% 85% 0% 0% 104% 0% 48% 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% 3.1% 7.6% 3% 79% 84% 105% 32% 49% 111% 12% 60% 19%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +28.3%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +51.9%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +23.6%
Contains more FolateFolate +25%
~equal in Vitamin A ~51IU
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0.89µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
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
17% 12% 32% 38%
Protein: 16.52 g
Fats: 12.01 g
Carbs: 31.5 g
Water: 38.45 g
Other: 1.52 g
Contains more WaterWater +15.8%
Contains more OtherOther +43.4%
Contains more ProteinProtein +27.9%
Contains more FatsFats +19%
~equal in Carbs ~31.5g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
40% 43% 16%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 3.504 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 3.768 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.42 g
41% 44% 15%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 4.493 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 4.835 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.68 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -22%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +28.3%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +18.3%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
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
82% 7% 8% 2%
Starch: 22.87 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 2.05 g
Fructose: 2.27 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0.57 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more FructoseFructose +45.4%
Contains more StarchStarch +∞%
~equal in Sucrose ~0g
~equal in Glucose ~2.05g
~equal in Lactose ~0g
~equal in Maltose ~0.57g
~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 hamburger Fast food
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in price Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient McDonald's hamburger Fast food Opinion
Calories 264kcal 297kcal Fast food
Protein 12.92g 16.52g Fast food
Fats 10.09g 12.01g Fast food
Vitamin C 0.6mg 0mg McDonald's hamburger
Net carbs 28.98g 29.8g Fast food
Carbs 30.28g 31.5g Fast food
Cholesterol 27mg 33mg McDonald's hamburger
Vitamin D 2IU Fast food
Magnesium 21mg 27mg Fast food
Calcium 127mg 62mg McDonald's hamburger
Potassium 192mg 197mg Fast food
Iron 2.87mg 3.06mg Fast food
Sugar 6.03g 4.88g Fast food
Fiber 1.3g 1.7g Fast food
Copper 0.096mg 0.121mg Fast food
Zinc 1.95mg 2.52mg Fast food
Starch 22.87g Fast food
Phosphorus 107mg 134mg Fast food
Sodium 494mg 331mg Fast food
Vitamin A 55IU 51IU McDonald's hamburger
Vitamin A 9µg Fast food
Vitamin E 0.38mg Fast food
Vitamin D 0.1µg Fast food
Manganese 0.322mg 0.357mg Fast food
Selenium 26.2µg 20.3µg McDonald's hamburger
Vitamin B1 0.247mg 0.317mg Fast food
Vitamin B2 0.239mg 0.363mg Fast food
Vitamin B3 4.544mg 5.617mg Fast food
Vitamin B5 0.53mg Fast food
Vitamin B6 0.212mg Fast food
Vitamin B12 0.83µg 0.89µg Fast food
Vitamin K 4.9µg Fast food
Folate 64µg 80µg Fast food
Trans Fat 0.428g 0.514g McDonald's hamburger
Choline 34.4mg Fast food
Saturated Fat 3.504g 4.493g McDonald's hamburger
Monounsaturated Fat 3.768g 4.835g Fast food
Polyunsaturated fat 1.42g 1.68g Fast food
Tryptophan 0.144mg Fast food
Threonine 0.46mg Fast food
Isoleucine 0.642mg Fast food
Leucine 1.13mg Fast food
Lysine 0.785mg Fast food
Methionine 0.306mg Fast food
Phenylalanine 0.67mg Fast food
Valine 0.728mg Fast food
Histidine 0.402mg Fast food
Fructose 3.3g 2.27g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-3 - EPA 0.002g 0.005g Fast food
Omega-3 - DHA 0g 0.001g Fast food
Omega-3 - ALA 0.134g 0.121g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-3 - DPA 0.006g 0.009g Fast food
Omega-3 - Eicosatrienoic acid 0.001g 0g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.004g 0.004g
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.011g 0.009g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.004g 0.003g McDonald's hamburger
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 1.135g 1.391g Fast food

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
McDonald's hamburger Fast food
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
28%
McDonald's hamburger
43%
Fast food
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
56%
McDonald's hamburger
54%
Fast food

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
McDonald's hamburger
McDonald's hamburger is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 6mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
McDonald's hamburger
McDonald's hamburger is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.989g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
McDonald's hamburger
McDonald's hamburger is lower in glycemic index (difference - 66)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Fast food
Fast food is lower in Sugar (difference - 1.15g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Fast food
Fast food contains less Sodium (difference - 163mg)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Fast food
Fast food is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Fast food
Fast food is relatively richer in vitamins
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 hamburger - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170717/nutrients
  2. Fast food - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170693/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.