McDonald's Hamburger vs. McDonald's Cheeseburger - What’s the Difference?

Actual differences

The main difference between McDonald’s classical hamburger and cheeseburger is the slice of American pasteurized cheese, which tops the meat in the cheeseburger. Other ingredients are the same: it is a burger patty prepared from ground beef using various condiments. It is topped with slices of a pickle, chopped onions, mustard, and ketchup. 

Additionally, hamburger comes from Hamburg, Germany, while cheeseburger has an American origin. 

Calories

Hamburgers and cheeseburgers are classified as medium-calorie foods. A 100g of each burger provides 264 calories. 

Carbohydrates

McDonald's hamburger and cheeseburger are both high in carbs: hamburger contains 30.3g of total carbs, whereas cheeseburger contains 27.8g.

A hamburger and a cheeseburger contain 1.3g and 1.1g of dietary fiber, respectively.

The majority of sugars in both burgers are glucose and fructose, with a comparably higher content of fructose. 

Unlike hamburger, cheeseburger also contains some amounts of lactose, which may lead to digestive symptoms, such as abdominal pain and bloating, in people with lactose intolerance.

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison

McDonald's hamburger

2

Starch: 0 g

Sucrose: 0 g

Glucose: 2.1 g

Fructose: 3.3 g

Lactose: 0 g

Maltose: 0.63 g

Galactose: 0 g

McDonald's Cheeseburger

3

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

Contains more FructoseFructose

+27.4%

Contains more SucroseSucrose	+∞%
Contains more LactoseLactose	+∞%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose	+33.3%

~equal in Starch ~0g

~equal in Glucose ~2.01g

~equal in Galactose ~0g

Protein

Cheeseburger is slightly richer in protein than hamburger; both contain nearly 13g of protein per 100g serving of the food.

Fats

Cheeseburger is higher in fats, providing 11.8g of fats per 100g compared to 10.1g in hamburger. Cheeseburgers are also higher in trans fats, the unhealthiest type of fats, and cholesterol. 

Surprisingly, a hamburger contains more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats than a cheeseburger. It is also lower in saturated fats.

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

McDonald's hamburger

3

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 3.504 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 3.768 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.42 g

McDonald's Cheeseburger

0

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 4.435 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 3.631 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.355 g

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat	-21%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+300%

~equal in Monounsaturated Fat ~3.631g

Minerals 

Cheeseburger is richer in calcium and phosphorus. Hamburger contains more iron and manganese and less sodium. 

McDonald's cheeseburger and hamburger are classified as high-sodium products. A 100g of hamburger contains 500mg of sodium, whereas cheeseburger contains 630mg.

100g of McDonald's hamburgers and cheeseburgers cover the RDV of iron by 35% and 30% for men and 16% and 13% for women.

A hamburger and a cheeseburger have nearly equal amounts of magnesium, potassium, zinc, and copper.

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.

McDonald's hamburger

4

McDonald's Cheeseburger

2

Contains more IronIron	+22.1%
Contains less SodiumSodium	-21.1%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+40%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+∞%

Contains more CalciumCalcium	+31.5%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+30.8%

~equal in Magnesium ~20mg

~equal in Potassium ~200mg

~equal in Copper ~0.097mg

~equal in Zinc ~1.91mg

Vitamins

McDonald's hamburger and cheeseburger are rich in vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B9 (folate), and B12. Hamburger is slightly richer in vitamins B1, B3, and folate, whereas cheeseburger is slightly richer in vitamins B2 and B12.

A hamburger and a cheeseburger also contain some amounts of vitamin A, which is higher in a cheeseburger, and vitamin C.

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.

McDonald's hamburger

1

McDonald's Cheeseburger

1

Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3

+12.9%

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A

+341.8%

~equal in Vitamin C ~0.6mg

~equal in Vitamin E ~mg

~equal in Vitamin D ~µg

~equal in Vitamin B1 ~0.223mg

~equal in Vitamin B2 ~0.26mg

~equal in Vitamin B5 ~mg

~equal in Vitamin B6 ~mg

~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0.86µg

~equal in Vitamin K ~µg

~equal in Folate ~59µg

~equal in Choline ~mg

Glycemic Index

Hamburgers and cheeseburgers are considered medium glycemic index foods, with a glycemic index value of 66. However, there are no calculated values for McDonald’s hamburger and cheeseburger. 

Acidity

Calculating the PRAL value of foods is another way to look at the food's acidity. The PRAL value shows how much acid is produced in the organism by the given food. 

The PRAL values of McDonald's hamburger and cheeseburger are 4.1 and 4.6, respectively, making cheeseburger slightly more acidic or acid-producing.

Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. Long-term consumption of fast food, such as McDonald's hamburger and cheeseburger, on a daily bases, along with an unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle, are risk factors for developing metabolic syndrome.

One of the main problems is the sodium concentration of both of these foods. Due to the high sodium level of these foods, nearly one serving of cheeseburger and hamburger combined can exceed the recommended daily value for sodium. Sodium is considered the main risk factor for hypertension, which may lead to the development of cardiovascular disease (1, 2). 

As shown by recent meta-analytic studies, foods high in calories, dietary cholesterol, saturated fats, and trans fats are all associated with an increased risk of hyperlipidemia - elevated levels of unhealthy fats in the blood. 

Hyperlipidemia is linked to a number of conditions and diseases, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and cirrhosis, atherosclerosis, stroke, high blood pressure, vascular disease, etc. (3, 4, 5, 6, 7). 

Anemia

Both hamburgers and cheeseburgers are rich in iron and vitamin B12, decreasing the risks of developing iron deficiency or microcytic anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency or megaloblastic anemia.

Some of the most common symptoms of iron deficiency anemia are dizziness, fatigue, pale skin, and cold hands and feet (8). Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia may also cause tiredness, lack of energy, as well as a sensation of pins and needles in limbs, slow thinking, memory loss, mood changes, irritability, and problems with smell or taste (9).