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McDonald's Quarter Pounder vs. Cheeseburger — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Summary of differences between McDonald's Quarter Pounder and cheeseburgers

  • McDonald's Quarter Pounder has more vitamin B12; however, cheeseburgers are higher in vitamin B1, phosphorus, manganese, polyunsaturated fat, and monounsaturated fat.
  • McDonald's Quarter Pounder covers your daily need for vitamin B12, 22% more than cheeseburgers.
  • McDonald's Quarter Pounder has less saturated fat.

These are the specific foods used in this comparison McDONALD'S, QUARTER POUNDER and Fast foods, cheeseburger; single, regular patty; plain.

Infographic

McDonald's Quarter Pounder vs Cheeseburger 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 16% 25% 20% 90% 36% 73% 53% 56% 26% 0%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 19% 36% 17% 102% 37% 68% 69% 67% 41% 107%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +15.8%
Contains less SodiumSodium -17.1%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +18.2%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +41.7%
Contains more IronIron +12.4%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +29.8%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +58.8%
~equal in Copper ~0.111mg
~equal in Zinc ~2.49mg

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 3% 0% 0% 0% 46% 79% 83% 0% 0% 160% 0% 42% 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% 17% 10% 1.5% 73% 84% 98% 33% 53% 95% 11% 53% 16%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +68.4%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +60.1%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +17.2%
Contains more FolateFolate +25%
~equal in Vitamin B2 ~0.363mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
14% 12% 22% 50% 2%
Protein: 14.1 g
Fats: 11.55 g
Carbs: 22.17 g
Water: 50.37 g
Other: 1.81 g
17% 15% 28% 39% 2%
Protein: 16.51 g
Fats: 14.72 g
Carbs: 28.03 g
Water: 38.63 g
Other: 2.11 g
Contains more WaterWater +30.4%
Contains more ProteinProtein +17.1%
Contains more FatsFats +27.4%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +26.4%
Contains more OtherOther +16.6%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
47% 49% 3%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 4.008 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 4.202 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.283 g
48% 40% 12%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 6.473 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 5.413 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.658 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -38.1%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +28.8%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +485.9%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
4% 37% 43% 14%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0.22 g
Glucose: 1.91 g
Fructose: 2.2 g
Lactose: 0.07 g
Maltose: 0.73 g
Galactose: 0 g
80% 7% 8% 3% 2%
Starch: 19.87 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 1.76 g
Fructose: 1.94 g
Lactose: 0.72 g
Maltose: 0.46 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more SucroseSucrose +∞%
Contains more FructoseFructose +13.4%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +58.7%
Contains more StarchStarch +∞%
Contains more LactoseLactose +928.6%
~equal in Glucose ~1.76g
~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 Quarter Pounder Cheeseburger
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in price Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient McDonald's Quarter Pounder Cheeseburger DV% diff.
Selenium 19.6µg 36%
Vitamin B12 1.28µg 0.76µg 22%
Vitamin B6 0.228mg 18%
Vitamin B5 0.545mg 11%
Saturated fat 4.008g 6.473g 11%
Vitamin B1 0.183mg 0.293mg 9%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.283g 1.658g 9%
Starch 19.87g 8%
Vitamin A 50µg 6%
Phosphorus 124mg 161mg 5%
Vitamin B3 4.452mg 5.217mg 5%
Protein 14.1g 16.51g 5%
Fats 11.55g 14.72g 5%
Manganese 0.199mg 0.316mg 5%
Choline 28.9mg 5%
Calcium 84mg 119mg 4%
Vitamin K 4.2µg 4%
Folate 56µg 70µg 4%
Sodium 427mg 515mg 4%
Iron 2.41mg 2.71mg 4%
Monounsaturated fat 4.202g 5.413g 3%
Calories 244kcal 308kcal 3%
Vitamin E 0.52mg 3%
Zinc 2.69mg 2.49mg 2%
Fiber 1.6g 2g 2%
Carbs 22.17g 28.03g 2%
Vitamin D 0.1µg 1%
Vitamin B2 0.344mg 0.363mg 1%
Potassium 227mg 196mg 1%
Magnesium 22mg 26mg 1%
Cholesterol 39mg 43mg 1%
Vitamin C 0.9mg 0mg 1%
Net carbs 20.57g 26.03g N/A
Vitamin D 2IU 0%
Sugar 5.13g 4.88g N/A
Copper 0.107mg 0.111mg 0%
Trans fat 0.724g 0.57g N/A
Tryptophan 0.155mg 0%
Threonine 0.571mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.755mg 0%
Leucine 1.316mg 0%
Lysine 0.784mg 0%
Methionine 0.377mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.755mg 0%
Valine 0.881mg 0%
Histidine 0.445mg 0%
Fructose 2.2g 1.94g 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0.005g N/A
Omega-3 - ALA 0.125g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0.01g N/A
Omega-3 - Eicosatrienoic acid 0.001g N/A
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.005g N/A
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.015g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.004g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 1.322g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
McDonald's Quarter Pounder Cheeseburger
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
32%
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
42%
Cheeseburger
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
40%
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
56%
Cheeseburger

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
McDonald's Quarter Pounder is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 4mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
McDonald's Quarter Pounder contains less Sodium (difference - 88mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
McDonald's Quarter Pounder is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 2.465g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
McDonald's Quarter Pounder is lower in glycemic index (difference - 66)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.25g)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger 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 Quarter Pounder - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170321/nutrients
  2. Cheeseburger - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170690/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.