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

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Differences between McDonald's Quarter Pounder and Fast food

  • McDonald's Quarter Pounder has more Vitamin B12, while Fast food has more Vitamin B1, Iron, Vitamin B3, Manganese, Folate, and Polyunsaturated fat.
  • McDonald's Quarter Pounder's daily need coverage for Vitamin B12 is 16% higher.
  • The amount of Sodium in Fast food is lower.

The food types used in this comparison are McDONALD'S, QUARTER POUNDER and Fast foods, hamburger; single, regular patty; plain.

Infographic

McDonald's Quarter Pounder vs Fast food infographic
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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% 19% 17% 115% 40% 69% 57% 43% 47% 111%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +35.5%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +15.2%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +22.7%
Contains more IronIron +27%
Contains more CopperCopper +13.1%
Contains less SodiumSodium -22.5%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +79.4%
~equal in Zinc ~2.52mg
~equal in Phosphorus ~134mg

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% 3.4% 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% 3.1% 7.6% 3% 79% 84% 105% 32% 49% 111% 12% 60% 19%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +43.8%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +73.2%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +26.2%
Contains more FolateFolate +42.9%
~equal in Vitamin A ~51IU
~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% 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 +31%
Contains more OtherOther +19.1%
Contains more ProteinProtein +17.2%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +42.1%
~equal in Fats ~12.01g

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
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 -10.8%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +15.1%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +493.6%

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
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 SucroseSucrose +∞%
Contains more LactoseLactose +∞%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +28.1%
Contains more StarchStarch +∞%
~equal in Glucose ~2.05g
~equal in Fructose ~2.27g
~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 Fast food
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in price Equal
Rich in minerals Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient McDonald's Quarter Pounder Fast food Opinion
Calories 244kcal 297kcal Fast food
Protein 14.1g 16.52g Fast food
Fats 11.55g 12.01g Fast food
Vitamin C 0.9mg 0mg McDonald's Quarter Pounder
Net carbs 20.57g 29.8g Fast food
Carbs 22.17g 31.5g Fast food
Cholesterol 39mg 33mg Fast food
Vitamin D 2IU Fast food
Magnesium 22mg 27mg Fast food
Calcium 84mg 62mg McDonald's Quarter Pounder
Potassium 227mg 197mg McDonald's Quarter Pounder
Iron 2.41mg 3.06mg Fast food
Sugar 5.13g 4.88g Fast food
Fiber 1.6g 1.7g Fast food
Copper 0.107mg 0.121mg Fast food
Zinc 2.69mg 2.52mg McDonald's Quarter Pounder
Starch 22.87g Fast food
Phosphorus 124mg 134mg Fast food
Sodium 427mg 331mg Fast food
Vitamin A 56IU 51IU McDonald's Quarter Pounder
Vitamin A 9µg Fast food
Vitamin E 0.38mg Fast food
Vitamin D 0.1µg Fast food
Manganese 0.199mg 0.357mg Fast food
Selenium 20.3µg Fast food
Vitamin B1 0.183mg 0.317mg Fast food
Vitamin B2 0.344mg 0.363mg Fast food
Vitamin B3 4.452mg 5.617mg Fast food
Vitamin B5 0.53mg Fast food
Vitamin B6 0.212mg Fast food
Vitamin B12 1.28µg 0.89µg McDonald's Quarter Pounder
Vitamin K 4.9µg Fast food
Folate 56µg 80µg Fast food
Trans Fat 0.724g 0.514g Fast food
Choline 34.4mg Fast food
Saturated Fat 4.008g 4.493g McDonald's Quarter Pounder
Monounsaturated Fat 4.202g 4.835g Fast food
Polyunsaturated fat 0.283g 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 2.2g 2.27g Fast food
Omega-3 - EPA 0.005g Fast food
Omega-3 - DHA 0.001g Fast food
Omega-3 - ALA 0.121g Fast food
Omega-3 - DPA 0.009g Fast food
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.004g Fast food
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.009g Fast food
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.003g Fast food
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 1.391g Fast food

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
McDonald's Quarter Pounder 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
32%
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
43%
Fast food
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
40%
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
54%
Fast food

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
McDonald's Quarter Pounder is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.485g)
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 Cholesterol?
Fast food
Fast food is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 6mg)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Fast food
Fast food is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.25g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Fast food
Fast food contains less Sodium (difference - 96mg)
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 ($)
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.

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. 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.