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

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How are McDonald's Quarter Pounder and mcChicken Sandwich different?

  • McDonald's Quarter Pounder is higher in vitamin B12, zinc, vitamin B2, and iron; however, mcChicken Sandwich is richer in manganese and polyunsaturated fat.
  • Daily need coverage for vitamin B12 for McDonald's Quarter Pounder is 45% higher.
  • McDonald's Quarter Pounder contains 4 times more zinc than mcChicken Sandwich. While McDonald's Quarter Pounder contains 2.69mg of zinc, mcChicken Sandwich contains only 0.63mg.
  • McChicken Sandwich has less saturated fat.

McDONALD'S, QUARTER POUNDER and McDONALD'S, McCHICKEN Sandwich are the varieties used in this article.

Infographic

McDonald's Quarter Pounder vs McChicken Sandwich 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 14% 26% 15% 65% 27% 17% 60% 81% 47% 0%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +31.2%
Contains more IronIron +38.5%
Contains more CopperCopper +30.5%
Contains more ZincZinc +327%
Contains less SodiumSodium -31.6%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +12.1%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +79.9%
~equal in Magnesium ~20mg
~equal in Calcium ~88mg
~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 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% 0% 0% 0% 53% 46% 74% 0% 0% 24% 0% 0% 0%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +72%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +12.9%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +573.7%
Contains more FolateFolate +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +15.8%
~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 K ~µg
~equal in Choline ~mg

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
10% 13% 28% 46% 2%
Protein: 10.43 g
Fats: 13.21 g
Carbs: 27.97 g
Water: 46.11 g
Other: 2.28 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +35.2%
Contains more FatsFats +14.4%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +26.2%
Contains more OtherOther +26%
~equal in Water ~46.11g

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
20% 38% 42%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 2.346 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 4.401 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 4.964 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -41.5%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +1654.1%
~equal in Monounsaturated fat ~4.401g

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
5% 29% 54% 12%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0.17 g
Glucose: 1.03 g
Fructose: 1.93 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0.43 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more SucroseSucrose +29.4%
Contains more GlucoseGlucose +85.4%
Contains more FructoseFructose +14%
Contains more LactoseLactose +∞%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +69.8%
~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 Quarter Pounder McChicken Sandwich
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in price Equal
Rich in minerals Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient McDonald's Quarter Pounder McChicken Sandwich DV% diff.
Vitamin B12 1.28µg 0.19µg 45%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.283g 4.964g 31%
Zinc 2.69mg 0.63mg 19%
Folate 56µg 14%
Vitamin B2 0.344mg 0.2mg 11%
Sodium 427mg 624mg 9%
Saturated fat 4.008g 2.346g 8%
Iron 2.41mg 1.74mg 8%
Manganese 0.199mg 0.358mg 7%
Protein 14.1g 10.43g 7%
Cholesterol 39mg 27mg 4%
Fats 11.55g 13.21g 3%
Vitamin B3 4.452mg 3.942mg 3%
Copper 0.107mg 0.082mg 3%
Vitamin B1 0.183mg 0.212mg 2%
Phosphorus 124mg 139mg 2%
Carbs 22.17g 27.97g 2%
Potassium 227mg 173mg 2%
Calories 244kcal 273kcal 1%
Fiber 1.6g 1.3g 1%
Vitamin C 0.9mg 1%
Net carbs 20.57g 26.67g N/A
Magnesium 22mg 20mg 0%
Calcium 84mg 88mg 0%
Sugar 5.13g 3.57g N/A
Trans fat 0.724g 0.079g N/A
Monounsaturated fat 4.202g 4.401g 0%
Fructose 2.2g 1.93g 0%
Omega-3 - DHA 0.003g N/A
Omega-3 - ALA 0.43g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0.002g N/A
Omega-3 - Eicosatrienoic acid 0.001g N/A
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.016g N/A
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.01g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.009g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 4.396g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
McDonald's Quarter Pounder McChicken Sandwich
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
15%
McChicken Sandwich
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
40%
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
35%
McChicken Sandwich

Comparison summary

Which food contains less Sodium?
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
McDonald's Quarter Pounder contains less Sodium (difference - 197mg)
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 richer in vitamins?
McDonald's Quarter Pounder
McDonald's Quarter Pounder is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
McChicken Sandwich
McChicken Sandwich is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 12mg)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
McChicken Sandwich
McChicken Sandwich is lower in Sugar (difference - 1.56g)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
McChicken Sandwich
McChicken Sandwich is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 1.662g)
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. McChicken Sandwich - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173305/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.