McGriddles vs. Egg McMUFFIN — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison
Summary
The amount of cholesterol in McGriddles is significantly lower, but in contrast, it is higher in calories and overall fats. Egg McMuffin is higher in vitamin B2, calcium, and iron, while McGriddles are higher in phosphorus. Egg McMuffin contains less sugar.
Introduction
This article compares two famous fast foods from McDonald’s menu - Egg McMuffin(1) and sausage McGriddles(2). Please go through the sections of the article to find out helpful information about their nutrition and health impact.
Actual differences
Egg McMuffin is prepared from freshly cracked egg placed on an English Muffin, topped with Canadian bacon, butter, and American cheese. At the same time, McGriddles contains sausage and Applewood smoked bacon instead of Canadian bacon.
People following a vegetarian diet can use Egg McMuffin.
Nutrition
This section will compare the nutritional composition of a 100g serving of Egg McMuffin and McGriddles. Consider that the serving size for Egg McMuffin equals 126g, while McGriddles’ serving size is 135 g.
Macronutrient Comparison
Calories
McGriddles and EggMcMuffin are classified as medium-calorie foods. However, McGriddles is higher in calories than Egg McMuffin: it provides 84 more calories.
Carbs
McGriddles are significantly richer in sugar. McGriddles contain 31.3g of carbs. In comparison, Egg McMuffin contains 21.7g of carbs. They are both high in carbs. However, Egg McMuffin contains fewer carbs.
Carbohydrate type comparison
Protein
Egg McMuffin is richer in proteins than McGriddles. It provides 13.6g of protein per 100g, whereas McMuffin has 8.4g.
Fats
McGriddles is nearly two times higher in fats than Egg McMuffin. It provides 17.8g of fats per 100g compared to 9.7g in Egg McMuffin. McGriddles are significantly higher in monounsaturated fats.
Surprisingly, Egg McMuffin contains 143mg more cholesterol than McGriddles.
Fat Type Comparison
Minerals
Egg McMuffin is richer in calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, and magnesium. McGriddles is higher in phosphorus and sodium: it covers 136% of the DV of phosphorus.
Mineral Comparison
Vitamins
Egg McMuffin is the winner in this section as well. It is higher in all vitamins. Egg McMuffin provides 1.2mg of vitamin C per 100g, while McGriddles do not contain any amounts of it.
Vitamin Comparison
Health impact
Cardiovascular health
The sodium content of both of these foods is one of the critical issues. As a result of their high sodium content, almost one serving of Egg McMuffin and McGriddles together can exceed the DV for sodium.
Excessive sodium intake increases the risk of hypertension and the severity of cardiovascular disease (3)(4). If you have issues with your blood pressure, you should try eating foods that are lower in sodium.
Egg McMuffin has more cholesterol. Recent meta-analytic investigations, however, have demonstrated that dietary cholesterol is not the only factor linked to a higher risk of hyperlipidemia and overall mortality rates. Hyperlipidemia is linked to high-calorie intake, saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol. Consider that only a tiny amount of the 100 mg of dietary cholesterol consumed is absorbed (5)(6).
References
- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173307/nutrients
- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172059/nutrients
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34579105/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29565029/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26109578/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27739004/
Infographic
Comparison summary table
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| Lower in Cholesterol |
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| Lower in Sugar |
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| Lower in Sodium |
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| Lower in Saturated Fat |
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| Rich in minerals |
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| Rich in vitamins |
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| Lower in Glycemic Index | Equal | ||
| Lower in price | Equal | ||
All nutrients comparison - raw data values
| Nutrient | |
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Opinion |
| Net carbs | 30.25g | 20.57g |
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| Protein | 8.41g | 13.64g |
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| Fats | 17.76g | 9.66g |
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| Carbs | 31.25g | 21.67g |
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| Calories | 312kcal | 228kcal |
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| Fructose | 0.14g | 0.43g |
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| Sugar | 11.23g | 2.13g |
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| Fiber | 1g | 1.1g |
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| Calcium | 63mg | 192mg |
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| Iron | 1.42mg | 2.3mg |
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| Magnesium | 14mg | 20mg |
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| Phosphorus | 316mg | 200mg |
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| Potassium | 145mg | 173mg |
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| Sodium | 737mg | 617mg |
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| Zinc | 0.76mg | 1.29mg |
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| Copper | 0.079mg | 0.084mg |
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| Manganese | 0.198mg | 0.235mg |
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| Vitamin E | 0.59mg |
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| Vitamin C | 0mg | 1.2mg |
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| Vitamin B1 | 0.209mg | 0.262mg |
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| Vitamin B2 | 0.156mg | 0.368mg |
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| Vitamin B3 | 3.082mg | 3.102mg |
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| Vitamin B5 | 0.384mg | 0.836mg |
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| Vitamin B6 | 0.108mg | 0.145mg |
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| Folate | 37µg | 79µg |
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| Vitamin B12 | 0.27µg |
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| Cholesterol | 24mg | 165mg |
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| Trans Fat | 0.956g | 0.109g |
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| Saturated Fat | 5.435g | 3.592g |
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| Omega-3 - DHA | 0.021g |
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| Omega-3 - EPA | 0.002g |
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| Omega-3 - DPA | 0.006g |
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| Monounsaturated Fat | 7.532g | 2.721g |
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| Polyunsaturated fat | 2.591g | 1.735g |
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| Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid | 0.01g |
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| Omega-6 - Linoleic acid | 1.416g |
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| Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid | 0.001g |
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| Omega-3 - ALA | 0.114g |
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| Omega-3 - Eicosatrienoic acid | 0.002g |
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| Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid | 0.012g |
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Which food is preferable for your diet?
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| Low Fats diet |
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| Low Carbs diet |
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| Low Calories diet |
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| Low Glycemic Index diet | Equal | |
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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
Comparison summary