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Steak vs. McDonald's Big Mac — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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The main differences between steak and mcDonald's Big Mac

  • Steak is richer in vitamin B12, zinc, vitamin B3, and vitamin B2, yet mcDonald's Big Mac is richer in calcium, folate, and vitamin B1.
  • Daily need coverage for vitamin B12 for steak is 55% higher.
  • Steak contains 3 times more zinc than mcDonald's Big Mac. Steak contains 6.34mg of zinc, while mcDonald's Big Mac contains 1.91mg.
  • McDonald's Big Mac contains less saturated fat.
  • Steak has a lower glycemic index than mcDonald's Big Mac.

Food types used in this article are Beef, rib eye steak, boneless, lip off, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 0" fat, all grades, cooked, grilled and McDONALD'S, BIG MAC.

Infographic

Steak vs McDonald's Big Mac 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.
Steak
7
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 16% 3.6% 25% 90% 28% 173% 70% 7.6% 0% 173%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 14% 35% 16% 75% 33% 52% 52% 60% 27% 0%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +15%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +54.1%
Contains more IronIron +20%
Contains more ZincZinc +231.9%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +33.6%
Contains less SodiumSodium -87.4%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +866.7%
Contains more CopperCopper +15.3%

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.
Steak
7
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% 2.3% 0% 1.5% 19% 69% 97% 0% 115% 275% 4% 4.5% 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 1.3% 0% 0% 0% 44% 48% 63% 0% 0% 110% 0% 35% 0%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +44%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +52.2%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +150%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +137.8%
Contains more FolateFolate +666.7%
~equal in Vitamin E ~mg
~equal in Vitamin B5 ~mg
~equal in Choline ~mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Steak
3
25% 19% 56%
Protein: 24.85 g
Fats: 19.02 g
Carbs: 0 g
Water: 55.59 g
Other: 0.54 g
12% 15% 20% 51% 2%
Protein: 11.82 g
Fats: 14.96 g
Carbs: 20.08 g
Water: 51.3 g
Other: 1.84 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +110.2%
Contains more FatsFats +27.1%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +∞%
Contains more OtherOther +240.7%
~equal in Water ~51.3g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Steak
2
46% 50% 5%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 8.443 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 9.171 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.896 g
50% 46% 4%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 3.803 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 3.474 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.306 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +164%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +192.8%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -55%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Steak McDonald's Big Mac
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in price ok
Rich in minerals Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Steak McDonald's Big Mac DV% diff.
Selenium 31.8µg 58%
Vitamin B12 2.2µg 0.88µg 55%
Zinc 6.34mg 1.91mg 40%
Vitamin B6 0.5mg 38%
Protein 24.85g 11.82g 26%
Saturated fat 8.443g 3.803g 21%
Sodium 58mg 460mg 17%
Cholesterol 78mg 36mg 14%
Monounsaturated fat 9.171g 3.474g 14%
Vitamin B3 5.149mg 3.384mg 11%
Folate 6µg 46µg 10%
Calcium 12mg 116mg 10%
Manganese 0.206mg 9%
Vitamin B1 0.074mg 0.176mg 9%
Carbs 0g 20.08g 7%
Vitamin B2 0.301mg 0.209mg 7%
Fiber 0g 1.6g 6%
Phosphorus 163mg 122mg 6%
Fats 19.02g 14.96g 6%
Iron 2.4mg 2mg 5%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.896g 0.306g 4%
Potassium 279mg 181mg 3%
Fructose 1.69g 2%
Vitamin K 1.6µg 1%
Calories 271kcal 257kcal 1%
Vitamin D 0.1µg 1%
Copper 0.085mg 0.098mg 1%
Magnesium 23mg 20mg 1%
Vitamin D 6IU 1%
Vitamin A 7µg 1%
Vitamin C 0mg 0.4mg 0%
Net carbs 0g 18.48g N/A
Sugar 0g 3.97g N/A
Trans fat 0.588g N/A
Tryptophan 0.278mg 0%
Threonine 1.171mg 0%
Isoleucine 1.157mg 0%
Leucine 2.142mg 0%
Lysine 2.38mg 0%
Methionine 0.672mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.997mg 0%
Valine 1.242mg 0%
Histidine 0.931mg 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0.001g N/A
Omega-3 - DHA 0.001g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0.013g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Steak McDonald's Big Mac
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
45%
Steak
23%
McDonald's Big Mac
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
59%
Steak
36%
McDonald's Big Mac

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Steak
Steak is lower in Sugar (difference - 3.97g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Steak
Steak contains less Sodium (difference - 402mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Steak
Steak is lower in glycemic index (difference - 66)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Steak
Steak is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 42mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 4.64g)
Which food is cheaper?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is cheaper (difference - $2.4)
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. Steak - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172164/nutrients
  2. McDonald's Big Mac - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170720/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.