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

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Differences between whey and mcDonald's Big Mac

  • Whey contains less vitamin B12, iron, vitamin B3, zinc, vitamin B1, folate, and phosphorus than mcDonald's Big Mac.
  • McDonald's Big Mac's daily need coverage for vitamin B12 is 25% higher.
  • The amount of sodium in whey is lower.
  • Whey has a lower glycemic index. The glycemic index of whey is 43, while the glycemic index of mcDonald's Big Mac is 66.

The food types used in this comparison are Whey, sweet, fluid and McDONALD'S, BIG MAC.

Infographic

Whey 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.
Whey
2
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 5.7% 14% 14% 2.3% 1.3% 3.5% 20% 7% 0.13% 10%
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 less SodiumSodium -88.3%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +150%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +146.8%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +12.4%
Contains more IronIron +3233.3%
Contains more CopperCopper +2350%
Contains more ZincZinc +1369.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +165.2%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +20500%

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.
Whey
4
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 0.33% 1% 0% 0% 9% 36% 1.4% 23% 7.2% 35% 0% 0.75% 8.7%
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 1.3% 0% 0% 0% 44% 48% 63% 0% 0% 110% 0% 35% 0%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +∞%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +300%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +388.9%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +32.3%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +4473%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +214.3%
Contains more FolateFolate +4500%
~equal in Vitamin E ~mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Whey
1
5% 93%
Protein: 0.85 g
Fats: 0.36 g
Carbs: 5.14 g
Water: 93.12 g
Other: 0.53 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 WaterWater +81.5%
Contains more ProteinProtein +1290.6%
Contains more FatsFats +4055.6%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +290.7%
Contains more OtherOther +247.2%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Whey
1
67% 29% 3%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.23 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.1 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.011 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 less Sat. FatSaturated fat -94%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +3374%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +2681.8%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Whey McDonald's Big Mac DV% diff.
Vitamin B12 0.28µg 0.88µg 25%
Iron 0.06mg 2mg 24%
Protein 0.85g 11.82g 22%
Fats 0.36g 14.96g 22%
Vitamin B3 0.074mg 3.384mg 21%
Sodium 54mg 460mg 18%
Saturated fat 0.23g 3.803g 16%
Zinc 0.13mg 1.91mg 16%
Calories 27kcal 257kcal 12%
Vitamin B1 0.036mg 0.176mg 12%
Phosphorus 46mg 122mg 11%
Cholesterol 2mg 36mg 11%
Folate 1µg 46µg 11%
Copper 0.004mg 0.098mg 10%
Manganese 0.001mg 0.206mg 9%
Monounsaturated fat 0.1g 3.474g 8%
Vitamin B5 0.383mg 8%
Calcium 47mg 116mg 7%
Fiber 0g 1.6g 6%
Carbs 5.14g 20.08g 5%
Vitamin B2 0.158mg 0.209mg 4%
Selenium 1.9µg 3%
Magnesium 8mg 20mg 3%
Choline 16mg 3%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.011g 0.306g 2%
Fructose 1.69g 2%
Vitamin B6 0.031mg 2%
Potassium 161mg 181mg 1%
Vitamin C 0.1mg 0.4mg 0%
Net carbs 5.14g 18.48g N/A
Sugar 5.14g 3.97g N/A
Vitamin A 3µg 0%
Trans fat 0.588g N/A
Tryptophan 0.013mg 0%
Threonine 0.054mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.047mg 0%
Leucine 0.078mg 0%
Lysine 0.068mg 0%
Methionine 0.016mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.027mg 0%
Valine 0.046mg 0%
Histidine 0.016mg 0%

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Whey 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
9%
Whey
23%
McDonald's Big Mac
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
8%
Whey
36%
McDonald's Big Mac

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Whey
Whey is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 34mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Whey
Whey contains less Sodium (difference - 406mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Whey
Whey is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 3.573g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Whey
Whey is lower in glycemic index (difference - 23)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is lower in Sugar (difference - 1.17g)
Which food is cheaper?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is cheaper (difference - $3.6)
Which food is richer in minerals?
McDonald's Big Mac
McDonald's Big Mac is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
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. Whey - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171282/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.