How does McDonald’s nutrition compare?
Fast food is a big part of our lives, whether we eat it or not. We see dozens of ads every day on TV, billboards, buses, emails, mobile ads, and many more. We are constantly reminded of the convenience, affordability, and enhanced “healthy” qualities of various fast food items. But how healthy or unhealthy is fast food really? Is it worth saving a few minutes of cooking to eat that double cheeseburger or hard taco? I’d like to start a series of posts comparing the nutrition facts of various fast food chains to their home-cooked counterparts. Today I’ll show you some of the nutrition facts for McDonald’s compared to the nutrition facts for a healthier homemade option, then you can judge whether saving a dollar or a few minutes is worth the nutritional differences.
McDonald’s Nutrition – Quarter Pounder with Cheese
against
Homemade Version: Quarter Pound Burger on Wheat Bread and Cheese
McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese:
Calories: 520
Calories from fat: 240
Total Fat: 26g
Saturated fat: 12g
trans fat: 1.5g
Cholesterol: 95mg
Sodium: 1100mg
Total carbohydrates: 41g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 10g
Protein: 30g
Vitamin A: 10%
Vitamin C: 2%
Calcium: 30%
Iron: 25%
Homemade Quarter Pounder with Cheese on Wheat Bread
Calories: 401
Calories from fat: 118
Total Fat: 15g
Saturated fat: 7g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.6 g
Monounsaturated fat: 4.5 g
Cholesterol: 93mg
Sodium: 723mg
Potassium: 469mg
Total carbohydrates: 31g
Dietary fiber: 4g
Sugars: 7g
Protein: 35g
Vitamin A: 16%
Calcium: 57%
Iron: 3%
There you go. Nutrition information for a fast food restaurant and a homemade hamburger. Let’s take a minute to discuss the differences in nutrition from McDonald’s and the home version. We’ll start with the fat content. McDonald’s version has more saturated and trans fats (the bad fats), while the homemade burger has higher amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (the acceptable fats). McDonald’s nutrition shows higher amounts of cholesterol, sodium, sugars and iron. The homemade hamburger shows higher amounts of fiber, protein, vitamins and potassium.
Not surprisingly, the homemade version is healthier than the McDonald’s version. The real surprise is how much healthier it actually is. By skipping McDonald’s nutrition and taking a few extra minutes to make your own burger, you’ll consume less fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar, and more fiber, protein, potassium, and vitamins. In other words, you turn McDonald’s nutrition into muscle-building nutrition. A homemade burger with 35g of protein, 4g of fiber, some good fats, and a lot less starch makes for a delicious, muscle-building dinner.
Stay tuned for my next fast food comparison coming soon!