Home Health McDonalds, US vs UK! How the menus really compare, from calories in a Big Mac to sugar in a chocolate milkshake (and the results might shock you!)

McDonalds, US vs UK! How the menus really compare, from calories in a Big Mac to sugar in a chocolate milkshake (and the results might shock you!)

by Alexander
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Both menus are calorie-dense and loaded with fat, salt and sugar, but the United States contains the most calories in its food, an audit of more than 20 products shows.
  • Burgers, breakfasts and shakes contain hundreds of calories more than American chain
  • Fast food chain sells items that exceed the daily limit of sugar and saturated fat

He is loved on both sides of the Atlantic.

But while McDonald’s delicious menus are almost identical in the UK and US, the calories, saturated fat and salt loaded into its burgers, fries and drinks can vary dramatically.

For example, a large strawberry milkshake in the United States has almost 400 more calories than the same drink in the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, the McCrispy, a chicken burger with lettuce and mayonnaise, has almost 1g more salt in the United States than in Britain.

MailOnline audited over 20 products sold on both sides of the pond… and the results were fascinating.

In UK stores, a large strawberry milkshake contains 458 calories.

But in the United States, the large option has a whopping 850 calories.

This means that Brits can eat a McChicken burger and the shake and still have consumed fewer calories than having just the shake in the US.

However, while a large McDonald’s drink in Britain is 500 ml, it weighs approximately 20 fluid ounces (591 ml). In America.

But the drink alone accounts for almost half of the 2,000 calories the average woman is recommended to consume per day to maintain a healthy weight and a third of the 2,500 recommended for the typical man.

The US option also has an extra 33g of sugar (107g vs 74g) and more than double the saturated fat (13g vs 6.3g) compared to the UK.

To put this in context, British health officials recommend consuming no more than 30g of free sugars per day, which are those added to foods and drinks. However, some of the sugar in the shake will be natural.

Too much sugar increases the risk of cavities and weight gain.

Both menus are calorie-dense and loaded with fat, salt and sugar, but the United States contains the most calories in its food, an audit of more than 20 products shows.

Eating pancakes and sausages with syrup in the US will also cost you many more calories than in the UK. In both countries, the breakfast option includes three pancakes, topped with butter and syrup, and served with a sausage patty on the side.

One serving is 584 calories in the UK, but a whopping 770 calories in the US.

The delicious breakfast also contains an additional 8.3 g of saturated fat when consumed in the US (12 g vs. 3.7 g) and an additional 5 g of sugar (46 g vs. 41 g).

Brits are advised to limit saturated fat to 20g for women and 30g for men, as eating too much over time can increase cholesterol, which in turn increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

McDonald’s burgers have similar calorie content on both sides of the pond.

However, the biggest discrepancy is for the Big Mac, which has an extra 97 calories in the US (590 vs. 493 calories).

Only four of the 22 foods included in this website’s audit have more calories in the UK than in the US and these options only had up to 14 extra calories.

McDonald’s products in the United States also tend to contain more salt. The McCrispy is 2.85g, compared to 1.9g in the UK.

Additionally, the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (0.8 g extra), six Chicken McNuggets (0.68 g extra), and Happy Meal McNuggets (0.51 g extra) have more salt in the US.

Eating too much salt, more than 6g a day in adults, can cause high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

McDonald’s UK vs US Menu
McDonald’s product uk calories leave the uk uk fat UK sat fat UK sugars us calories American salt american fat America sat fat American sugars
big mac 493 2.2g 24g 8.8g 9.4g 590 2.6g 34g 11g 9g
Quarter pound with cheese 507 2.7g 26g 12g 10g 520 2.85g 26g 12g 10g
Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese 739 3.2g 42g 19g 10g 740 4g 42g 20g 10g
Cheeseburger 298 1.7g 12g 5.5g 7g 300 1.8g 13g 6g 7g
Double cheese burger 438 2.6g 22g 11g 7.8g 450 2.8g 24g 11g 7g
Hamburger 251 1.2g 8.3g 3.3g 6.3g 250 1.27g 9g 3.5g 6g
mckchicken 369 1.3g 15g 1.5g 6.3g 400 1.4g 21g 3.5g 5g
fish steak 319 1.6g 12g 2.3g 4.8g 390 1.45g 19g 4g 5g
McCrispy 484 1.9g 18g 2 g 6.9g 470 2.85g 20g 5g 9g
6 Piece Chicken McNuggets 261 0.57g 13g 1.5g 0.6g 250 1.25g 15g 2.5g 0g
McDonald’s large fries 444 0.82g 22g 2 g 0.8g 480 1g 23g 3g 0g
Sausage and Egg McMuffin 423 1.8g 23g 8.3g 3.2g 480 2 g 31g 12g 2 g
hashbrown 127 0.64g 7.4g 0.7g 0.2g 140 0.77g 8g 1g 0g
Pancakes and syrup/ hotcakes 456 1.5g 2 g 0.4g 41g 580 1.3g 15g 6g 45g
Pancakes and sausages with syrup 584 2.1g 11g 3.7g 41g 770 2 g 33g 12g 46g
happy hamburger food 410 1.56g 13g 6.2g 24.1g 475 1.7g 16g 5.5g 20g
McNuggets Happy Meal 333 0.74g 13.4g 3.9g 18.2g 395 1.25g 17g 3.5g 14g
Apple pie 243 0.31g 14g 3g 9.2g 230 0.25g 11g 6g 14g
Oreo McFlury 258 0.27g 9g 5.5g 32g 510 0.65g 16g 8g 60g
Strawberry milkshake 458 0.53g 9g 6.3g 74g 850 0.77g 21g 13g 107g
Chocolate milkshake 468 0.85g 10g 6.8g 65g 800 0.97g 20g 13g 106g
vanilla shake 469 0.51g 9g 6.3g 77g 780 0.9g 19g 12g 85g

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