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!)

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.

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.