How does your burger compare to the calories in a McDonald’s Big Mac?
By Matthew Thompson, Associate Food Editor for EatingWell Magazine
Like every kid who enjoyed the occasional Happy Meal growing up, I have always held a special (yellow, plastic) spot in my heart for McDonald’s. I remember making friends in the sleek, candy-colored Play Places, coveting the flimsy, free toys. In second grade, I committed the entire ’80s-era jingle “Menu Song” to memory (you remember: “Big Mac, McDLT, a quarter pounder with some cheese…”) and sang it to a rapt audience of kindergarteners on the school bus.
Maybe that’s why as an adult it was always so easy for me to justify the occasional McDonald’s Big Mac as a midweek treat. Sure, I knew they were unhealthy (especially when it comes to the Big Mac’s calories, but I always figured they were no worse than any other burger. They’re an occasional indulgence, I thought, and perfectly fine if treated that way. “All things in moderation…” I said. Right?
Wrong. Because, even compared to a homemade hamburger with a similar amount of meat, toppings and—ahem—“Special Sauce,” it turns out the Big Mac packs a wallop when it comes to fat and calories.
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Let’s compare it with EatingWell’s recipe for a Classic Burger, for example. The EatingWell burger is a sweet and tangy take on the summer classic you remember from the backyard barbecues of your childhood, complete with a thick layer of creamy special sauce and the bite of onions. With three ounces of cooked beef, it has almost the same amount of meat as the Big Mac’s 3.2 ounces. Like the Big Mac, it’s garnished with crisp lettuce and tomato as well.
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But that’s where the similarities end:
Unlike the Big Mac, the EatingWell burger has 0 grams of trans-fat (compared to the Big Mac’s 1.5 grams in the bun).
It has 375 calories, compared to the Big Mac’s 540.
It has less than half the saturated fat and half the sodium of its big, bad counterpart.
At the same time, our burger manages to have significantly more of vitamins A and C (which boost the immune system and promote healthy skin) and even a bit more iron. Let’s compare nutrient by nutrient:
That last stat threw me for a second. Could it be that, at least in terms of fiber, the Big Mac is actually the better pick? Then I remembered the extra slice of bread nestled into the beefy heart of the McDonald’s burger. You’re basically paying for that single gram of fiber by eating extra calories!
Now, it’s important to point out that the EatingWell burger is not some kind of health-nut substitute for the real thing. There’s no seitan lurking in the meat, no tofu tucked below the bun (though, I’d point out, that could be delicious too); this is an unapologetic, All-American ground beef burger smothered in a mayonnaise-based sauce. Still, it’s not too bad nutritionally. Sure, you wouldn’t want to have red meat every day, but lean beef in moderation, as the nutrition information above shows, is actually pretty healthy.
The Big Mac, however, is a different story. By many metrics, our burger is twice as good for you as Mickey D’s offering, and it’s not even trying all that hard to be healthy.
Where’s the Beef?
Why might that be? Take a look at the beef, for starters. While backyard burgers are just straight-up beef from your local supermarket, McDonald’s adds “Grill Seasoning” to theirs—a fancy name for pepper, sunflower oil and a boatload of sodium. Add to that the fact that they’re probably not working with as lean a cut of beef as your typical home chefs and that equals a major difference in fat as well.
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What About the Buns?
Next, check out their buns (not those buns, come on!): while your average deli Kaiser rolls have about five ingredients, McDonald’s Big Mac buns have 16—they’re pretty highly processed. Generally speaking, processed foods are higher in salts and sugars, so when you bite into them you taste sweetness, not sodium propionate. Take a look at McDonald’s “Special Sauce” ingredients: propylene glycol alginate, sodium benzoate, calcium disodium EDTA—yeah, you can bet there’s a bunch of added salt and sugar there too.
So, where does that leave us? I’ll still think fondly of past trips to the Golden Arches, but maybe it’s time to cut the Big Mac out of my diet once and for all. Next time I’m in the mood for a flame-broiled disk of beef, I’ll head for another place with many warm childhood memories for me: the backyard.
Recipe: The EatingWell Classic Hamburger
Makes: 4 servings
Active time: 45 minutes | Total: 45 minutes
To make ahead: Prepare ketchup-mayonnaise sauce (Step 3) and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Cost per serving: under $2.50
Slow-cooked onions add moisture and flavor to these lean beef burgers. A quick blend of mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and vinegar makes a perfect tangy, sweet and creamy “special sauce” for this burger. We love the dill relish here, but use sweet relish if you prefer it. Serve with sweet potato fries.
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons ketchup, divided
2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dill pickle relish
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 pound lean (90% or leaner) ground beef
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce or steak sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 sesame-seed or other hamburger buns, toasted
4 slices tomato
4 leaves green-leaf lettuce
1. Preheat grill to medium-high (or see Stovetop Variation).
2. Combine onion, oil and 1 tablespoon ketchup in a medium saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 5 to 8 minutes more. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool for a few minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon ketchup, mayonnaise, relish and vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Add beef, Worcestershire (or steak sauce) and pepper to the onion and gently combine without overmixing. Form into 4 patties, about 3/4 inch thick.
5. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the burgers, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°F, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
6. Assemble the burgers on toasted buns with the ketchup-mayonnaise sauce, tomato slices and lettuce.
Per serving: 375 calories; 16 g fat (5 g sat, 7 g mono); 71 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrate; 4 g added sugars; 27 g protein; 2 g fiber; 536 mg sodium; 518 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (41% daily value), Zinc (39% dv), Iron (26% dv), Folate (24% dv), Vitamin C (15% dv).
Stovetop Variation: Coat a nonstick pan, preferably cast-iron (or a grill pan), with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add burgers, reduce heat to medium and cook, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer registers 155°F (for pork and bison) or 165° (for beef or chicken), 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Tip: To oil a grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.)
What fast food item do you want a healthy makeover of?
Matthew Thompson is the associate food editor for EatingWell Magazine.
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