McDonald's touts itself as "one of the world's leading food service retailers." The company has more than 32,000 restaurants worldwide. The fast-food hamburger giant serves more than 60 million people daily in more than 100 countries. The numbers also are high when it comes to calories in many of its products.
History
McDonald's history dates back to 1954. That year Ray Kroc discovered a successful restaurant that served a limited menu. Brothers Dick and Mac McDonald simply sold burgers, fries and beverages. Kroc "was stunned by the effectiveness of their operation," according to the McDonald's corporate website.
Kroc went into business with the brothers that same year. One year later, the McDonald's Corporation was founded. Five years afterward, Kroc bought the rights to the McDonald's name. He continued to work at the company until his death on Jan. 14, 1984.
Hamburgers
Today, McDonald's menu has changed a lot since 1955, but it still offers a variety of hamburgers. Eat a 3.5-oz. hamburger and consume 250 calories, or put away a 4-oz. cheeseburger at 300 calories. Consume a 5.8-oz., double cheeseburger at 440 calories. Select a 6-oz. Quarter Pounder at 410 calories while a 7-oz. Quarter Pounder with Cheese® adds 100 calories to come in at 510 calories. Consume a Double Quarter Pounder® with Cheese, at 9.8 oz., and you will put away big numbers: 740 calories. The 7.5-oz. Big Mac® comes in at 540 calories.
French Fries and Salads
Consume a 2.5-oz. serving of French fries, or small fries, and eat up 230 calories. Its 4.1-oz. medium and 5.4-oz. large counterparts have 380 and 500 calories, respectively. One ketchup package, which is 10 g, has 15 calories.
Choose a 31-oz. side salad instead of fries and the calories drop to 60. Add a dressing and the calories go up, but you can control the amount. Among the offerings are Newman's Own® Creamy Caesar Dressing at 190 calories while Newman's Own® Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette is 40 calories. Select the premium Caesar salad with crispy chicken and you will consume 330 calories before you choose your dressing. McDonald's has added a number of salad choices over the years, including a snack size fruit and walnut salad, 163 g, which has 210 calories.
Beverages
Drinking certain beverages can add calories to your meal. McDonald's serves a plethora of choices. It offers milk and juices: an 8 fl. oz. carton of 1-percent low-fat milk has 236 calories while a 12 fl. oz., or small, Minute Maid® Orange comes in at 150 calories.
The fast-food retailer also sells a variety of soda. A small, or 21 fl. oz., Coca-Cola® Classic has 150 calories. Its 21 fl. oz. medium and 32 fl. oz. large versions have 210 and 310 calories, respectively.
POWERade®, smoothies, shakes, coffees and teas are also on the menu. In the coffee and tea department you can get zero-calorie choices but those come plain. One .04 fl. oz. of coffee cream is 20 calories and one package of sugar, 4.0 g, is 15 calories at McDonald's.
Breakfast
Choose the well-known Egg McMuffin®, which weighs in at 7.1 oz., and you will consume 300 calories. The breakfast choices at McDonald's are extensive. They include a 4.9-oz. bacon, egg and cheese biscuit at 420 calories and a 5-oz. serving of Sausage McGriddles® at 420 calories. The big numbers come out with the 1,150-calorie Big Breakfast with Hotcakes and Large Size Biscuit, which weighs in at 15.3 oz.. Have an old favorite, the 2-oz. Hash Brown, and consume 150 calories.
Old Favorites
Polish off a six-piece, or 3.4 oz., of Chicken McNuggets® and consume 280 calories; that doesn't include ketchup or other dipping sauces. Eat a 5-oz. Filet-O-Fish® to the tune of 380 calories or consume a 5-oz. McChicken at 360 calories.
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