Nutritional Value Of Mcdonald's Food

The menu at McDonald's features burgers dripping with cholesterol, soda laced with sugar and fries covered in salt. However, you can go to McDonald's and eat a salad, drink water and finish with fruit. It helps to be informed of the nutritional values and the amount of fat and calories in items before you visit. For example, a salad is a low-fat option, but the creamy Caesar dressing adds 190 calories to your meal.

History

McDonald's started life as a hamburger stand run by brother Dick and Mac McDonald. A businessman named Ray Kroc visited their operation in 1954 and was amazed by its efficiency. Kroc took the business across America, and by 1967 it was an international company. It now has tens of thousands of restaurants across the globe, serving millions daily.

After criticism from the media and health professionals, McDonald's began offering healthier options alongside its traditional hamburgers. However, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine criticized McDonald's in 2010 for including few healthy options on its menu and filling Americans with fat, salt and sugar.

Entrees

The worst offender among McDonald's entrees in terms of fat and calories is the Angus bacon and cheeseburger. It has 790 calories and 39 g fat, with 17 g potentially harmful saturated fat, which can lead to heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic website. A Big Mac is 540 calories and a double quarter pounder with cheese is 740. A regular hamburger is 250 calories and 9 g fat, and six chicken nuggets are 280 calories but include 17 g fat.

Sides, Beverages, Desserts

The American Heart Association advises you to avoid sides entirely, because they may have more fat and calories than burgers. A large side of fries is 500 calories, the equivalent of two regular hamburgers. For beverages, the only way to stay healthy is with water; soft drinks are described by CNN Health as the number-one villain in the American obesity epidemic. A regular McDonald's soda is 240 calories and contains no nutritional value. Even worse, a 32 oz. Chocolate Triple Thick Shake weighs in at 1,160 calories. A McFlurry with M&M'S Candies (12 fl. oz.) is 740 calories and 97 g sugar, while an apple pie is 240 calories and 13 g sugar. A better choice is the fruit salad, which counts as one portion in the eight daily portions of fruit and vegetables recommended by the American Heart Association.

Benefits

One nutrient you will get from hamburgers is protein. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says your diet should be 18 percent protein and 28 percent fat, with at least 18 percent unsaturated fat, and 54 percent carbohydrates. Iowa State University Extension says protein is an essential part of your diet, but warns against fatty meat like hamburgers, because they contain too much saturated fat. Grilled chicken at McDonald's is a leaner option.

Considerations

Removing the skin from your chicken and the bun from your burger keeps calories down, as does avoiding mayonnaise, salt, ketchup, cheese and bacon, and never going for a value size meal.