How McDonald's Nutrition Can Affect Your Diet

About the Food Behind McDonald’s Nutrition

The primary component of McDonald’s nutrition is the food that they serve. First, the animal products such as beef, pork, and milk used in the menu items come from nationally local farmers. Second, all of the menu items that are made of chicken use chicken breast meat. Third, they use the larger potatoes such as Pentland Dell, Russet Burbank, Innovator, Shepody, and Ivory Russet to produce longer fries. Fourth, all of the eggs are local and free-range. Fifth, the fish are sustainably sourced. Sixth, all of the coffee beans are Arabica beans that are grown on farms that meet environmental, social, and economic standards for Rainforest Alliance certification. Furthermore, the milk used in the beverages is organic.¹

Common Questions

There are many common questions that can provide an insight into McDonald’s nutrition. For example, the shakes are not called “milkshakes” because they do not meet the dairy regulations in every US state to be considered milk. McDonald’s does use real butter. The salads are freshly assembled in the kitchens, and the lettuce comes from local farms across the US. Specifically, the salad is made of romaine, baby spinach, baby kale, red leaf lettuce, and other vegetables. Many of the menu items, such as the patties, are frozen immediately after they are formed and cooked in each kitchen to meet the McDonald’s nutrition and freshness standards. The smoothies contain about the same amount of sugar as a can of soda. There are real apples in the apple pies, which contain less sugar than the smoothies. Of course, menu items can be ordered with preferential modifications.²

McDonald’s Nutrition Facts

The McDonald’s nutrition calculator is one of the resources that patients can use to find out more about every item on the McDonald’s nutrition menu. Additionally, patients can look at the McDonald’s nutrition PDF that also contains nutrition facts. The calculator covers the categories of beverages, breakfast, burgers, chicken and sandwiches, desserts and shakes, McCafé, salads, and snacks and sides. Furthermore, patients can add multiple menu items to calculate the total numbers in McDonald’s nutrition. Additionally, they can edit the ingredients to account for preferential modifications. For example, some patients may prefer no salt on the fries, no sauce on the burger, or no meat in the salad.³

Healthier Options on the McDonald’s Nutrition Menu

Fast food is usually less expensive, but it is also not as healthy. There are some items on the menu, relative to McDonald’s nutrition overall, that patients can try. The fruit and maple oatmeal bowls contain brown sugar, apple slices, cream, dried cranberries, and oatmeal. A plain hamburger without a side of fries is one way to cut out some sodium and carbs. The southwest grilled chicken sandwich is relatively healthy because it contains chicken that has been grilled rather than fried. Similarly, bacon ranch grilled chicken salad is also better because it is grilled. Moreover, patients should specify that they prefer grilled over the fried counterparts. In fact, much of finding healthy McDonald’s nutrition relies on cutting out fried food and added sodium. The egg McMuffin, artisan grilled chicken sandwich, and fruit ‘n yogurt parfait also contain healthier McDonald’s nutrition.⁴

Vegan Options at McDonald’s

Some of the menu items are unofficially vegan. However, vegan patients should be aware that there is a likelihood of cross-contamination and traces of non-vegan foods. First, the fruit and maple oatmeal can be made vegan if the cream is not added. Second, the apple slices are a guaranteed vegan option. Third, the southwest salad can be made without cheese and chicken. Fourth, the side salad can be topped with an acceptable dressing, such as balsamic vinaigrette. Fifth, a black coffee or Americano can be made without milk. Sixth, the Minute Maid slushie is not the healthiest drink, but it is one of the few vegan beverages available. Finally, the apple pie is also vegan. Of course, all of the options also work for vegetarians. Some items that are not actually vegan include the fries and hash browns because they contain milk derivatives.⁵

Goals to Improve Kids’ Nutrition

McDonald’s nutrition experts have worked to provide awareness of healthier options to kids and families. As a result, they have made five commitments to increasing customers’ access to the foods that are relatively healthy in McDonald’s nutrition. Ads directed to kids only feature water, milk, and juice in Happy Meals. Then, more attention has been brought to the salad, fruit, and vegetable substitutes for fries. McDonald’s also promises to offer new options in Happy Meals. Additionally, one panel of the Happy Meal packaging is regularly dedicated to nutrition facts for kids. Finally, overall advertising features more messages about nutrition and well-being for children. There has been a global increase in customers choosing the healthier options, and McDonald’s nutrition has become relatively better.⁶

Why You Should Avoid Fast Food

However, the company does acknowledge that McDonald’s nutrition is not the best. In fact, all fast food is generally higher in calories, fat, sugar, and salt. Furthermore, many fast-food restaurants use hydrogenated oils for frying even as some places try to ban trans fats. McDonald’s employee resources website, McDonald’s McResources Line, actually posted an image that labeled a hamburger, fries, and soda as unhealthy to warn employees against regularly consuming fast food.⁷

Weight Loss Is Not Always Part of a Healthy Lifestyle

McDonald’s nutrition is not conducive to an overall healthy lifestyle. In one case, a science teacher ate three meals a day at McDonald’s for ninety days. The teacher, John Cisna, actually lost almost forty pounds. However, he also watched his food intake and started exercising regularly during the ninety days. Overall health goes beyond weight loss, and regularly eating fast food is not sustainable for long-term fitness and physical condition. McDonald’s nutrition often satisfies a large part of a patient’s daily allowance of elements such as saturated fat, sugar, and sodium in just one menu item. Furthermore, patients who have to manage their blood pressure and chronic health conditions will not do as well with McDonald’s nutrition.⁸