Have you ever eaten something that you know was bad for you and thought, for the same number of calories what else could I have eaten?
Personally I have always had a weakness for Mcdonald’s, more specifically the Big Mac combo. My addiction to it started when I was very young. I swear my parents used to sing the big mac song to me to get me to sleep at night. You know the one – (In a lullaby style) “Two all beef patties special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions all on a sesame seed bun”.
So it seems fitting that my first post in this series will use the infamous Big Mac combo as the comparison.
Gimme The Facts
The meal consists of medium french fries, a medium coke and of course a Big Mac sandwich.
Total Calories – 1110
Total Fat Grams – 47
What Else Could I Have Eaten Instead?
Based on Total Calories: (Non-Cumulative)
Baked Skinless Chicken Breast (6oz each) – 6
Medium Apple (Skin On) – 15
Large Strawberries – 185
McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets – 58
Cups of Popcorn (Air Popped) – 35
Regular Hamburgers – 4
Medium Bananas – 10
Large Hard Boiled Eggs – 14
McDonald’s Grilled Chicken Combos (Water, Grilled Chicken Sandwich, small Fries) – 2
6 inch Turkey Subs from Subway – 4
Based on Total Fat Grams:(Non-Cumulative)
Cans of drained Tuna – 21
Mars Bars – 4
Cups of 1% Chocolate Milk – 18
Unsalted Almonds – 78
Medium Ears of Corn – 42
100g servings of Strawberry Yogurt – 13
Slices of Whole Wheat Bread – 47
McDonald’s Vanilla Ice Cream Cones – 7
Medium Pepperoni Pizza – 1
McDonald’s Baked Apple Pies – 3
More Comparisons and Facts
There is more than 1300 mg of sodium in this combo which is more than 50% of the average North America’s daily requirement. Still though, this is only half the amount you would find in a can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup.
The meat patties on the Big Mac account for only 13 of the 28 grams of protein and just 12 of the 47 grams of fat. Which begs the question, what the hell is in the secret sauce?
You could have 5 Entree sized garden salads with the low fat Italian dressing for the same number of calories as the Big Mac Combo. (beware of the salt, 1 salad has 1400mg)
The total grams of sugar in this combo is 65 or roughly:
I think that says it all.
If you have something else you want me to compare this to, let me know. 
you can eat those food anytime but be sure to exercise, eat vegetables as well as fruits and have enough rest.
I have a soft spot for big macs and lately I’ve been pretty cranky, I don’t know why.
Last night I decide to buy something sweet, but when I went to the corner store I couldn’t find anything that was good, so by the end I bought a cereal bar (lucky me).
Heh…I haven’t been in a McDonalds in years.
Haha i like your way of thinking. But I personally think that 1 big mac menu cant hurt once in two weeks, especially if rest of the food we eat is good.
Hi, you think at the right way. The article is really interesting and informative. Thanks for it. Best regards!
Hi Steve,
Great looking site here, it looks like a good resource. I’ve tried some customized diets of my own – I like eliminating as much sugar as possible. That worked for me. Of course, I probably cut back on many calories while doing that. I think eliminating all sugars (and I include all sweeteners, malitol, all that stuff) is something I would do again, but I think it’s important to still eat fruit. Fruit is so powerful nutritionally.
Thanks for stopping by my site.
oh my! That’s insane! The comparison really opens the eyes to buying fast food doesn’t it? I’ll sure think twice the next time my hubby calls to see if I want to have McD’s.
Wow that amazing. I always forget how bad fast food is for me until it’s put in perspective like this.
The funny thing is that after I eat it I’m never happy with how it tastes and come away doubly disappointed. Still I’m drawn in like a moth to a flame!
That’s a shocking comparison for me. I am allowed to take only 1500 calories in a day due to my diabetics so I can only take that big Mac once in a 24 hours and nothing else. Perhaps It is efficient enough to give me my required calories but it is almost impossible for me not to eat anything else so BYE BYE to BIG MAC.
Great article. but if you eat McDonald etc once in a blue moon (once in a month) then i don’t think it will make any difference.
These list of items are really an eye opener. I have never observed about calories so closely before. Thanks for information.
The picture of the salt mountin is an eye opener! I think more should really be done to educate the next generation about nutrition and what is in the food they eat. If I saw that salt mountin in front of me when ordering a Big Mac, I would think twice.
Andy
Fitness Uncovered