Or you could admit that you want something salty, greasy, and cheese-slathered, and eat the Big Mac already. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times. New Lifetime Estimate of Obesity Costs: $92,235 Per Person. Not to mention, the protein pancakes, organic farm fresh eggs, and nitrate-free bacon featured in this recipe blow the ingredients in the OG McGriddles out of the water. Coming in a number two on the list of usual suspects, the Big Mac is McDonald’s most in-demand sandwich. Sep 25, 2015 A Big Mac contains 540 calories and 25 grams of fat. Consuming this sandwich alone – without the fries and soda that often accompany it – makes up more than 25% of an adult’s daily. Richard Widman, former Purchasing Director, Latin America at McDonald's (1972-1997) A single burger is not bad for you at all. Unless you have some other underlying health problems, you should be able to eat a Big Mac every week of your life with no adverse health issues.
- McDonald’s first opened its doors in 1967
- The Big Mac has over 590 calories and 34 grams of fat
- Moderation is key when eating fast food
In America, fast food is very popular and the Big Mac is one of the most popular items no matter where you live. A Big Mac is a sandwich that has been offered by the fast food chain McDonald’s since 1967. Considered to be a signature item, it is made up of two beef patties, lettuce, cheese, onions, pickles, and special sauce, all served on a three-layered sesame seed bun.
Although a Big Mac is not the best choice when it comes to lunch or dinner, as with anything, moderation is key. Eating a Big Mac every once in awhile will not be too detrimental to your health, but you should balance it with other healthy options.
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What are the recommended daily nutritional allowances?
When determining how a Big Mac fits into your nutritional profile, you need to be aware of what the daily recommendations are for:
- Calories
- Fat
- Cholesterol
- Fiber
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
- Salt
For men, the average recommended amount of daily calories is 2,500. The recommended fat intake amount is 60 grams, with no more than 25 grams from saturated fat.
Protein is 60 grams, carbohydrates are 375 grams, at least 25 grams of fiber, no more than 300 mg of cholesterol and no more than 1,500 mg of sodium.
For women, the recommended value for calories is 2,000 with 50 grams protein, 65 grams fat (with no more than 20 grams from saturated fat), and 300 grams of carbohydrates.
Women need at least 25 grams of fiber, no more than 300 mg of cholesterol and no more than 1,500 mg of sodium.
What is the nutritional profile of a Big Mac?
The amount of calories in a Big Mac is 590, with 306 of them coming from fat. The total fat is 34 grams, with 11 grams of saturated fat.
It has 47 grams of carbohydrates, with three grams from fiber and eight grams from sugars. There are 24 grams of protein in a Big Mac. It has 85 mg of cholesterol and 1070 mg of sodium.
If you are eating a diet of around 2,000 calories a day, a Big Mac provides 52 percent of fat, 55 percent of your recommended daily intake of saturated fat, 16 percent of your carbohydrates, 12 percent of your fiber intake, 28 percent of your daily cholesterol, and 45 percent of your total sodium.
What is good about a Big Mac?
Although a Big Mac is not the healthiest option, there are some decent things about it. It provides three grams of fiber and is a decent source of protein.
It provides 30 percent of your recommended daily calcium intake and 25 percent of your recommended iron. It also provides six percent of your daily vitamin C and six percent of your daily vitamin A.
You can make a Big Mac better for you if you order it without cheese and special sauce, as these are sources of a lot of the fat and cholesterol. It is also a better meal choice if you order it without fries and a soda.
How does a Big Mac compare to other fast food sandwiches?
Although the Big Mac is not an extremely healthy choice, many fast food joints are serving burgers that are a lot worse nutritionally speaking.
There are also others that rank higher on the nutritional scale. Some of the better choices for fast food burgers are:
- The Whopper Jr (no cheese) from Burger King with only 370 calories and only 6 grams of saturated fat
- The low-carb thickburger from Hardee’s with 420 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrates
- The junior bacon cheeseburger at 430 calories
- The bacon cheeseburger from White Castle with only 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, and 5 grams of saturated fat
The sad thing is that there are a lot more fast food burgers that contain a lot more calories and fat than the Big Mac. One of the worst is the double six-dollar burger from Carl’s Jr.
It contains 1,520 calories and 111 grams of fat. The amount of fat in that one sandwich is more than anyone should have in an entire day. Many of the other burgers from fast food restaurants contain more than 700 calories and have more than 40 grams of fat.
![Big Mac Not That Bad For You Big Mac Not That Bad For You](/uploads/1/3/4/8/134898422/525710878.jpg)
Is there a way to eat healthy at fast food restaurants?
If you are looking for ways to eat healthier at fast food restaurants, there are a few things to keep in mind. Most fast food establishments now offer a few healthier items such as salads, grilled chicken sandwiches, and yogurt.
If you are craving a burger, often a single regular burger is fairly low in calories and fat. Stay away from cheese and mayo or other sauce. The biggest reasons for the high caloric and fat contents of some of the sandwiches include:
- Cheese
- Bacon
- Sauces
- Multiple patties and buns
You can also opt to stay away from fast food altogether, which is probably the best solution instead of trying to find the best fast food to eat.
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Fast food is incredibly convenient, and usually very tasty too, but it's not always the best option for refuelling our bodies. Over at comparison site, Fast Food Menu Price, there's a detailed infographic that shows the effect of eating one of the most iconic on-the-go meals of all time: the McDonald's Big Mac.
Big Mac Not That Bad For You Got
For the first 10 minutes, everything goes brilliantly, at least on the surface. Our brains have been wired to prefer high-calorie foods (sorry, dieters) and the Big Mac provides these calories in abundance - an average Big Mac contains 540 calories, which cause our blood sugar level to shoot up. Feel-good chemicals, like the neurotransmitter dopamine, are released into the brain, and you may catch yourself thinking: 'This is a tasty burger.'
It's from the 20-30 minute point that the downhill slide starts. The high levels of fructose corn syrup and sodium inside the bun leave us craving more of the same (and in the long term, this can lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease). Then the sodium - some 970 milligrams of it - causes dehydration and starts making the kidneys and heart work faster. Blood pressure rises, and you may well be tempted by a McFlurry or apple pie.
According to the infographic, at the 40 minute mark, the body will probably still be craving similar types of food: losing control of your blood sugar levels makes junk food (like a chocolate bar) seem even more appealing than it normally would. The gastrointestinal tract very quickly absorbs the high volume of fructose corn syrup we mentioned earlier, further adding to your hunger pangs.
Big Mac Not That Bad For You Know
From 50-60 minutes, the period of slow digestion starts in earnest. Food typically takes 24-72 hours to digest, but the grease and trans fat inside a Big Mac means the digestion time for the McDonald's signature burger can easily go beyond three days. 'If you want to enjoy a Big Mac, try to keep it an occasional event,' is the advice from Fast Food Menu Price. 'The ingredients can cause serious harm to your body, especially when consuming them on a regular basis.'
Big Mac Not That Bad For You Think
The infographic has been put together using data from McDonald's own website as well as articles from LiveStrong, Blood Pressure UK, and FoodMatters. McDonald's itself doesn't recommend living solely on a diet of Big Mac and fries - treat them as an occasional treat rather than a regular meal and you'll be fine (in fact, in small doses they can actually be good for you). At least now you know exactly what you're letting your body in for.
Fast Food Menu Price
Big Mac Not That Bad For You Want
Zoomable version here.