Figures from McDonald's UK nutrition calculator, 17 to 18 August 2026 , collected by Boone
Big Mac, as published. Calorie split calculated by Boone. How
The Big Mac as published, seen four ways.
2 of 3 limits are over 30% in one burger, the UK front-of-pack mark for high.
Saturated fat is the biggest issue: 9.6g is 48% of an adult’s daily 20g in one burger.
Lower saturated fatMayo Chicken →1g saturated fat (5%), 282 kcalNHS limits by age: salt goes from 33% for an adult to 67% at age 4 to 6.
For age 4 to 6, salt is the bigger share: 2g is 67% of the day’s 3g limit in one burger.
Lower-salt swapMayo Chicken →0.92g salt, 31% of the 3g limitFor age 7 to 10, salt is the bigger share: 2g is 40% of the day’s 5g limit in one burger.
Lower-salt swapMayo Chicken →0.92g salt, 18% of the 5g limitFor age 11 to 17, salt is the bigger share: 2g is 33% of the day’s 6g limit in one burger.
Lower-salt swapMayo Chicken →0.92g salt, 15% of the 6g limitProtein counts in your favour here, but the saturated fat is still 48% of the adult limit.
27g of protein, #17 on the menu. Per calorie the Chicken Selects (5 pieces) gives more: 7.0g per 100 kcal against 5.3g.
Most protein per calorieChicken Selects (5 pieces) →39g protein in 560 kcalHere the 800mg of sodium counts as useful after sweaty exercise.
41g of carbohydrate, with 44% of the energy from fat.
Natural sugars in milk, fruit and veg don’t count. NHS →
For smaller portions: the most nutrition per calorie, against all 151 McDonald's items.
More protein per calorie than 70% of the 151 items on the menu.
More fibre per calorie than 67% of the 151 items on the menu.
McDonald's does not publish vitamins or minerals for this item, so Boone does not estimate them.
The 2018 model indicates this burger is less healthy: it scores 12, above the line of 4.
Higher is less healthy; 4 or more would be classed as less healthy under this model. How the score works →
Joint #82 of 109 on the menu for this score (lower is better).
UK Nutrient Profiling Model 2018 →55 ingredients across 7 parts; 18 are additives or processed (orange).
Group 4 because of the additives or industrial ingredients listed above. How NOVA works →
McSpicy 24g protein, 1.9g salt454
Bacon Double Cheeseburger 30g protein, 2.6g salt483
McCrispy 26g protein, 1.9g salt484
Spicy McCrispy 26g protein, 2g salt486
Big Mac 27g protein, 2g salt509
Quarter Pounder with Cheese 31g protein, 2.3g salt514
Triple Cheeseburger 35g protein, 2.9g salt577
Cheese & Bacon McCrispy 33g protein, 2.7g salt578509 kcal as published. 509 kcal is 25% of a 2,000 kcal adult reference intake.
For a child aged 4 to 6 it is 67% of the day’s 3g salt limit and 43% of the 19g free sugar limit in one item. A Mayo Chicken has 0.92g of salt, 31% of that salt limit.
8.1g of total sugar as published. Boone estimates 8.1g of it is free sugar, from dextrose, maltodextrin, sugar in the Big Mac bun, fructose, glucose-fructose, sugar in the Big Mac sauce: 2.0 teaspoons and 27% of an adult’s 30g daily maximum.
27g, 5.3g per 100 kcal. It ranks #17 of 146 items on the menu for protein. The Chicken Selects (5 pieces) gives the most protein for the calories, 7.0g per 100 kcal.
12 on the UK Nutrient Profiling Model 2018, calculated by Boone per 100g. Scores run from -20 to 40, and the higher the score, the less healthy the model rates the food. Foods scoring 4 or more would be classed as less healthy under this model.
Yes, NOVA group 4. The ingredient list includes emulsifiers, emulsifying salts, preservatives and colours.
As published, wheat, sesame, milk, eggs and mustard. Rye and barley may be present.
Source. McDonald's UK nutrition calculator, 17 to 18 August 2026 , per item as sold.
Collected. Copied by Boone from McDonald's’s published figures. Data checks are led by Murray Dare.
Calculated by Boone. Labelled where it appears.
Limits. NHS free sugar and salt limits by age; UK reference intakes for adults.
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