McDonald's Cheeseburger: calories, nutrition, ingredients and allergens

A McDonald's Cheeseburger contains 295 kcal. With small fries the total reaches 545 kcal. With medium fries the total reaches 625 kcal. With large fries the total reaches 725 kcal. Adding a medium Coca-Cola to a medium meal brings the total to 805 kcal. The Cheeseburger alone represents 15% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake and is one of the lower-calorie hot items on the core McDonald's menu.

Per item: 295 kcal, 12g fat (5.5g saturated), 32g carbohydrate (7g sugar), 1.4g salt, 15g protein. The Cheeseburger contains 7g of free sugar, 23% of the adult daily free sugar limit of 30g and 29% of the limit for a child aged 7 to 10. The salt content of 1.4g is 23% of the adult daily limit of 6g and 47% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6.

A McDonald's Cheeseburger contains 295 kcal compared to 248 kcal in a Hamburger — 47 extra calories from the cheese slice. The saturated fat rises from 3.2g to 5.5g, an increase of 2.3g or 72% more saturated fat from a single ingredient. Salt rises from 1g to 1.4g. Protein rises from 12g to 15g. The processed cheese slice is the only difference between the two items. For lower saturated fat and salt, the Hamburger is the stronger choice. For more protein, the Cheeseburger has a small advantage.

Not in the way most people understand cheese. The slice in a McDonald's Cheeseburger is processed cheddar, made from cheddar cheese combined with water, whey powder, butter, emulsifying salts, milk proteins and colours. It is a formulated product designed to melt consistently and maintain the same appearance across thousands of restaurants. Natural block cheddar would not behave consistently at scale. The processed cheese slice adds 2.3g of saturated fat and 0.4g of salt on top of the Hamburger figures, alongside its own set of additives not present in the burger itself.

A McDonald's Cheeseburger contains 1.4g of salt, which is 23% of the adult daily limit of 6g. For a child aged 4 to 6 with a daily salt limit of 3g, the Cheeseburger alone uses 47% of their daily allowance. Adding medium fries brings the total salt to approximately 2g, which is 67% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6 from one meal. The salt in the Cheeseburger is notably higher than the Hamburger at 1g, with the additional 0.4g coming from the processed cheese slice.

A McDonald's Cheeseburger contains 7g of sugar, all of which counts as free sugar under NHS guidelines. This is 23% of the adult daily free sugar limit of 30g and 29% of the limit for a child aged 7 to 10. The sugar comes primarily from the ketchup, mustard and the bun. Adding a medium Coca-Cola to the meal adds approximately 35g of free sugar, which exceeds the adult daily free sugar limit on its own and more than triples the limit for a child aged 7 to 10.

A McDonald's Cheeseburger with small fries contains approximately 545 kcal. With medium fries the total is approximately 625 kcal. With large fries the total is approximately 725 kcal. For a child aged 7 to 10 with a daily energy need of around 1,700 to 2,000 kcal, a Cheeseburger with medium fries represents approximately 31 to 37% of their daily requirement from one meal. The salt total with medium fries reaches approximately 2g, using two thirds of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6.

A McDonald's Cheeseburger Happy Meal with small fries and a small Coca-Cola contains approximately 615 kcal. Substituting the Coca-Cola for water removes approximately 90 kcal, bringing the total to approximately 545 kcal. Substituting for orange juice gives approximately 588 kcal. The Cheeseburger Happy Meal is approximately 47 kcal more than the Hamburger Happy Meal across all drink options due to the cheese slice. The drink choice remains the most significant single variable in the total sugar content of the meal.

A McDonald's Cheeseburger contains 5.5g of saturated fat, which is 28% of the adult daily guideline of 20g. For a child aged 7 to 10 with an estimated daily saturated fat guideline of approximately 16g, it represents 34% of their daily allowance. The jump from the Hamburger's 3.2g to the Cheeseburger's 5.5g is significant — the single processed cheese slice accounts for the entire 2.3g increase. Saturated fat is the most notable nutritional change when upgrading from a Hamburger to a Cheeseburger.

The Cheeseburger is one of the lower-calorie hot items on the McDonald's menu at 295 kcal. However the salt content of 1.4g uses 47% of the daily salt limit for a child aged 4 to 6 from the burger alone. The saturated fat of 5.5g is 34% of the estimated daily guideline for a child aged 7 to 10. For children, the Hamburger is the more moderate choice — same bun and beef patty, 2.3g less saturated fat and 0.4g less salt. As with all McDonald's orders, the drink choice is the biggest lever on total meal sugar.

Yes. A McDonald's Cheeseburger falls into NOVA group 4, ultra-processed foods. It is assembled from components manufactured at different facilities. The bun contains emulsifiers, antioxidants, maltodextrin and dextrose. The cheese slice is processed cheddar containing emulsifying salts, whey powder and colours. The pickle slices contain a firming agent and preservative. All additives are approved for use in UK food. The NOVA classification reflects the degree of industrial formulation rather than whether the food is unsafe to eat.

A McDonald's Cheeseburger contains wheat, soya and milk. Unlike the Hamburger which does not contain milk, the Cheeseburger contains milk from the processed cheese slice. It may also contain traces of barley, rye and sesame from shared kitchen equipment. It does not contain eggs, fish, crustaceans, celery, mustard, molluscs or lupin as ingredients. McDonald's UK cannot guarantee any item is completely allergen-free due to shared kitchen equipment and preparation areas.

A McDonald's Big Mac contains 509 kcal compared to 295 kcal in a Cheeseburger — 214 more calories. The Big Mac contains 9.6g of saturated fat versus 5.5g in a Cheeseburger and 2g of salt versus 1.4g. The Big Mac adds a second beef patty, a middle bun layer, special sauce and a second cheese slice. For parents looking at the menu for a lower-calorie beef burger option, the Cheeseburger is significantly more moderate than the Big Mac on every nutritional measure.

Water is the lowest calorie option at zero calories and zero sugar. A medium water with a Cheeseburger and medium fries keeps the meal at approximately 625 kcal with no drink sugar. A medium Diet Coke or sugar-free Sprite adds zero calories and zero sugar. A medium Coca-Cola adds approximately 180 kcal and 35g of free sugar — five times the sugar of the burger itself. For children especially, choosing water or a sugar-free drink is the single most impactful change you can make to the nutritional outcome of a McDonald's meal.

A McDonald's Cheeseburger provides 15g of protein from 295 kcal, a strong protein-to-calorie ratio. For an adult with a daily protein target of around 50g, one Cheeseburger provides 30% of that target. For a child aged 7 to 10 with a daily protein guide of around 24g, it provides approximately 54% of their daily target from a single item. The protein comes from the beef patty and the processed cheese slice, with the patty contributing the majority.