Boone’s analysis puts McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin at 15% of an adult’s daily calories, 32% of the daily salt limit for a child aged 4 to 6 and 0.7 teaspoons of free sugar.
How many calories are in a McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin? It contains 296 kcal, 14g of fat (5g saturated), 2.6g of sugar and 0.96g of salt.
Build a full meal with our nutrition calculator
An Egg and Cheese McMuffin is ordered at the end of a meal, on top of everything already eaten. Use the Boone meal calculator to build a full meal rather than view this item on its own — add a main, fries, dips and a drink, then choose your age and sex for a more accurate view of how it fits into a day.
Nutrition information
Nutrition information: McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin
| Energy | 296 kcal |
| Fat | 14g |
| of which saturates | 5g |
| Carbohydrate | 27g |
| of which sugars | 2.6g |
| Fibre | 1.8g |
| Salt | 0.96g |
| Protein | 15g |
Nutrition figures are McDonald’s UK published data, per item as sold and before any optional sauces or extras. Boone converts them to the portion and age comparisons on this page.
A McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin contains 296 kcal, which is 15% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake. It provides 14g of total fat, of which 5g is saturated, 2.6g of sugar, 0.96g of salt, 15g of protein and 1.8g of fibre.
The saturated fat content of 5g represents 25% of the adult daily guideline of 20g.
McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin is assembled from 4 separately manufactured components, combined at the point of sale. The processed cheddar cheese slice alone carries 3 different classes of additive. Across the whole item the ingredient list names acidity regulators, anti-caking agents, antioxidants, colours, emulsifiers and flavourings. None of these add nutritional value. They exist to make the item survive industrial production, freezing and transport.
McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin sits at the lighter end of the menu
At 296 kcal and 2.6g of free sugar, McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin stays well inside every daily guideline Boone checks. Few items on this menu do.
Adult daily reference intakes (Reference Intake, RI)
Calories2,000 kcal
Total fat70g
Saturated fat20g
Carbohydrate260g
Sugars90g
Fibre30g
Salt6g
Protein50g
Sugar in McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin
McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin contains 2.6g of free sugar per standard serving (0.7 teaspoons). Low sugar
The NHS free sugar limit is 30g per day for adults, 24g for children aged 7 to 10, and 19g for children aged 4 to 6. Free sugar excludes the sugars naturally present in milk and whole fruit. The table below shows how this compares across all age groups.
Free sugar by portion: McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin
| Portion | Adult (female)
30g | Adult (male)
30g | Age 11 to 17
30g | Age 7 to 10
24g | Age 4 to 6
19g |
|---|
| Per McMuffin (131g) | 2.6g
9% | 2.6g
9% | 2.6g
9% | 2.6g
11% | 2.6g
14% |
| Teaspoons | 0.7 tsp |
Boone calculates these percentages from McDonald's UK published nutrition data against UK Dietary Reference Values and NHS free sugar and salt limits. Free sugar, salt, calories and saturated fat are limits to stay under; fibre is a target to reach, so a high percentage there is a good thing. For guidance only.
Salt in McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin
McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin contains 0.96g of salt per standard serving. Low salt
Children have lower salt limits: 3g per day for ages 4 to 6, 5g for ages 7 to 10. The table below shows how this serving compares to daily limits for adults and children.
Salt by portion: McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin
| Portion | Adult (female)
6g | Adult (male)
6g | Age 11 to 17
6g | Age 7 to 10
5g | Age 4 to 6
3g |
|---|
| Per McMuffin (131g) | 0.96g
16% | 0.96g
16% | 0.96g
16% | 0.96g
19% | 0.96g
32% |
Boone calculates these percentages from McDonald's UK published nutrition data against UK Dietary Reference Values and NHS free sugar and salt limits. Free sugar, salt, calories and saturated fat are limits to stay under; fibre is a target to reach, so a high percentage there is a good thing. For guidance only.
Calories in McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin
McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin contains 296 kcal per standard serving. Low calorie share
Daily calorie needs vary by age and sex. The table below shows how this serving compares to typical daily reference intakes.
Calories by portion: McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin
| Portion | Adult (female)
2000 kcal | Adult (male)
2500 kcal | Age 11 to 17
1936 kcal | Age 7 to 10
1553 kcal | Age 4 to 6
1291 kcal |
|---|
| Per McMuffin (131g) | 296 kcal
15% | 296 kcal
12% | 296 kcal
15% | 296 kcal
19% | 296 kcal
23% |
Boone calculates these percentages from McDonald's UK published nutrition data against UK Dietary Reference Values and NHS free sugar and salt limits. Free sugar, salt, calories and saturated fat are limits to stay under; fibre is a target to reach, so a high percentage there is a good thing. For guidance only.
Saturated fat in McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin
McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin contains 5g of saturated fat per standard serving. Moderate saturated fat
The saturated fat guideline is 20g a day for women and 30g for men, and lower again for children. The table below shows how this serving compares.
Saturated fat by portion: McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin
| Portion | Adult (female)
20g | Adult (male)
30g | Age 11 to 17
20g | Age 7 to 10
18g | Age 4 to 6
16g |
|---|
| Per McMuffin (131g) | 5g
25% | 5g
17% | 5g
25% | 5g
28% | 5g
31% |
Boone calculates these percentages from McDonald's UK published nutrition data against UK Dietary Reference Values and NHS free sugar and salt limits. Free sugar, salt, calories and saturated fat are limits to stay under; fibre is a target to reach, so a high percentage there is a good thing. For guidance only.
Fibre in McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin
McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin contains 1.8g of fibre per standard serving. Some fibre
Fibre is the one figure here that is a target to reach rather than a limit to stay under. UK guidance is 30g a day for adults, 25g for ages 11 to 17, 20g for ages 7 to 10 and 15g for ages 4 to 6. Most people in the UK fall well short. The table below shows how much of a day’s fibre this serving provides.
Fibre by portion: McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin
| Portion | Adult (female)
30g | Adult (male)
30g | Age 11 to 17
25g | Age 7 to 10
20g | Age 4 to 6
15g |
|---|
| Per McMuffin (131g) | 1.8g
6% | 1.8g
6% | 1.8g
7% | 1.8g
9% | 1.8g
12% |
Boone calculates these percentages from McDonald's UK published nutrition data against UK Dietary Reference Values and NHS free sugar and salt limits. Free sugar, salt, calories and saturated fat are limits to stay under; fibre is a target to reach, so a high percentage there is a good thing. For guidance only.
Ultra-processed food: what is really in it
Processing and additives: McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin
McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin is assembled from 4 separately manufactured components, combined and cooked at the point of sale. Reading the ingredient list closely, it contains acidity regulators, anti-caking agents, antioxidants, colours, emulsifiers and flavourings. These are not there to add nutritional value. They make industrial production and distribution possible.
Acidity regulators
Hold the ph steady so flavour and shelf life stay consistent. Found in the English muffin.
Anti-caking agents
Stop powders and sliced products sticking together. Found in the processed cheddar cheese slice.
Antioxidants
Slow the natural oxidation of fats, so components keep their colour and flavour. Found in the English muffin, liquid vegetable and dairy fat blend (used to cook the egg).
Colours
Restore or standardise appearance after processing. Found in the processed cheddar cheese slice.
Emulsifiers
Help oil-based and water-based ingredients blend and stay blended. Found in the liquid vegetable and dairy fat blend (used to cook the egg).
Flavourings
Add or restore taste lost during processing. Found in the liquid vegetable and dairy fat blend (used to cook the egg), processed cheddar cheese slice.
Boone classifies McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin as NOVA group 4, ultra-processed, based on the additives named above. NOVA groups foods by how far they are from their whole-food form, not by how nutritious they are. A group 4 food is not automatically unhealthy, and a group 1 food is not automatically healthy. Read from the published ingredient list, 17-18 August 2026.
A McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin contains at least 28 distinct ingredients: 19 raw and 9 manufactured. Ordered as a full meal with a dip and a dessert that reaches 57, of which 28 are manufactured. Raw means something you could buy and cook with at home; manufactured means a substance that only exists as an output of industrial processing.
Ingredient count by order: McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin
| What you order | Raw | Manufactured | Total | % manufactured |
|---|
| McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin on its own | 19 | 9 | 28 | 32% |
| McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin + medium fries | 21 | 10 | 31 | 32% |
| McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin + fries + a dip | 24 | 20 | 44 | 45% |
| McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin + fries + dip + a medium Coca-Cola | 25 | 23 | 48 | 48% |
| McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin + fries + dip + drink + an Oreo McFlurry | 29 | 28 | 57 | 49% |
The 9 manufactured ingredients
butter flavouring, emulsifying salts, irish sourced and produced to lion quality standards or equivalent, milk protein, muffin mix, muffin topping, natural cheese flavouring, wheat gluten, yellow polenta.
The 19 raw ingredients
butter, butter oil, cooked in restaurant using a liquid vegetable and dairy fat blend containing milk, de-activated yeast, dried rye sourdough, egg, milk, rapeseed oil, rice flour, salt, sugar, sunflower oil, vegetarian cheddar, vegetarian cheese, water, wheat flour, whey or skimmed milk powder, whey powder, yeast.
What those ingredients are, by type
Meat, fish, dairy and eggs9
Oils and fats6
Grains and flours4
Flavourings2
Sugars and syrups1
Salt and minerals1
Boone counts every distinct named ingredient on McDonald’s published component lists, including sub-ingredients, and removes duplicates, so salt appearing in four components counts once. Additive class names are dropped and the named substance kept, so “stabiliser (guar gum)” counts guar gum once. Raw covers whole foods and basic kitchen staples such as flour, sugar, salt and oil. Manufactured covers substances that only exist as an output of industrial processing. Where McDonald’s lists more than one approved supplier recipe only the primary one is counted, so every figure here is a minimum. The build uses a Sweet and Sour dip.
Ingredients
McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin is assembled from 4 separately manufactured components.
Ingredients by component: McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin
English muffin
WHEAT flour, water, muffin topping (yellow polenta, rice flour), muffin mix (WHEAT gluten, dried RYE sourdough, acidity regulator, antioxidant), yeast, sugar, salt, rapeseed oil, de-activated yeast.
Free range egg
egg, Irish sourced and produced to Lion Quality standards or equivalent, cooked in restaurant using a liquid vegetable and dairy fat blend containing MILK.
Liquid vegetable and dairy fat blend (used to cook the egg)
vegetable oils (rapeseed, sunflower) (76%), butter oil (MILK) (21%), emulsifiers, whey powder (MILK), antioxidants, butter flavouring (MILK).
Processed cheddar cheese slice
vegetarian cheddar (51%) (MILK), water, vegetarian cheese (9%) (MILK), whey or skimmed MILK powder, butter (MILK), emulsifying salts, MILK protein, natural cheese flavouring (MILK), salt, colours, anti-caking agent.
McDonald’s lists more than one approved supplier formulation for the processed cheddar cheese slice; the version shown is the primary one and the allergen information covers all variants. Ingredients taken from the McDonald’s UK product pages, retrieved 17-18 August 2026. Recipes change - always check in restaurant before ordering if you have an allergy.
Allergens at a glance
McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin contains wheat, rye and milk.
Allergen information: McDonald's Egg and Cheese McMuffin
| Allergen | Status |
|---|
| Wheat | Contains |
| Rye | Contains |
| Barley | Not present |
| Oats | Not present |
| Sesame | May contain traces |
| Soya | Not present |
| Milk | Contains |
| Eggs | Not present |
| Fish | Not present |
| Crustaceans | Not present |
| Celery | Not present |
| Mustard | Not present |
| Molluscs | Not present |
| Lupin | Not present |
Contains = declared as an ingredient. May contain traces = McDonald's states the allergen cannot be excluded. McDonald's prepares food in kitchens where all 14 major allergens are present and equipment is shared, so no item can be guaranteed allergen free, even when ingredients are removed on request. Buns, rolls and tortilla wraps are toasted in the same toaster as sesame-topped buns. Retrieved 17-18 August 2026.
