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McDonald's Filet-O-Fish: calories and sugar by portion, age and sex

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish — calories, saturated fat and salt nutrition breakdown

Boone’s analysis puts McDonald's Filet-O-Fish at 16% of an adult’s daily calories, 47% of the daily salt limit for a child aged 4 to 6 and 1.4 teaspoons of free sugar.

How many calories are in a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish? It contains 316 kcal, 13g of fat (2.1g saturated), 5.4g of sugar and 1.4g of salt.

Build a full meal with our nutrition calculator

Use the Boone meal calculator to build a full meal rather than view this item on its own. Add fries, a drink, dips and a dessert, then choose your age and sex for a more accurate view of how a Filet-O-Fish fits into a day.

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Nutrition information

Nutrition information: McDonald's Filet-O-Fish

Energy316 kcal
Fat13g
of which saturates2.1g
Carbohydrate36g
of which sugars5.4g
Fibre2.2g
Salt1.4g
Protein14g

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 Filet-O-Fish contains 316 kcal, which is 16% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake. It provides 13g of total fat, of which 2.1g is saturated, 5.4g of sugar, 1.4g of salt, 14g of protein and 2.2g of fibre.

The saturated fat content of 2.1g represents 11% of the adult daily guideline of 20g.

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish is assembled from 4 separately manufactured components, combined at the point of sale. The tartare sauce alone carries 6 different classes of additive. Across the whole item the ingredient list names anti-caking agents, colours, dextrose, emulsifiers, firming agents, flavourings, maltodextrin, modified starches, preservatives, stabilisers and thickeners. None of these add nutritional value. They exist to make the item survive industrial production, freezing and transport.

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish carries a large share of a child’s daily salt

A McDonald's Filet-O-Fish contains 1.4g of salt, which is 47% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6.

Adult daily reference intakes (Reference Intake, RI)

Calories2,000 kcal
Total fat70g
Saturated fat20g
Carbohydrate260g
Sugars90g
Fibre30g
Salt6g
Protein50g

Sugar in McDonald's Filet-O-Fish

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish contains 5.4g of free sugar per standard serving (1.4 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 Filet-O-Fish

PortionAdult (female)
30g		Adult (male)
30g		Age 11 to 17
30g		Age 7 to 10
24g		Age 4 to 6
19g
Per portion5.4g
18%		5.4g
18%		5.4g
18%		5.4g
22%		5.4g
28%
Teaspoons1.4 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 Filet-O-Fish

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish contains 1.4g of salt per standard serving. Moderate 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 Filet-O-Fish

PortionAdult (female)
6g		Adult (male)
6g		Age 11 to 17
6g		Age 7 to 10
5g		Age 4 to 6
3g
Per portion1.4g
23%		1.4g
23%		1.4g
23%		1.4g
28%		1.4g
47%

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 Filet-O-Fish

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish contains 316 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 Filet-O-Fish

PortionAdult (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 portion316 kcal
16%		316 kcal
13%		316 kcal
16%		316 kcal
20%		316 kcal
24%

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 Filet-O-Fish

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish contains 2.1g of saturated fat per standard serving. Low 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 Filet-O-Fish

PortionAdult (female)
20g		Adult (male)
30g		Age 11 to 17
20g		Age 7 to 10
18g		Age 4 to 6
16g
Per portion2.1g
11%		2.1g
7%		2.1g
11%		2.1g
12%		2.1g
13%

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 Filet-O-Fish

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish contains 2.2g 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 Filet-O-Fish

PortionAdult (female)
30g		Adult (male)
30g		Age 11 to 17
25g		Age 7 to 10
20g		Age 4 to 6
15g
Per portion2.2g
7%		2.2g
7%		2.2g
9%		2.2g
11%		2.2g
15%

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.

Free sugar vs total sugar

Where the sugar comes from: McDonald's Filet-O-Fish

Effectively all 5.4g counts as free sugar, or about 1.4 teaspoons against the daily limit. There is a small amount of naturally occurring sugar too, listed below, but it is not enough to change the figure.

Free (added) sugars come from

  • dextrose, maltodextrin, sugar in the regular bun
  • sugar in the tartare sauce

Naturally occurring sugars come from

  • lactose in the processed cheddar cheese slice

NHS daily free sugar limits: 30g for adults and children 11+, 24g age 7 to 10, 19g age 4 to 6. Sources are read from the published ingredient list for each component.

Ultra-processed food: what is really in it

Processing and additives: McDonald's Filet-O-Fish

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish is assembled from 4 separately manufactured components, combined and cooked at the point of sale. Reading the ingredient list closely, it contains anti-caking agents, colours, dextrose, emulsifiers, firming agents, flavourings, maltodextrin, modified starches, preservatives, stabilisers and thickeners. These are not there to add nutritional value. They make industrial production and distribution possible.

Anti-caking agents

Stop powders and sliced products sticking together. Found in the processed cheddar cheese slice.

Colours

Restore or standardise appearance after processing. Found in the processed cheddar cheese slice.

Dextrose

A simple sugar used for browning, bulk and mild sweetness. Found in the regular bun.

Emulsifiers

Help oil-based and water-based ingredients blend and stay blended. Found in the regular bun.

Firming agents

Keep processed vegetables crisp after packing. Found in the tartare sauce.

Flavourings

Add or restore taste lost during processing. Found in the processed cheddar cheese slice, tartare sauce.

Maltodextrin

Bulk out a product and carry flavour, with little taste of its own. Found in the regular bun.

Modified starches

Thicken and hold water in a way unmodified flour cannot. Found in the tartare sauce.

Preservatives

Slow the growth of bacteria, yeasts and moulds in centrally prepared components. Found in the tartare sauce.

Stabilisers

Stop mixtures separating and hold texture during storage and transport. Found in the tartare sauce.

Thickeners

Give sauces and syrups the body they would otherwise lack. Found in the fish filet portion, tartare sauce.

Boone classifies McDonald's Filet-O-Fish 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 Filet-O-Fish contains at least 36 distinct ingredients: 21 raw and 15 manufactured. Ordered as a full meal with a dip and a dessert that reaches 61, of which 30 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 Filet-O-Fish

What you orderRawManufacturedTotal% manufactured
McDonald's Filet-O-Fish on its own21153642%
McDonald's Filet-O-Fish + medium fries23153839%
McDonald's Filet-O-Fish + fries + a dip25234848%
McDonald's Filet-O-Fish + fries + dip + a medium Coca-Cola26265250%
McDonald's Filet-O-Fish + fries + dip + drink + an Oreo McFlurry31306149%

The 15 manufactured ingredients

corn starch, dextrose, emulsifying salts, maize maltodextrin, maize starch, milk protein, modified maize starch, modified wheat starch, mustard flour, natural cheese flavouring, pea protein, wheat fibre, wheat maltodextrin, wheat starch, xanthan gum.

The 21 raw ingredients

alaska pollock fillet, butter, capers, corn flour, cream yeast, dried parsley, fish, free range egg yolk, gherkin, milk, onion, rapeseed oil, salt, spirit vinegar, sugar, vegetarian cheddar, vegetarian cheese, water, wheat flour, whey or skimmed milk powder, yeast.

What those ingredients are, by type

Grains and flours11
Meat, fish, dairy and eggs9
Starches7
Oils and fats3
Fruit and vegetables3
Sugars and syrups2
Stabilisers and thickeners1
Flavourings1
Acids and acidity regulators1
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 Filet-O-Fish is assembled from 4 separately manufactured components.

Ingredients by component: McDonald's Filet-O-Fish

Regular bun

WHEAT flour, water, sugar, cream yeast, rapeseed oil, salt, WHEAT fibre, emulsifier, pea protein, WHEAT starch, WHEAT maltodextrin, dextrose, maize maltodextrin, maize starch.

Fish filet portion

Alaska pollock fillet (FISH) (75%), WHEAT flour, water, modified WHEAT starch, corn flour, salt, corn starch, yeast, thickener.

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.

Tartare sauce

water, rapeseed oil, gherkin, spirit vinegar, onion, modified maize starch, free range EGG yolk, sugar, salt, thickener (xanthan gum), MUSTARD flour, capers, preservative, firming agent, dried parsley, natural flavourings.

McDonald’s lists more than one approved supplier formulation for the regular bun and 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 Filet-O-Fish contains wheat, milk, eggs, fish and mustard.

Allergen information: McDonald's Filet-O-Fish

AllergenStatus
WheatContains
RyeMay contain traces
BarleyMay contain traces
OatsNot present
SesameMay contain traces
SoyaNot present
MilkContains
EggsContains
FishContains
CrustaceansNot present
CeleryNot present
MustardContains
MolluscsNot present
LupinNot 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.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish?+

Boone calculates that a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish contains 316 kcal, which is 16% of an adult’s 2,000 kcal daily reference intake and 24% of the daily intake for a child aged 4 to 6.

How much sugar is in a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish?+

Boone calculates that all 5.4g of the sugar in a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish is free sugar, or about 1.4 teaspoons. There is no dairy or whole fruit in it to hold any of it back.

How much of a child’s daily sugar limit is a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish?+

Boone measures the 5.4g of free sugar in a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish against NHS limits: 28% of the daily allowance for a child aged 4 to 6, 22% for ages 7 to 10, and 18% for an adult.

How much saturated fat is in a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish?+

A McDonald's Filet-O-Fish contains 2.1g of saturated fat. Boone calculates this as 11% of the daily guideline for an adult woman and 7% for an adult man, because the guideline differs by sex: 20g and 30g respectively.

How much salt is in a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish?+

A McDonald's Filet-O-Fish contains 1.4g of salt. Boone calculates that as 47% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6 and 23% of an adult’s 6g limit.

Is a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish ultra-processed?+

Boone classifies a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish as NOVA group 4. Reading the published ingredient list, it is assembled from 4 separately manufactured components and contains anti-caking agents, colours, dextrose, emulsifiers, firming agents, flavourings, maltodextrin, modified starches, preservatives, stabilisers and thickeners. NOVA group 4 describes how far a food is from its whole-food form, not how nutritious it is.

How much fibre is in a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish?+

A McDonald's Filet-O-Fish contains 2.2g of fibre. Boone calculates that as 7% of an adult’s 30g daily target and 15% of the 15g target for a child aged 4 to 6. Fibre is a target to reach rather than a limit to stay under.

Is a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish suitable for children?+

Boone’s analysis puts a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish within every daily guideline it checks for a child aged 4 to 6, on free sugar, salt and saturated fat. On this menu that is uncommon.

How much protein is in a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish?+

A McDonald's Filet-O-Fish contains 14g of protein, which Boone calculates as 28% of a 50g adult daily target.