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McDonald's Hamburger, beef burger with onion, pickles and ketchup in a plain bun, nutrition and calories

McDonald's Hamburger nutrition

Figures from McDonald's UK nutrition calculator, 17 to 18 August 2026 , collected by Boone

Your order
Who is eating
255kcal13% of the day
Where the calories come from
20%45%32%
ProteinCarbsFat
!Nothing is over 30% of her daily limits in one burger.
CaloriesEnergy255 kcal13%
Reference 2,000 kcal
Free sugarWithin limit6.9g23%
Limit 30g (NHS)
Saturated fatWithin limit3.5g18%
Limit 20g
SaltWithin limit1.1g18%
Limit 6g (NHS)
FibreTarget2.1g7%
Target 30g
ProteinTarget13g26%
Reference 50g

Hamburger, as published. Calorie split calculated by Boone. How

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What McDonald's Hamburger means for you

The Hamburger as published, seen four ways.

Adult

0 of 3 limits are over 30% in one burger, the UK front-of-pack mark for high.

13%of 2,000 kcal (255 kcal)
18%saturated fat: 3.5g of 20g
18%salt: 1.1g of 6g
23%free sugar: 6.9g of 30g

Nothing here passes 30% of an adult’s daily limits in one burger.

Bacon MayoLower free sugarBacon Mayo →4g free sugar (13%), 329 kcal

McDonald's Hamburger allergens

2 contain4 may contain8 not present
WheatContains
MustardContains
RyeMay contain
BarleyMay contain
SesameMay contain
MilkMay contain
OatsNot present
SoyaNot present
EggsNot present
FishNot present
CrustaceansNot present
CeleryNot present
MolluscsNot present
LupinNot present

Sugar in McDonald's Hamburger: free vs total

Estimated from the ingredient listHow
Total sugar6.9gPublished by McDonald's
Free sugar6.9gEstimated by Boone. 1.7 teaspoons
  • 6.9g free sugar: dextrose, maltodextrin, sugar in the regular bun, fructose, glucose-fructose in the tomato ketchup

Natural sugars in milk, fruit and veg don’t count. NHS →

6.9g as a share of the NHS daily maximum
Adults and age 11+ 30g a day23%
Age 7 to 10 24g a day29%
Age 4 to 6 19g a day36%

Nutrient density: what you get per 100 kcal

For smaller portions: the most nutrition per calorie, against all 151 McDonald's items.

Calculated by BooneHow
More protein per calorie than 65% of the menu, and more fibre per calorie than most.
Protein5.1g per 100 kcal
This item
5.1g
Menu average
3.4g
Best: Chicken Selects (5 pieces)
7.0g

More protein per calorie than 65% of the 151 items on the menu.

Fibre0.82g per 100 kcal
This item
0.82g
Menu average
0.58g
Best: Side Salad
2.07g

More fibre per calorie than 80% of the 151 items on the menu.

Vitamins and minerals

McDonald's does not publish vitamins or minerals for this item, so Boone does not estimate them.

Nutrient profile score (UK 2018 model)

1417 negative points
− 3 positive points

The 2018 model indicates this burger is less healthy: it scores 14, above the line of 4.

← HealthierLess healthy →
14-20 best possible4 and above: less healthy40 worst possible

Higher is less healthy; 4 or more would be classed as less healthy under this model. How the score works →

Joint #88 of 109 on the menu for this score (lower is better).

UK Nutrient Profiling Model 2018 →
Per 100g of this 100g burger. Portion size is not counted.
Score breakdown: +17 negative, −3 positive+
Negative points+17
Energy 1,067 kJ per 100g+3 of 10
Converted from 255 kcal at 4.184 kJ per kcal
Saturated fat 3.5g per 100g+3 of 10
Free sugars 6.9g per 100g+7 of 10
Estimated by Boone from the ingredient list
Salt 1.10g per 100g+4 of 10
Positive points−3
Fibre 2.1g per 100g−3 of 10
Fruit, veg, nuts and seeds counted as 0 per 100g0 of 5
McDonald's does not publish component weights, so Boone counts 0
Protein 13.0g per 100g−5 of 5
Not counted, see below
Protein not counted. With 17 negative points and 0 for fruit, veg, nuts and seeds, its 5 protein points are not counted. Why →
Final score: 17 − 314

Ingredients in McDonald's Hamburger

39 ingredients across 6 parts; 9 are additives or processed (orange).

30 basic, 9 orange
Regular bun14 ingredients, 4 orange
wheat flourwatersugarcream yeastrapeseed oilsaltwheat fibreemulsifierpea proteinwheat starchwheat maltodextrindextrosemaize maltodextrinmaize starch
Beef patty6 ingredients, 1 orange
100% pure beefseasoned with salt and pepper after cookingwith no additivesfillersbinderspreservatives or flavour enhancers
Pickle slices7 ingredients, 3 orange
gherkinswaterspirit vinegarsaltfirming agentnatural flavouringpreservative
Onions1 ingredient, 0 orange
100% onion
Tomato ketchup5 ingredients, 1 orange
60% tomato puree (equivalent to 168g tomatoes per 100g ketchup)glucose-fructose syrupspirit vinegarsaltspice extracts
Mustard6 ingredients, 0 orange
waterspirit vinegarmustard seed (14%)saltspicesspice extract

Is McDonald's Hamburger ultra-processed?

NOVA group 4
1 Unprocessed
2 Ingredients
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Group 4 because of the additives or industrial ingredients listed above. How NOVA works →

Quick answers

How many calories are in a McDonald's Hamburger?+

255 kcal as published. 255 kcal is 13% of a 2,000 kcal adult reference intake.

Is a McDonald's Hamburger suitable for children?+

For a child aged 4 to 6 it is 37% of the day’s 3g salt limit and 36% of the 19g free sugar limit in one item. A Mayo Chicken has 0.92g of salt, 31% of that salt limit.

How much sugar is in a McDonald's Hamburger?+

6.9g of total sugar as published. Boone estimates 6.9g of it is free sugar, from dextrose, maltodextrin, sugar in the regular bun, fructose, glucose-fructose in the tomato ketchup: 1.7 teaspoons and 23% of an adult’s 30g daily maximum.

How much protein is in a McDonald's Hamburger?+

13g, 5.1g per 100 kcal. It ranks #50 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.

What is the nutrient profile score of a McDonald's Hamburger?+

14 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.

Is a McDonald's Hamburger ultra-processed?+

Yes, NOVA group 4. The ingredient list includes emulsifiers, preservatives, flavourings and firming agents.

Which allergens are in a McDonald's Hamburger?+

As published, wheat and mustard. Rye, barley, sesame and milk may be present.

Where the figures come from

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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