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

A McDonald's Hamburger contains 248 kcal. With small fries the total reaches 498 kcal. With medium fries the total reaches 578 kcal. With large fries the total reaches 678 kcal. Adding a medium Coca-Cola to a medium meal brings the total to 758 kcal. The Hamburger alone represents 12% 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: 248 kcal, 8g fat (3.2g saturated), 31g carbohydrate (6g sugar), 1g salt, 12g protein. The Hamburger contains 6g of free sugar, 20% of the adult daily free sugar limit of 30g and 25% of the limit for a child aged 7 to 10. The salt content of 1g is 17% of the adult daily limit of 6g and 33% of the limit for a child aged 4 to 6.

A McDonald's Hamburger with small fries contains approximately 498 kcal. With medium fries the total is approximately 578 kcal. With large fries the total is approximately 678 kcal. The fries contribute between 250 and 430 kcal depending on size. For a child aged 7 to 10 with a daily energy need of around 1,700 to 2,000 kcal, a Hamburger with medium fries represents approximately 29 to 34% of their daily requirement from one meal.

A McDonald's Hamburger Happy Meal with small fries and a small Coca-Cola contains approximately 568 kcal. Substituting the Coca-Cola for water removes approximately 90 kcal, bringing the total to approximately 498 kcal. Substituting for orange juice adds approximately 45 kcal versus water, giving approximately 543 kcal. The drink choice is the most significant variable in the Happy Meal calorie count after the choice of fries size.

A McDonald's Hamburger contains 1g of salt, which is 17% of the adult daily limit of 6g. For a child aged 4 to 6 with a daily salt limit of 3g, the Hamburger alone uses 33% of their daily allowance. Adding medium fries brings the total salt to approximately 1.6g, which is 53% of the limit for a child aged 4 to 6 from one meal. Salt accumulates quickly when fries and a drink are added to the order.

A McDonald's Hamburger contains 6g of sugar, all of which counts as free sugar under NHS guidelines. This is 20% of the adult daily free sugar limit of 30g and 25% of the limit for a child aged 7 to 10. The sugar comes primarily from the ketchup, mustard and the bun rather than the beef patty itself. Adding a medium Coca-Cola to the meal adds approximately 35g of free sugar, which on its own exceeds the adult daily free sugar limit and more than doubles the limit for a child aged 7 to 10.

Yes, relative to its calorie count. A McDonald's Hamburger provides 12g of protein from 248 kcal, which is a strong protein-to-calorie ratio. For an adult with a daily protein target of around 50g, one Hamburger provides 24% of that target. For a child aged 7 to 10 with a daily protein guide of around 24g, it provides approximately 50% of their daily target from a single item. The protein comes entirely from the beef patty, which McDonald's UK states is 100% beef with no fillers or additives.

The Hamburger alone is one of the more moderate items on the McDonald's menu for children. At 248 kcal, 6g of sugar and 12g of protein it is not an extreme nutritional choice. The salt content of 1g — 33% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6 — is the most significant concern from the item itself. The bigger nutritional issue arises from what is ordered alongside it. A Hamburger with medium fries and a medium Coca-Cola adds approximately 35g of sugar from the drink alone, which exceeds the daily free sugar limit for children of all ages.

A McDonald's Cheeseburger contains approximately 299 kcal compared to 248 kcal in a Hamburger. The single slice of processed cheese adds approximately 50 calories, 2g of saturated fat and 0.4g of salt. The sugar content increases slightly to approximately 7g. The protein rises to approximately 14g. The Cheeseburger is a modest step up in calories, saturated fat and salt from the Hamburger. Both are among the lower-calorie hot items on the core McDonald's menu.

Yes. A McDonald's Hamburger falls into NOVA group 4, ultra-processed foods. It is assembled from five separately manufactured components — the bun, beef patty, pickle slices, onion and condiments — each produced at different facilities. The bun contains emulsifiers, antioxidants, maltodextrin and dextrose. The pickle slices contain a firming agent and preservative. All additives used are approved for use in UK food. The NOVA classification reflects the degree of industrial formulation involved rather than whether the food is unsafe to eat.

A McDonald's Hamburger contains wheat, sesame and soya. It may also contain traces of barley, rye and oats from shared kitchen equipment. It does not contain milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans, celery, mustard, molluscs or lupin as ingredients. McDonald's UK prepares food in kitchens where allergens are present and cannot guarantee any item is completely allergen-free, even when ingredients are removed on request. Always check the McDonald's UK app or in-restaurant allergen information for the most current data.

A McDonald's Big Mac contains approximately 550 kcal compared to 248 kcal in a Hamburger — more than double. The Big Mac adds a second beef patty, a middle bun layer, special sauce and cheese. It also contains approximately 2.4g of salt versus 1g in a Hamburger and approximately 7g of saturated fat versus 3.2g. The Hamburger is the simplest and lowest-calorie beef burger on the core McDonald's menu. The Big Mac is more than twice the calories and more than double the saturated fat.

Water is the lowest calorie option at zero calories and zero sugar. A medium water with a Hamburger and medium fries keeps the meal total at approximately 578 kcal with no drink sugar. A medium Diet Coke or sugar-free Sprite is also zero calories and zero sugar. A medium Coca-Cola adds approximately 180 kcal and 35g of free sugar — more free sugar than the Hamburger and fries combined. For children especially, the drink choice has the single largest impact on the total sugar content of a McDonald's meal.

McDonald's UK states the beef patty in a Hamburger is 100% beef, seasoned with salt and pepper after cooking, with no fillers, binders or additives. The beef is sourced from RSPCA Assured UK and Irish farms. The patty weighs approximately 45.4g before cooking. It is the most minimally processed component of the Hamburger — the additives in the overall burger come primarily from the bun, pickle slices and condiments rather than the beef itself.

A McDonald's Hamburger contains 3.2g of saturated fat, which is 16% of the adult daily guideline of 20g. For a child aged 11 to 17 with an estimated daily saturated fat guideline of approximately 17g, it represents 19% of their daily allowance. For a child aged 7 to 10 with an estimated guideline of approximately 16g, it represents 20%. The Hamburger is at the lower end of saturated fat content for a hot beef item on the McDonald's menu, reflecting the single patty and absence of cheese or creamy sauces.