McDonald's McPlant: calories and sugar by portion, age and sex

McDonald's McPlant — calories, saturated fat and salt nutrition breakdown

Boone’s analysis puts McDonald's McPlant at 21% of an adult’s daily calories, 70% of the daily salt limit for a child aged 4 to 6 and 2.8 teaspoons of free sugar.

How many calories are in a McDonald's McPlant? It contains 426 kcal, 20g of fat (6.5g saturated), 11g of sugar and 2.1g of salt, one of the higher-calorie items on the menu.

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 McPlant fits into a day.

‍

Nutrition information

Nutrition information: McDonald's McPlant

Energy	426 kcal
Fat	20g
of which saturates	6.5g
Carbohydrate	40g
of which sugars	11g
Fibre	4.2g
Salt	2.1g
Protein	19g

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 McPlant contains 426 kcal, which is 21% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake. It provides 20g of total fat, of which 6.5g is saturated, 11g of sugar, 2.1g of salt, 19g of protein and 4.2g of fibre.

The saturated fat content of 6.5g represents 32% of the adult daily guideline of 20g.

McDonald's McPlant is assembled from 10 separately manufactured components, combined at the point of sale. The vegan cheese alternative alone carries 7 different classes of additive. Across the whole item the ingredient list names acidity regulators, anti-caking agents, antioxidants, colours, dextrose, emulsifiers, firming agents, flavourings, glucose or glucose-fructose syrup, 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 McPlant carries a large share of a child’s daily salt

A McDonald's McPlant contains 2.1g of salt, which is 70% 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 McPlant

McDonald's McPlant contains 11g of free sugar per standard serving (2.8 teaspoons). Moderate 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 McPlant

Portion	Adult (female) 30g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 30g	Age 7 to 10 24g	Age 4 to 6 19g
Per portion	11g 37%	11g 37%	11g 37%	11g 46%	11g 58%
Teaspoons	2.8 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 McPlant

McDonald's McPlant contains 2.1g 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 McPlant

Portion	Adult (female) 6g	Adult (male) 6g	Age 11 to 17 6g	Age 7 to 10 5g	Age 4 to 6 3g
Per portion	2.1g 35%	2.1g 35%	2.1g 35%	2.1g 42%	2.1g 70%

Calories in McDonald's McPlant

McDonald's McPlant contains 426 kcal per standard serving. Moderate 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 McPlant

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 portion	426 kcal 21%	426 kcal 17%	426 kcal 22%	426 kcal 27%	426 kcal 33%

Saturated fat in McDonald's McPlant

McDonald's McPlant contains 6.5g 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 McPlant

Portion	Adult (female) 20g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 20g	Age 7 to 10 18g	Age 4 to 6 16g
Per portion	6.5g 32%	6.5g 22%	6.5g 32%	6.5g 36%	6.5g 41%

Fibre in McDonald's McPlant

McDonald's McPlant contains 4.2g 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 McPlant

Portion	Adult (female) 30g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 25g	Age 7 to 10 20g	Age 4 to 6 15g
Per portion	4.2g 14%	4.2g 14%	4.2g 17%	4.2g 21%	4.2g 28%

Free sugar vs total sugar

Where the sugar comes from: McDonald's McPlant

Effectively all 11g counts as free sugar, or about 2.8 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 sesame bun
maltodextrin in the plant based burger
sugar in the vegan sandwich sauce
fructose, glucose-fructose in the tomato ketchup

Naturally occurring sugars come from

sugars naturally present in the lettuce
sugars naturally present in the onions
sugars naturally present in the tomato 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 McPlant

McDonald's McPlant is assembled from 10 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, dextrose, emulsifiers, firming agents, flavourings, glucose or glucose-fructose syrup, maltodextrin, modified starches, preservatives, stabilisers and thickeners. 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 vegan cheese alternative.

Anti-caking agents

Stop powders and sliced products sticking together. Found in the vegan cheese alternative.

Antioxidants

Slow the natural oxidation of fats, so components keep their colour and flavour. Found in the sesame bun.

Colours

Restore or standardise appearance after processing. Found in the plant based burger, vegan cheese alternative, vegan sandwich sauce.

Dextrose

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

Emulsifiers

Help oil-based and water-based ingredients blend and stay blended. Found in the sesame bun, plant based burger.

Firming agents

Keep processed vegetables crisp after packing. Found in the pickle slices.

Flavourings

Add or restore taste lost during processing. Found in the sesame bun, plant based burger, vegan cheese alternative.

Glucose or glucose-fructose syrup

Sweeten and control texture more cheaply than sugar alone. Found in the tomato ketchup.

Maltodextrin

Bulk out a product and carry flavour, with little taste of its own. Found in the sesame bun, plant based burger.

Modified starches

Thicken and hold water in a way unmodified flour cannot. Found in the vegan cheese alternative, vegan sandwich sauce.

Preservatives

Slow the growth of bacteria, yeasts and moulds in centrally prepared components. Found in the vegan cheese alternative, vegan sandwich sauce, pickle slices.

Stabilisers

Stop mixtures separating and hold texture during storage and transport. Found in the sesame bun, plant based burger, vegan cheese alternative.

Thickeners

Give sauces and syrups the body they would otherwise lack. Found in the sesame bun, vegan sandwich sauce.

Boone classifies McDonald's McPlant 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 McPlant contains at least 44 distinct ingredients: 20 raw and 24 manufactured. Ordered as a full meal with a dip and a dessert that reaches 66, of which 35 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 McPlant

What you order	Raw	Manufactured	Total	% manufactured
McDonald's McPlant on its own	20	24	44	55%
McDonald's McPlant + medium fries	22	24	46	52%
McDonald's McPlant + fries + a dip	24	30	54	56%
McDonald's McPlant + fries + dip + a medium Coca-Cola	25	33	58	57%
McDonald's McPlant + fries + dip + drink + an Oreo McFlurry	31	35	66	53%

The 24 manufactured ingredients

apple extract, carrageenan, dextrose, glucose-fructose syrup, guar gum, maize maltodextrin, maize starch, maltodextrin, methyl cellulose, modified maize starch, modified potato starch, natural onion flavouring, natural turmeric flavouring, pea protein, pomegranate extract, potassium chloride, potato starch, rice protein, spice extracts, sunflower lecithin, tapioca starch, wheat starch, xanthan gum, yeast extract.

The 20 raw ingredients

carrot powder, coconut oil, concentrated lemon juice, cream yeast, dried garlic, gherkins, iceberg lettuce, lemon juice concentrate, maize vinegar, mustard seed, rapeseed oil, salt, sesame seeds, spirit vinegar, sugar, tomato, tomato puree, water, wheat flour, white onions.

What those ingredients are, by type

Fruit and vegetables11

Starches8

Grains and flours7

Flavourings5

Stabilisers and thickeners4

Sugars and syrups3

Oils and fats3

Acids and acidity regulators2

Salt and minerals2

Emulsifiers1

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 McPlant is assembled from 10 separately manufactured components.

Ingredients by component: McDonald's McPlant

Sesame bun

WHEAT flour, water, sugar, SESAME seeds, cream yeast, rapeseed oil, salt, dextrose, thickener (guar gum), emulsifier, pea protein, potato starch, natural flavouring, WHEAT starch, maize maltodextrin, antioxidant, maize starch.

Plant based burger

water, pea protein (16%), rapeseed oil, coconut oil, flavouring, rice protein, stabiliser (methyl cellulose), potato starch, apple extract, salt, pomegranate extract, potassium chloride, concentrated lemon juice, maize vinegar, yeast extract, carrot powder, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), colour, maltodextrin.

Vegan cheese alternative

water, coconut oil (23%), tapioca starch, pea protein, modified potato starch, salt, stabiliser (carrageenan), natural flavourings, acidity regulator, preservative, colours, anti-caking agent.

Vegan sandwich sauce

water, rapeseed oil, sugar, spirit vinegar, modified maize starch, salt, thickener (xanthan gum), spices (contain MUSTARD), lemon juice concentrate, preservative, natural onion flavouring, dried garlic, natural turmeric flavouring, colour.

Lettuce

100% iceberg lettuce.

Tomato slice

100% tomato.

Pickle slices

gherkins, water, spirit vinegar, salt, firming agent, natural flavouring, preservative.

Onions

100% white onions.

Tomato ketchup

60% tomato puree (equivalent to 168g tomatoes per 100g ketchup), glucose-fructose syrup, spirit vinegar, salt, spice extracts.

Mustard

water, spirit vinegar, MUSTARD seed (14%), salt, spices, spice extract.

McDonald’s lists more than one approved supplier formulation for the sesame bun; 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 McPlant contains wheat, sesame and mustard.

Allergen information: McDonald's McPlant

Allergen	Status
Wheat	Contains
Rye	May contain traces
Barley	May contain traces
Oats	Not present
Sesame	Contains
Soya	Not present
Milk	May contain traces
Eggs	Not present
Fish	Not present
Crustaceans	Not present
Celery	Not present
Mustard	Contains
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.

Frequently asked questions

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

Boone calculates that a McDonald's McPlant contains 426 kcal, which is 21% of an adult’s 2,000 kcal daily reference intake and 33% of the daily intake for a child aged 4 to 6.

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

Boone calculates that all 11g of the sugar in a McDonald's McPlant is free sugar, or about 2.8 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 McPlant?+

Boone measures the 11g of free sugar in a McDonald's McPlant against NHS limits: 58% of the daily allowance for a child aged 4 to 6, 46% for ages 7 to 10, and 37% for an adult.

How much saturated fat is in a McDonald's McPlant?+

A McDonald's McPlant contains 6.5g of saturated fat. Boone calculates this as 32% of the daily guideline for an adult woman and 22% for an adult man, because the guideline differs by sex: 20g and 30g respectively.

How much salt is in a McDonald's McPlant?+

A McDonald's McPlant contains 2.1g of salt. Boone calculates that as 70% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6 and 35% of an adult’s 6g limit.

Is a McDonald's McPlant ultra-processed?+

Boone classifies a McDonald's McPlant as NOVA group 4. Reading the published ingredient list, it is assembled from 10 separately manufactured components and contains acidity regulators, anti-caking agents, antioxidants, colours, dextrose, emulsifiers, firming agents, flavourings, glucose or glucose-fructose syrup, 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 McPlant?+

A McDonald's McPlant contains 4.2g of fibre. Boone calculates that as 14% of an adult’s 30g daily target and 28% 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 McPlant suitable for children?+

Boone’s analysis flags that its 2.1g of salt is 70% of that age group’s daily limit. That does not make it off limits, but it does mean a McPlant uses up a large share of a young child’s day in one item.

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

A McDonald's McPlant contains 19g of protein, which Boone calculates as 38% of a 50g adult daily target.