Boone’s analysis puts McDonald's Side Salad at 3% of an adult’s daily calories, 5% of the daily salt limit for a child aged 4 to 6 and 0.4 teaspoons of free sugar.
How many calories are in a McDonald's Side Salad? It contains 58 kcal, 4g of fat (1.1g saturated), 1.7g of sugar and 0.14g of salt, one of the lower-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 Side Salad fits into a day.
Nutrition information
Nutrition information: McDonald's Side Salad
| Energy | 58 kcal |
| Fat | 4g |
| of which saturates | 1.1g |
| Carbohydrate | 3.8g |
| of which sugars | 1.7g |
| Fibre | 1.2g |
| Salt | 0.14g |
| Protein | 1.2g |
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 Side Salad contains 58 kcal, which is 3% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake. It provides 4g of total fat, of which 1.1g is saturated, 1.7g of sugar, 0.14g of salt, 1.2g of protein and 1.2g of fibre.
The saturated fat content of 1.1g represents 6% of the adult daily guideline of 20g.
McDonald's Side Salad is assembled from 4 separately manufactured components, combined at the point of sale. Across the whole item the ingredient list names dextrose. None of these add nutritional value. They exist to make the item survive industrial production, freezing and transport.
McDonald's Side Salad sits at the lighter end of the menu
At 58 kcal, 1.7g of free sugar and very little salt, McDonald's Side Salad 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 Side Salad
McDonald's Side Salad contains 1.7g of free sugar per standard serving (0.4 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 Side Salad
| Portion | Adult (female)
30g | Adult (male)
30g | Age 11 to 17
30g | Age 7 to 10
24g | Age 4 to 6
19g |
|---|
| Per portion | 1.7g
6% | 1.7g
6% | 1.7g
6% | 1.7g
7% | 1.7g
9% |
| Teaspoons | 0.4 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 Side Salad
McDonald's Side Salad contains 0.14g 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 Side Salad
| Portion | Adult (female)
6g | Adult (male)
6g | Age 11 to 17
6g | Age 7 to 10
5g | Age 4 to 6
3g |
|---|
| Per portion | 0.14g
2% | 0.14g
2% | 0.14g
2% | 0.14g
3% | 0.14g
5% |
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 Side Salad
McDonald's Side Salad contains 58 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 Side Salad
| 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 | 58 kcal
3% | 58 kcal
2% | 58 kcal
3% | 58 kcal
4% | 58 kcal
4% |
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 Side Salad
McDonald's Side Salad contains 1.1g 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 Side Salad
| Portion | Adult (female)
20g | Adult (male)
30g | Age 11 to 17
20g | Age 7 to 10
18g | Age 4 to 6
16g |
|---|
| Per portion | 1.1g
6% | 1.1g
4% | 1.1g
6% | 1.1g
6% | 1.1g
7% |
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 Side Salad
McDonald's Side Salad contains 1.2g of fibre per standard serving. Very little 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 Side Salad
| Portion | Adult (female)
30g | Adult (male)
30g | Age 11 to 17
25g | Age 7 to 10
20g | Age 4 to 6
15g |
|---|
| Per portion | 1.2g
4% | 1.2g
4% | 1.2g
5% | 1.2g
6% | 1.2g
8% |
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 Side Salad
McDonald's Side Salad is assembled from 4 separately manufactured components, combined and cooked at the point of sale. Reading the ingredient list closely, it contains dextrose. These are not there to add nutritional value. They make industrial production and distribution possible.
Dextrose
A simple sugar used for browning, bulk and mild sweetness. Found in the crispy onions.
Boone classifies McDonald's Side Salad as NOVA group 3, 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 Side Salad contains at least 12 distinct ingredients: 10 raw and 2 manufactured. Ordered as a full meal with a dip and a dessert that reaches 43, of which 20 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 Side Salad
| What you order | Raw | Manufactured | Total | % manufactured |
|---|
| McDonald's Side Salad on its own | 10 | 2 | 12 | 17% |
| McDonald's Side Salad + medium fries | 12 | 2 | 14 | 14% |
| McDonald's Side Salad + fries + a dip | 17 | 12 | 29 | 41% |
| McDonald's Side Salad + fries + dip + a medium Coca-Cola | 18 | 15 | 33 | 45% |
| McDonald's Side Salad + fries + dip + drink + an Oreo McFlurry | 23 | 20 | 43 | 47% |
The 2 manufactured ingredients
dextrin, dextrose.
The 10 raw ingredients
cucumber, iceberg lettuce, made with 126g of onion per 100g of fried onion, onion, palm oil, rapeseed oil, rice flour, salt, tomato, wheat flour.
What those ingredients are, by type
Fruit and vegetables5
Oils and fats2
Grains and flours2
Sugars and syrups1
Starches1
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 Side Salad is assembled from 4 separately manufactured components.
Ingredients by component: McDonald's Side Salad
Lettuce
100% iceberg lettuce.
Cucumber sticks
100% cucumber.
Crispy onions
onion, vegetable oil (palm, rapeseed), WHEAT flour, dextrin, salt, rice flour, dextrose, made with 126g of onion per 100g of fried onion.
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 Side Salad contains wheat.
Allergen information: McDonald's Side Salad
| Allergen | Status |
|---|
| Wheat | Contains |
| Rye | Not present |
| Barley | Not present |
| Oats | Not present |
| Sesame | Not present |
| Soya | Not present |
| Milk | Not present |
| 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.
