McDonald’s fans in the UK might be surprised to learn about the differences between the ingredients used in their favourite fast food chain here and in America.
McDonald’s, which was founded in California in 1940, has become a global sensation with outlets in 120 countries, including the UK. While the menus in the UK and US look similar, there are significant differences in the ingredients used, which could leave you stunned.
The calorie count, as well as the sugar, salt, and saturated fat contents of some classic items, can vary greatly between the two menus. Brits have been left shocked after discovering these differences.
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Let’s take the Big Mac, for example. In the UK, this iconic burger contains 493 calories, 8.8g of saturated fat, 2.2g of salt, and 9.4g of sugar.
However, if you were to order the same item in the US, you’d be consuming almost 100 more calories, with the American Big Mac containing 590 calories, 11g of saturated fat, 2.6g of salt, and 9g of sugar.
The Metro reports that the McSpicy chicken burger in the UK has 437 calories. However, its US counterpart, the Spicy McCrispy, contains 530 calories. Interestingly, a regular McCrispy in the UK has more calories than the US version, with 484 versus 470.
A medium portion of fries in the UK has 337 calories compared to the US’ serving which has 320. A UK portion of six McNuggets has 261 while the same product in the US has 250.
Drink sizes also differ between the US and the UK. A small cup in the UK measures 250ml, while a small one in the US is around 454ml.
A small vanilla milkshake in the UK has 192 calories, while a US small has a staggering 480. Despite the size difference, the US version still has more calories.
Out of the 22 menu items compared by The Metro, McDonald’s in the US consistently had more calories, except for five items – fries, hamburger, McCrispy, McNuggets, and apple pie – which had more calories in the UK versions.
The NHS suggests that men should aim for 2,500 calories a day, while women should target 2,000.
