When dining at McDonald’s, is it healthier to have breakfast for dinner?
The answer: mostly, but not always.
As McDonald’s expands its all-day breakfast menu to 1,100 locations across Canada, CTVNews.ca took a closer look at the fast-food giant’s nutrition facts to figure out whether a McMuffin was really a healthier indulgence than a Big Mac.
Here’s how McDonald’s breakfast offerings stack up to their dinnertime counterparts.
FRIES VS. HASH BROWNS
Want fries with that? If you’re watching your calories, you may want to opt for a hash brown. With half the calories and carbs of a medium-sized order of fries, a single hash brown is significantly less sinful than an order of fries. That is, if you can eat just one.
HEALTHIER: Hash brown
160 calories
16 carbohydrates
10 grams of fat
360 milligrams of sodium
1 gram of protein
Medium French fries
350 calories
46 grams of carbohydrates
17 grams of fat
260 milligrams of sodium
4 grams of protein
HOTCAKES VS. APPLE PIES
For those looking for something sweet, breakfast for dessert isn’t the healthiest treat. With 600 calories, hot cakes pack more than double the calories of a baked apple pie, at 270 calories. Surprisingly, both have nearly the same amount of fat – a fact worth noting, since the hot cakes are, by weight, almost three times more food than an apple pie.
HEALTHIER: Baked Apple Pie
270 calories
34 grams of carbohydrates
14 grams of fat
180 milligrams of sodium
3 grams of protein
Hot cakes with syrup and butter
600 calories
106 grams of carbohydrates
16 grams of fat
660 milligrams of sodium
8 grams of protein
EGG MCMUFFIN VS. BIG MAC
The Egg McMuffin and Big Mac are the marquee menu offerings of the respective morning and evening menus. But, when dissected for health details, the two couldn’t be less alike. Even with its thick, perfectly circular slice of “Canadian bacon,” the Egg McMuffin has less calories, fat, sodium and carbohydrates than the Big Mac. The burger does carry a bit more protein, but only by eight grams.
HEALTHIER: Egg McMuffin
290 calories
29 grams of carbohydrates
11 grams of fat
760 milligrams of sodium
16 grams of protein
Big Mac
520 calories
45 grams of carbohydrates
28 grams of fat
950 grams of sodium
24 grams of protein
BLT MCWRAP VS. CHICKEN BACON MCWRAP
Wrap battles often end in a mic drop, and this time, the honour goes to the Zesty BLT More-ning McWrap. Across every category, the breakfast menu offering is healthier than its comparable dinner offering. However, that gap shrinks significantly when crispy chicken is traded for grilled – a decision that shaves 120 calories off the order.
HEALTHIER: Zesty BLT More-ning McWrap
440 calories
37 grams of carbohydrates
23 grams of fat
740 milligrams of sodium
21 grams of protein
Chicken & bacon Signature McWrap with crispy chicken
600 calories
47 grams of carbohydrates
33 grams of fat
1,320 milligrams of sodium
31 grams of protein
SAUSAGE MCGRIDDLE VS. DOUBLE QUARTER POUNDER WITH CHEESE
Sure, you can try to make McDonald’s a not-so-unhealthy meal. The restaurant has even started serving kale.
But what about the more indulgent options? In that department, McDonald’s double quarter pounder with cheese and sausage McGriddle are nearly equally matched. The McGriddle – a breakfast sandwich that swaps out the English muffin for two syrup-laced hotcakes – has 200 fewer calories than its hamburger cousin, but 110 more milligrams of sodium and 8 grams more carbs.
In this matchup, there really isn‘t a healthier choice.
Double Quarter Pounder with cheese
740 calories
42 carbohydrates
43 grams of fat
1,240 milligrams of sodium
47 grams of protein
Sausage, egg and cheese McGriddle
540 calories
48 grams of carbohydrates
29 grams of fat
1,350 milligrams of sodium
20 grams of protein
EGG, LETTUCE AND TOMATO BAGEL VS. GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH
Vegetarians don’t have many options at the Golden Arches. But, between the grilled cheese sandwich and the breakfast bagel with egg, lettuce and tomato, the dinner option is healthier. The grilled cheese sandwich carries half the calories, carbs and fat of the breakfast option.
HEALTHIER: Grilled cheese sandwich
250 calories
31 grams of carbohydrates
9 grams of fat
620 milligrams of sodium
11 grams of protein
Egg, lettuce and tomato bagel with multigrain bagel
520 calories
62 grams of carbohydrates
20 grams of fat
810 milligrams of sodium
20 grams of protein
