From “Super Size Me” to “Fast Food Nation,” the world’s most iconic fast food joint has been at the barrel end of the health crusader’s gun for over a decade. While much of the criticism aimed at McDonald’s restaurants is arguably justified (see the nutrition information for the hotcakes and large biscuit breakfast meal), not all of their menu items are nutritional abominations.
Still, regular consumption of McDonald's isn't the best nutritional choice. Not only did documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock’s health deteriorate much faster than expected when consuming Micky D’s for 30 days straight in “Super Size Me,” but McDonald’s own employee resource page, McResource, used to warn against fast-food consumption. Since the media caught wind of this hypocrisy in 2013, the page has been taken down.
To examine the healthiness of the McDonald’s breakfast menu, the experts at HealthGrove, part of the Graphiq network, analyzed the data to rank the breakfast items by HealthGrove’s Nutrient Score. This rating system looks at the amount of good nutrients compared to the amount of bad nutrients in one serving of food.
To rank the list and avoid ties, HealthGrove calculated nutrient scores to the nearest thousandth. The team then translated each of these scores to simple letter grades from F to A+.
Note: All breakfast items are not available at all locations.
#25. Fruit & Maple Oatmeal
Nutrient Score: C
Calories: 290
Fat: 4g
Carbohydrates: 58g
Sodium: 160mg
#24. Egg White Delight
Nutrient Score: C-
Calories: 250
Fat: 8g
Carbohydrates: 30g
Sodium: 770mg
#23. Hotcakes
Nutrient Score: C-
Calories: 350
Fat: 9g
Carbohydrates: 60g
Sodium: 590mg
#22. Sausage McMuffin
Nutrient Score: D+
Calories: 370
Fat: 23g
Carbohydrates: 29g
Sodium: 780mg
#21. Egg McMuffin
Nutrient Score: D+
Calories: 300
Fat: 13g
Carbohydrates: 31g
Sodium: 750mg
#20. Hash Brown
Nutrient Score: D+
Calories: 150
Fat: 9g
Carbohydrates: 15g
Sodium: 310mg
#19. Sausage Burrito
Nutrient Score: D
Calories: 300
Fat: 16g
Carbohydrates: 26g
Sodium: 790mg
#18. Steak & Egg McMuffin
Nutrient Score: D
Calories: 430
Fat: 23g
Carbohydrates: 31g
Sodium: 960mg
#17. Sausage McMuffin with Egg
Nutrient Score: D
Calories: 450
Fat: 28g
Carbohydrates: 30g
Sodium: 860mg
#16. Hotcakes and Sausage
Nutrient Score: D
Calories: 520
Fat: 24g
Carbohydrates: 61g
Sodium: 930mg
#15. Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles
Nutrient Score: D
Calories: 460
Fat: 21g
Carbohydrates: 48g
Sodium: 1,250mg
#14. Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel
Nutrient Score: D
Calories: 670
Fat: 35g
Carbohydrates: 56g
Sodium: 1,510mg
#13. Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit with Egg Whites (Regular Biscuit)
Nutrient Score: D
Calories: 410
Fat: 20g
Carbohydrates: 36g
Sodium: 1,300mg
#12. Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit (Regular Size Biscuit)
Nutrient Score: D
Calories: 460
Fat: 26g
Carbohydrates: 38g
Sodium: 1,300mg
#11. Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddles
Nutrient Score: D
Calories: 550
Fat: 31g
Carbohydrates: 48g
Sodium: 1,320mg
#10. Southern Style Chicken Biscuit (Regular Size Biscuit)
Nutrient Score: D-
Calories: 410
Fat: 20g
Carbohydrates: 41g
Sodium: 1,180mg
#9. Big Breakfast with Hotcakes and Egg Whites (Large Biscuit)
Nutrient Score: D-
Calories: 1,050
Fat: 50g
Carbohydrates: 115g
Sodium: 2,290mg
#8. Sausage McGriddles
Nutrient Score: D-
Calories: 420
Fat: 22g
Carbohydrates: 44g
Sodium: 1,030mg
#7. Big Breakfast with Egg Whites (Large Size Biscuit)
Nutrient Score: D-
Calories: 690
Fat: 41g
Carbohydrates: 55g
Sodium: 1,700mg
#6. Steak & Egg Biscuit (Regular Biscuit)
Nutrient Score: D-
Calories: 540
Fat: 32g
Carbohydrates: 38g
Sodium: 1,470mg
#5. Sausage Biscuit with Egg (Regular Size Biscuit)
Nutrient Score: D-
Calories: 510
Fat: 33g
Carbohydrates: 36g
Sodium: 1,170mg
#4. Sausage Biscuit (Regular Size Biscuit)
Nutrient Score: D-
Calories: 430
Fat: 27g
Carbohydrates: 34g
Sodium: 1,080mg
#3. Big Breakfast with Egg Whites (Regular Size Biscuit)
Nutrient Score: D-
Calories: 640
Fat: 37g
Carbohydrates: 50g
Sodium: 1,590mg
#2. Big Breakfast with Hotcakes (Large Size Biscuit)
Nutrient Score: D-
Calories: 1,150
Fat: 60g
Carbohydrates: 116g
Sodium: 2,260mg
#1. Big Breakfast (Regular Size Biscuit)
Nutrient Score: D-
Calories: 740
Fat: 48g
Carbohydrates: 51g
Sodium: 1,560mg
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