McDonald’s is a favorite of both children and adults.
How many times a week do you eat there?
McDonald’s is the largest fast food restaurant with locations in over 100 countries around the world.
The secret of its popularity can be said to be its low cost, short serving time, wide variety of take-out menus, and good location.
However, McDonald’s is also a junk food. Eating too much of it can be bad for your health due to high calories, high salt content, and imbalanced nutrition.
This article will compare the calorie content of McDonald’s in Japan and the United States. And I will also introduce recommended combinations when eating McDonald’s in Japan!
Comparing McDonald’s in Japan and the U.S.
Let’s compare the calories of McDonald’s in the United States, the birthplace of McDonald’s, and McDonald’s in Japan.
*Refer to the calorie composition of each official website.
| Japan | United States of America | |
| Coca-Cola | S:90 M:140 L:181 Cal. | S:150 M:210 L:290 Cal. |
| McDonald’s Hamburger | 256 Cal. | 250 Cal. |
| Cheeseburger | 337 Cal. | 300 Cal. |
| Big Mac | 526 Cal. | 590 Cal. |
| McChicken(chicken crisp) | 357Cal. | 400 Cal. |
| Filet-O-Fish | 336 Cal. | 390 Cal. |
| Egg McMuffin | 314 Cal. | 310 Cal. |
| Sausage McGriddles | 430 Cal. | 414 Cal. |
| Sausage McMuffin | 397 Cal. | 400 Cal. |
| Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles | 386 Cal. | 430 Cal. |
| Hash Browns | 145 Cal. | 140 Cal. |
| Hotcakes | 322 Cal. | 580 Cal. |
| Fries(fried potato) | S:225 M:410 L:517 Cal. | S:230 M:320 L:480 Cal. |
| Chicken McNuggets | 5piece:263 15piece:789 Cal. | 4piece:170 20piece:830 Cal. |
| Vanilla Cone(soft twist) | 148 Cal. | 200 Cal. |
| Vanilla Shake(Mac shake) | S:223 M:369 Cal. | S:480 M:570 L:780 Cal. |
| McFlurry with OREO | 235 Cal. | 510 Cal. |
Comparing the two, there is not much difference in the calorie content of patty-based burgers. Filet-O-Fish and Chicken Crisp type are slightly higher in calories in the US. Why do you get the impression that the American one is more fattening? As you may have already noticed, the difference in calories between drinks and sweets is overwhelming. The same small-sized Coca-Cola has 1.5 times more calories in the U.S. than in Japan, but that is because of the different cup sizes.
According to the official website, cold drink capacities are as follows
Japan: Small (S) 9.3oz, Medium (M) 14.37oz, Large (L) 18.26oz
United States: Small (S) 16oz, Medium (M) 21oz, Large (L) 30oz
As a result, McDonald’s in the United States tends to accumulate more calories from drinks rather than food.
It is surprising that even a small-sized vanilla shake has more calories than a hamburger. McFlurries and pancakes are also larger in quantity in the U.S.
reference:https://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/
https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us.html
This is what you eat in Japan! McDonald’s Diet
Taking the previous information into consideration, I would like to recommend a combination for those eating at McDonald’s in Japan to prevent “McDonald’s weight gain.”
The suggested combination consists of a Cheeseburger, Salad (with non-oil onion dressing), Mini Pancakes, and Green tea.
Total calories: 478kcal, Protein: 20.1g, Fat: 17.9g, Carbohydrates: 59.5g.
In addition to the Cheeseburger, combinations like Filet-O-Fish or Egg McMuffin can also be a good choice. Rather than selecting items with high calories individually, adding side dishes like salad to a low-calorie burger can provide volume, helping to fill you up while maintaining a balanced nutritional intake.
When visiting Japan, if you want to eat a healthy and satisfying meal at McDonald’s, consider ordering this combination!
I hope this blog has been of some help to all of you. Thank you for reading until the end.
