Lots of people opt for McDonald's as a cheap/convenient source of (questionably healthy) food. We thought it would be interesting to pair the nutritional data with prices to see which menu items actually get folks the most calories for their dollar.

Which menu items get you the most calories per dollar?

Assuming we're optimizing for just calories (energy), these items will provide you the most per dollar:

Conversely, these foods offer you the least calories per dollar spent:

Which menu items get you the most protein calories per dollar?

Of the 3 macronutrients, protein is the most expensive. There are a ton of benefits to getting adequate protein in your diet, so instead of optimizing for just calories/dollar, it may be in your interest to look for foods with the most protein calories per dollar.

Conversely, these foods offer you the least protein calories per dollar spent:

Check out the complete menu here:

Here are the key stats for the items I was able to quickly gather information on. Grabbed the prices here (set for Michigan so could be higher/lower depending on your area, but will give you relative guidance), and the nutrition information here.





Food Price Calories Protein Calories Calories/Dollar Protein Calories/Dollar Sausage Biscuit (Regular Size Biscuit) $1.27 430 44 339 35 McChicken $1.07 360 56 336 52 Sausage McMuffin $1.27 370 56 291 44 Cheeseburger $1.07 300 60 280 56 Cinnamon Melts $1.70 460 24 271 14 Baked Hot Apple Pie $0.95 250 8 263 8 McDouble $1.49 390 88 262 59 Double Cheeseburger $1.70 440 100 259 59 Vanilla Triple Thick Shake (16 fl oz cup) $2.77 693 52 250 19 Sausage Burrito $1.27 300 48 236 38 Sausage Burrito $1.27 300 48 236 38 French Fries (Medium) $1.70 340 16 200 9 Ranch Snack Wrap (Crispy) $1.81 360 56 199 31 Big Breakfast (Regular Size Biscuit) $3.73 740 112 198 30 Chicken McNuggets (40 pc.) $9.62 1880 384 195 40 Mac Snack Wrap $1.81 330 60 182 33 Ranch Snack Wrap (Grilled) $1.81 290 72 160 40 Double Cheeseburger $2.76 440 100 159 36 Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddles $3.52 560 80 159 23 Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream Cone $1.07 170 16 159 15 Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese $5.13 740 192 144 37 Sausage McMuffin with Egg $3.20 450 84 141 26 Sausage McGriddles $2.99 420 44 140 15 Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait (7 oz) $1.07 150 16 140 15 Hash Brown $1.07 150 4 140 4 Big Mac $4.27 540 100 126 23 Quarter Pounder with Cheese $4.06 510 116 126 29 Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit $3.41 420 60 123 18 McFlurry with Oreo Cookies (12 fl oz cup) $2.56 315 52 123 20 Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips (3 pc) $3.20 384 92 120 29 Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles $3.52 420 60 119 17 Southern Style Crispy Chicken Sandwich $4.16 430 96 103 23 Cheeseburger $2.99 300 60 100 20 Egg McMuffin $2.99 300 72 100 24 Orange Juice (Medium) $2.02 200 12 99 6 Chicken McNuggets (10 piece) $4.80 470 96 98 20 Hamburger $2.66 250 48 94 18 Filet-O-Fish $4.06 380 60 94 15 Premium Bacon Ranch Salad with Crispy Chicken $4.91 450 116 92 24 McDouble $4.27 390 88 91 21 Egg White Delight McMuffin $2.99 250 72 84 24 Apple Slices $1.07 70 0 65 0 Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken $5.13 330 120 64 23 Side Salad $1.7 20 4 12 2

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