McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese
An original Quarter Pounder with Cheese from McDonald’s is a single patty cheeseburger served with pickles, onions, mustard, and ketchup. It’s seasoned with salt and pepper and served on a sesame seed bun.
One cheeseburger from McDonald’s contains:
Read this guide for a detailed overview of the nutritional information, calories, ingredients, and allergens in McDonald’s popular QPC.
Quarter Pounder Nutritional Information
Nutritional information in this guide is based on a single serving measured as one cheeseburger.
Daily Value
Daily value (%DV) indicates the amount of a specific nutrient in the cheeseburger, relative to the recommended daily limit. Use %DV to compare foods and select the best option for your dietary goals.
Review the chart below, which shows that a quarter pounder with cheese is high in saturated fat and sodium.
Serving size: 1 Burger
% DAILY VALUE
Use %DV to determine if the level of nutrients in a food is low (5% or less) or high (20% or more).
|
%DV |
Level | |
|---|---|---|
|
Saturated Fat |
62% |
HIGH |
|
Sodium |
50% |
HIGH |
|
Added Sugars |
16% |
MED |
%DV based on 2,000 calories
Reference to percentage daily value (% DV) is a measure of how much one nutrient in the burger contributes to a daily diet of 2,000 calories.
Calories
There are 520 calories in a Quarter Pounder with cheese from McDonald’s.
Here is a summary of the amount of calories by macronutrient:
Dietary fats contribute approximately 44% of the total calories. Carbohydrates deliver another 33% of the total calories and the remaining 23% is from protein.
Quarter Pounder with Cheese
% calories from fat, carbs and proteinThe summary of calories by macronutrient above is a rounded estimate based on the nutrition facts provided by McDonald’s fast food restaurant. Calories may vary as a result of how the cheeseburger is prepared.
FITNESS TIME TO BURN 520 CALORIES
Estimate based on moderate level of activity by an adult with average BMI.
For a lower calorie option, remove the bun. A Quarter Pounder without the bun has 340 calories (180 fewer calories than the standard QP cheeseburger).
Nutrition Facts
Amount per 1 Quarter Pounder Cheeseburger
Red indicates %DV is high.
|
Calories |
520 |
|
%DV | ||
|
Total Fat |
26g |
33% |
|
Saturated Fat |
12g |
62% |
|
Trans Fat |
1.5g | |
|
Cholesterol |
95mg |
32% |
|
Sodium |
1140mg |
50% |
|
Carbohydrates |
42g |
15% |
|
Dietary Fiber |
2g |
9% |
|
Total Sugars |
10g | |
|
Added Sugars |
8g |
16% |
|
Protein |
30g |
%DV based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calorie needs vary and your %DV may be higher or lower. Provided for informational purposes only. Consult with your physician for dietary or healthcare advice.
Total Fat
Each serving has 26 grams of total fat, including 12 grams of saturated fat.
With a 62% daily value, it’s a significant amount of saturated fat for a single menu item.
According to the U.S. FDA, a 20% DV or greater per serving is considered high.
To that end, the amount of total fat and saturated fat in one Quarter Pounder exceeds that threshold with a 33% DV and 62% DV, respectively.
SUMMARY OF FAT PER SERVING
Saturated fat contributes approximately 105 calories, about 20% of the 520 total calories per serving.
Learn more about the amount of dietary fats in fast food burgers. Check the nutritional value of a Butter Steakburger from Steak ‘n Shake and Applebee’s Whole Lotta Bacon Burger.
Sodium
The double patty cheeseburger contains 1,140 milligrams of sodium. That’s half the recommended limit of sodium for an entire day (based on 2,000 calories).
Dietary Cholesterol
There are 95 milligrams of dietary cholesterol per serving. That amount of cholesterol equates to a 32% daily value.
McD’s Quarter Pounder Ingredients and Allergens
What’s on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese?
McDonald’s famous cheeseburger is made with a single beef patty lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. Before cooking the patty, it weighs 4 ounces (one quarter of a pound).
A standard serving includes two slices of American cheese, onions, and tangy pickles. It’s topped with mustard and ketchup.
Quarter Pounder burgers are served on a sesame seed bun.
According to McDonald’s, the cheeseburger is made without artificial flavors or added colors. However, the pickle slices contain potassium sorbate, a preservative.
Here is the list of ingredients in a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese.
Ingredients
|
Beef Patty |
|
100% Pure USDA inspected Beef prepared with Salt and Black Pepper. |
|
Hamburger Bun |
|
Enriched Flour, Water, Sugar, Yeast, Soybean Oil, Sesame Seeds, Salt, Wheat Gluten, Dextrose, Guar Gum, Vinegar, Vegetable Proteins (pea, potato, rice), Sunflower and/or Canola Oil, Maltodextrin, Natural Flavors, Dough Conditioners, Modified Food Starch |
|
Pasteurized Process American Cheese |
|
Milk, Cream, Water, Sodium Citrate, Salt, Cheese Cultures, Citric Acid, Enzymes, Soy Lecithin, Color Added |
|
Pickles |
|
Cucumbers, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Alum, Potassium Sorbate, Natural Flavors, Polysorbate 80, Extractives of Turmeric (for color) |
|
Mustard |
|
Distilled Vinegar, Water, Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric, Paprika, Spice Extractive |
|
Ketchup |
|
Tomato Concentrate (red ripe tomatoes), Distilled Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Water, Salt, Natural Flavors |
Allergens
The hamburger is made with ingredients that contain egg, sesame, soy, and wheat.
Quarter Pounder with Cheese FAQs
Nutrition facts, prices, and ingredients are based on available information as of the date of publication. Restaurants and food manufacturers may change recipes or formulations without notice. Check package labels and ask the product manufacturer or restaurant for the most up-to-date information. Unless otherwise stated, %DV is based on a 2,000 calorie diet. All reports and reviews published on this site are for informational purposes only. NutritionandIngredients.com does not provide healthcare advice or dietary recommendations. Always consult your licensed physician for any healthcare or dietary advice.
Nutrition facts and ingredients source: McDonald’s. Burger image courtesy of McDonald’s. Original designs by Nutrition & Ingredients for purposes of research and commentary related to fast food nutrition reports.