McDonald’s Big Arch Burger Contains Two-Thirds of Daily Calorie Intake – Nutritionists Weigh In

Is McDonald’s New Big Arch Too Much of a Good Thing?

McDonald's Big Arch Burger
McDonald's Big Arch Burger | ©Image Credit: McDonald's

Craving a behemoth burger? McDonald’s might have the answer with their new Big Arch Burger, which packs a whopping 1,065 calories, accounting for more than two-thirds of the daily caloric intake recommended for many adults. As McDonald’s positions the Big Arch as the best option for customers with big appetites, this question arises: Is the Big Arch a delicious indulgence or a dietary disaster?

What’s in McDonald’s Big Arch Burger?

During McDonald’s earnings call on July 29th, Chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski described the Big Arch as a burger with two beef patties with “perfectly layered with melting cheese, crispy toppings, and a tangy McDonald’s sauce.”

According to a press release issued from Canada last week via Fox Business, the new massive burger also includes three slices of white processed cheese, crispy onions, slivered onions, pickles, lettuce, and McDonald’s new, delicious Big Arch sauce.”

As mentioned above, one serving of Big Arch, excluding fries and drink, contains a whopping 1,065 calories. According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, adult women typically require just 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day, while adult men require about 2,200 to 3,000 calories. That means the Big Arch takes up more than two-thirds of one’s daily caloric intake.

For comparison, the Big Arch contains 36% more calories than the Double Big Mac. It also has more calories than anything else on the McDonald’s menu.

Where is McDonald’s Big Arch Burger available?

The Big Arch Burger was launched at all of 205 McDonald’s locations in Portugal in July. In addition to Portugal, the fast-food giant will also test the new menu item in Canada and Germany starting this August.

Kempczinski said during the recent earnings call that McDonald’s won’t expand the availability of the Big Arch to other countries until they “learn through the end of the year” how the new burger performed in the three abovementioned test markets.

While there’s no word yet on whether the Big Arch would be available in the United States, Kempczinski had hinted about a bigger burger being added to McDonald’s U.S. menu in an interview with CNN last December.

“In the US, in a number of markets, around the world, having a larger burger is an opportunity,” Kempczinski told CNN at the time. “We’re working on that. That is something that you should expect in the future.”

What do nutritionists think of McDonald’s Big Arch Burger?

Nutritionists have expressed significant concern regarding McDonald’s new Big Arch Burger due to its staggering 1,065 calories and 67 grams of fat, amounting to 96% of the recommended daily fat intake for adults.

Melissa Boufounos, a sports nutritionist and owner of MB Performance Nutrition in Canada, pointed out that while the burger offers a high protein content of 57 grams, the excessive calories and fat make it a poor dietary choice.

“As a sports nutritionist, I’m big on people eating an optimal amount of protein. With two beef patties, the Big Arch provides a whopping 57 grams of protein,” Boufounos said in an interview with Fortune. “But that doesn’t mean I recommend rushing out to order one. There’s truly no need for a menu item to serve up 1,065 calories.”

As for the Big Arch Burger’s “worrisome” fat content, Boufounos has this to say: “Eating too much highly processed and fatty animal-based protein can contribute to high cholesterol, heart disease, and other chronic health conditions. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., with someone suffering from a heart attack every 40 seconds. To me, this burger is a step in the wrong direction.”

How much is McDonald’s Big Arch Burger?

The price of McDonald’s Big Arch burger varies by location, with reports indicating it costs around $9 for a meal in some test markets, such as Canada and Portugal. In a specific instance, the burger was priced at CA$12.59 in Ontario, which translates to approximately $9 in the U.S. currency. In Lisbon, it is listed at $9.70 for a meal that includes fries and a drink through Uber Eats. However, it’s worth noting that food-delivery apps often upcharge menu items at participating restaurants.

Sources: Fortune, FOX Business, CNN
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