It turns out that McDonald’s exists almost everywhere around the world. With over 43,000 locations internationally, according to Statista, the chain is arguably one of the most recognizable worldwide brands ever to exist in history, period. But not only is the McDonald’s menu different in other countries, the serving sizes, ingredients, and nutritional facts vary, too. We were curious how the serving sizes at a McDonald’s in the United Kingdom, specifically, compare to what we’re used to in the United States, and the results are even more surprising than we anticipated.
We can assume that in true stereotypically American fashion that our portions will be bigger. On average, this proves to be the case when comparing similar menu items between the U.K. and the U.S. McDonald’s menus. The U.K. features some American McDonald’s favorites in notably different portions, like the McNuggets, fries, soft drinks, and Happy Meals. The McNuggets in the U.K. come in a six-piece, nine-piece, and shareable twenty-piece, whereas the U.S. sells McNuggets in groups of four, six, ten, twenty, and forty.
This trend is mirrored in the Happy Meals offerings in each country, with the U.K. only offering a four-piece size and the U.S. pushing both four-piece and six-piece meals. The McNuggets are the easiest menu item to compare between countries because they’re sold in specific quantities. But when we dove into the portion-size differences between the drinks and fries, it became clear that “small,” “medium,” and “large” mean vastly different things in the U.K. and U.S.
Are UK McDonald’s portions healthier than in the US?
In general, regulations of additives and preservatives in foods are stricter in the U.K. than in the U.S. It’s why McDonald’s fries have different ingredients in Europe. There are just three simple ingredients listed in the U.K. fries, while the U.S. features more ingredients that come with additional asterisks. Also, the U.K. french fries are vegan, whereas the fries in the U.S. contain the “natural beef flavor,” preventing them from being vegetarian-friendly. The size options are similar between the countries, but the results vary.
When comparing a large fry from the U.S. and a large fry from the U.K., Business Insider shared that the U.S. version contains 190 grams of fries on average versus the U.K.’s offering of 130 grams. That’s a 60-gram (or 46%) difference. This trend carries through to the beverage sizes as well. Additionally, a large soda from McDonald’s in the U.K. is 600 milliliters, with a large in the U.S. coming in at a whopping 887 milliliters, a clear 48% increase. This speaks to the general trend of overconsumption in the U.S. and the appeal of more “bang for your buck,” especially when it comes to food.
Beyond the fries, McNuggets, and beverage sizes, the U.K. McDonald’s menu is pretty comparable to the U.S. (if you’re not looking into the ingredients lists). All the iconic burgers, the McChicken, and the Filet-O-Fish exist on the U.K. menu, with some unique additions like the McPlant, the Mighty McMuffin with Brown Sauce, and Veggie Dippers that you’ll have to take a cross-Atlantic trip to try for yourself. But if you’re looking for a massive mound of french fries or a soda big enough to swim in, the U.S. McDonald’s is where it’s at.
