Somewhere between the glow of a drive-through kiosk and the quiet calculations people make before they order, McDonald's Australia has begun placing a new number beside certain items: how much protein each one holds. The change, following a United States rollout earlier in the year, reflects a wider cultural moment in which protein has become a kind of nutritional talisman, prized by those counting grams and their daily goals. Yet the dietitians and food scientists who study such things remind us that a single figure, however precise, rarely tells the whole story of what we eat or how it susta
McDonald's Australia Now Shows Protein Grams on Some Menu Items, Experts Urge Caution
Protein doesn't make something a health food.
Mark
So what has actually changed at McDonald's?
Mimi
Select items now show their protein in grams, in big type, on digital ordering screens and in the My Maccas app. It started in US stores in April.
Mark
Which numbers are people seeing?
Mimi
A Big Mac at 28 grams, a Double Big Mac at 42, a Double Quarter Pounder at 54, a McChicken at 16, and 20 nuggets at 43.
Luke
Worth noting those figures are as shown on the new display, as reported. McDonald's hasn't commented yet, so we don't have its reasoning for the change.
Mark
Why are dietitians wary?
Mimi
Susie Burrell says the protein often comes with a lot of fat, saturated fat especially, and little fibre. She wants fat shown too.
Luke
That's one dietitian's assessment. She also says the chicken burgers have more fat and calories than other chains' versions, but no comparison figures are given in the piece.
Mark
Is there anything she'd point to as a better pick?
Mimi
The Bacon & Egg McMuffin: 21 grams of protein for roughly 330 calories. Even there, she says the fat needs to be shared.
Luke
And that calorie number is her approximation, with "roughly" doing real work.
Mark
What's Emma Beckett's point?
Mimi
Don't let one hero nutrient turn your head. Protein doesn't make something a health food; look at the whole diet.
Il Polso
- Protein grams now glow in large type on Australian ordering screens and the My Maccas app, a visible shift in how the chain speaks to its customers.
- Protein-counters welcome the figures, while dietitians warn that the same burgers carry heavy fat and saturated fat that the display does not show.
- Dietitian Susie Burrell is calling for fat content to sit alongside protein so the numbers mean something nutritionally.
- Food scientist Dr Emma Beckett urges shoppers to judge meals on overall balance rather than chasing a single hero nutrient.
- McDonald's has not yet responded to requests for comment, and it remains unclear whether fat figures will ever join the protein numbers.
Somewhere between the glow of a drive-through kiosk and the quiet calculations people make before they order, McDonald's Australia has begun placing a new number beside certain items: how much protein each one holds. The change, following a United States rollout earlier in the year, reflects a wider cultural moment in which protein has become a kind of nutritional talisman, prized by those counting grams and their daily goals. Yet the dietitians and food scientists who study such things remind us that a single figure, however precise, rarely tells the whole story of what we eat or how it sustains us.
On the digital ordering screens at McDonald's across Australia, and inside the My Maccas app, a figure now appears in large type beside certain menu items: the grams of protein each contains. A Big Mac shows 28 grams, a Double Quarter Pounder 54, and a box of 20 nuggets 43. The change follows a United States rollout in April and arrives in the same week the chain confirmed Diet Coke's return after four years away.
For Australians who track their daily protein, the new information is a welcome addition. Health experts, however, worry about what it leaves out. Dietitian Susie Burrell says these items generally arrive with a heavy load of fat, especially saturated fat, and little fibre. She singled out the Bacon & Egg McMuffin, with 21 grams of protein for roughly 330 calories, as a better choice, but argued that protein figures only mean something if the fat content sits beside them.
Food scientist Dr Emma Beckett offered a wider lens. A McDonald's meal can fit a balanced diet, she said, but protein does not make a food healthy on its own. Her advice was to weigh the whole nutritional picture, and the balance between enjoyment and effort, rather than be swayed by one hero nutrient. McDonald's has not yet responded to requests for comment.
On the digital ordering screens at McDonald's across Australia, and inside the My Maccas app, a number has started appearing in large type beside certain menu items: the grams of protein each one contains. The chain has made the change nationwide for select items, following a rollout in United States stores in April.
The figures are specific. A Big Mac is listed at 28 grams of protein, and a Double Big Mac at 42 grams. The Double Quarter Pounder shows 54 grams, while the McChicken sits at 16 grams. For customers who skip burgers, a box of 20 nuggets is listed at 43 grams.
The move arrives days after McDonald's confirmed that Diet Coke is returning to its menu following a four-year absence. It also fits a broader pattern: protein has become one of the most prominent health buzzwords around the world, with its content highlighted across many food categories and brands. McDonald's is the latest to join in. The company has been contacted for comment, and the source reporting does not include a response.
For Australians who track their daily protein intake, the extra information is a welcome addition. Health experts, though, have raised concerns about what the new display leaves out.
Dietitian Susie Burrell, one of the country's best-known, told nine.com.au that while some menu items may offer protein, they generally arrive with a massive load of fat, saturated fat in particular. They also offer little of other nutrients such as fibre, which is found in salads and some breads. Even the plain chicken burgers, she said, carry a lot more fat and calories than those at other chains.
Burrell did point to one better choice among what is on offer: the Bacon & Egg McMuffin, which she said delivers 21 grams of protein for roughly 330 calories. But she argued that for the information to mean something nutritionally, McDonald's would need to display the fat content alongside the protein.
Food scientist Dr Emma Beckett took a wider view. McDonald's can be part of a balanced diet, she said, but customers should weigh the overall nutritional value of a food rather than lean on a single health claim. "People think that having protein means it's a health food, but that's not the case at all," she told nine.com.au. Her advice was to stop being swayed by specific "hero" nutrients and to judge food choices on balance.
Beckett added that balance covers energy, macros and micros, but also the balance between enjoyment and effort, and everything else. What to watch next is whether McDonald's responds to the requests for comment, and whether the fat figures ever appear next to the protein numbers on the screens.
Citazioni salienti
People think that having protein means it's a health food, but that's not the case at all.— Dr Emma Beckett, food scientist
Even their plain chicken burgers have a lot more fat and calories than other chains.— Susie Burrell, dietitian
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