McDonalds, US vs UK! How the menus really compare, from calories in a Big Mac to sugar in a chocolate milkshake (and the results may shock you!)

It is loved on both sides of the Atlantic.

But while McDonald’s mouth-watering menus are virtually identical in Britain and the US, the calories, saturated fat and salt in the burgers, fries and drinks can vary dramatically.

For example, one large strawberry milkshake in the US contains almost 400 more calories than the same drink in Britain.

Meanwhile, the McCrispy – a chicken burger with lettuce and mayo – has almost 1 gram extra salt in America compared to Britain.

MailOnline checked more than 20 products sold on both sides of the pond… and the results were fascinating.

In stores in Britain, a large strawberry milkshake contains 458 calories.

But in the US, the large option contains a whopping 850 calories.

This means that Brits can have a McChicken burger and the milkshake and still consume fewer calories than just the shake in the US.

Although a large McDonald’s drink in the UK is 500ml, it is approximately 20 fl oz (591ml). in America.

But the drink alone provides almost half of the 2,000 calories the average woman needs to consume per day to maintain a healthy weight, and a third of the 2,500 recommended for the average man.

The US option also has 33 grams extra sugar (107 grams vs. 74 grams) and more than double the saturated fat (13 grams vs. 6.3 grams) compared to the UK.

To put that into context, UK health chiefs recommend consuming no more than 30 grams of free sugars added to food and drink per day. However, some of the sugar in milkshake will be natural.

Too much sugar increases the risk of tooth decay and weight gain.

If you eat pancakes and sausage with syrup in the US, you will also consume many more calories than in Britain. In both countries, the breakfast option consists of three pancakes, topped with butter and syrup, and served with a sausage patty on the side.

A serving contains 584 calories in the UK, but a whopping 770 calories in the US.

The delicious breakfast also contains an additional 8.3 grams of saturated fat when consumed in the US (12 grams vs. 3.7 grams) and 5 grams of extra sugar (46 grams vs. 41 grams).

Britons are told to limit saturated fat levels to 20 grams for women and 30 grams for men, as eating too much can raise cholesterol levels over time, which in turn increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

McDonald’s burgers have a similar calorie content on either side of the pond.

The biggest difference, however, applies to the Big Mac, which in the US is supplemented with an extra 97 calories (590 versus 493 calories).

Only four of the 22 foods included in this website’s audit contain more calories in Britain than in the US, and these options only contain a maximum of 14 extra calories.

McDonald’s products in the US also tend to be packed with more salt. The McCrispy has 2.85 grams, compared to 1.9 grams in the UK.

Additionally, the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (0.8g extra), Six Chicken McNuggets (0.68g extra), and McNuggets Happy Meal (0.51g extra) all have more salt in the US.

Eating too much salt, more than 6 grams per day for adults, can cause high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.