McDonald’s decision to extend its dinner menu around the clock has sparked a surprising debate about whether or not a burger is a healthy breakfast option.
The new all-day menu means customers can now order Big Macs, quarter pounders and Chicken McNuggets along with their morning cup of coffee or orange juice.
While a breakfast burger might not be the obvious choice, at 520 calories, a Big Mac falls within the recommended calorie intake for men and is slightly over for women.
Experts say a Big Mac at 520 calories falls within the recommended breakfast intake for men and is slightly over for women
According to Nutrition Australia guidelines, an acceptable breakfast calorie intake for men is 375-625, and for women it is 300-500 calories.
Given that a breakfast meal should be between 15 to 25 per cent of people’s recommended daily calorie intake, a Big Mac isn’t out of the question, nutritionist Lyndi Cohen told Yahoo! 7.
‘Assuming you don’t eat or drink anything else, the Big Mac provides adequate calories for men and only slightly too many for women,’ she said.
But if you’re looking for a well-balanced breakfast, Mr Cohen said the Big Mac ‘is not a good choice’ because it’s lacking in essential nutrients.
She added, the major problem with choosing a Big Mac for breakfast is that it contains almost half the recommend daily intake of saturated fat.
‘Consuming too much saturated fat has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in Australia – and the world,’ she said.

McDonald’s new round the clock menu has sparked a debate about whether or not a burger is a healthy breakfast option
Another nutritionist, Victoria Malouf agreed with Ms Cohen, saying she is horrified with the idea of eating a burger for breakfast.
She said continually eating a diet high in saturated fat and sugar can significantly increase your chances of developing serious health problems, including diabetes and heart disease.
While Ms Cohen said a Big Mac is OK as a ‘sometimes’ food, she continued to say it is a poor choice when compared to other traditional breakfast items, such as muesli or eggs on toast, which provide a more nutritional meal.

The new All-Day menu means customers can now order Big Macs, Quarter Pounders and Chicken McNuggets along with their morning cup of coffee or orange juice
‘The Big Mac contains 9g of sugar, equivalent to two teaspoons,’ she said.
‘While this is the same amount of sugar found in a healthy muesli, the Big Mac is also high in saturated fat, total fat and sodium.’