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McDonalds Menu

Flavor:

Big Breakfast® with Hotcakes

Ingredients:

Hotcakes Ingredients: Water, Enriched Flour (wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Whey, Corn Flour, Soybean Oil, Sugar, Eggs, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Dextrose, Emulsifier (mono And Diglycerides, Propylene Glycol Monoesters Of Fats And Fatty Acids, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate), Salt, Xanthan Gum, Natural Flavors, Beta Carotene (color), Soy Lecithin. Scrambled Eggs Ingredients: Eggs, Citric Acid. Biscuit Ingredients: Enriched Flour (bleached Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Cultured Nonfat Buttermilk (cultured Skim Milk, Nonfat Dry Milk, Modified Food Starch, Salt, Mono And Diglycerides, Locust Bean Gum, Carrageenan), Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Water, Leavening (sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Contains 2% Or Less: Salt, Sugar, Modified Cellulose, Wheat Protein Isolate, Natural Flavor, Modified Food Starch, Xanthan Gum, Soy Lecithin. Hotcake Syrup Ingredients: Corn Syrup, Sugar, Water, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate (preservative), Caramel Color. Hash Browns Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (canola Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Beef Flavor [wheat And Milk Derivatives]*), Salt, Corn Flour, Dehydrated Potato, Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (maintain Color), Extractives Of Black Pepper. *natural Beef Flavor Contains Hydrolyzed Wheat And Hydrolyzed Milk As Starting Ingredients Sausage Patty Ingredients: Pork, Water, Salt, Spices, Dextrose, Sugar, Rosemary Extract, Natural Flavors. Salted Whipped Butter Ingredients: Sweet Cream, Salt. Salted Butter Ingredients: Cream, Salt. Clarified Butter Ingredients: Pasteurized Cream (butterfat).

Rating: We Avoid

Ingredient Score:

Rated at 1/5 green leaves, the McDonald’s Menu Big Breakfast® with Hotcakes represents a choice that falls short of the cleaner food options aimed for by health-conscious consumers. This comprehensive meal includes hotcakes, scrambled eggs, a biscuit, hotcake syrup, hash browns, a sausage patty, and various forms of butter. However, the selection is not organic, and it includes genetically modified ingredients. The presence of added sugars, such as sugar and citric acid, alongside more concerning sweeteners like dextrose and corn syrup, further diminishes its standing.

The array of potentially harmful additives in the meal is extensive, with ingredients like natural and artificial flavors, diglycerides, enriched flour, soy lecithin, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate, and caramel color contributing to the low score. Of particular concern are known harmful additives such as caramel color, carrageenan, and propylene glycol. Moreover, the use of various oils, including canola, soybean, and palm oils—some of which are hydrogenated—raises additional health concerns.

The hash browns contain natural beef flavor, which starts with hydrolyzed wheat and milk, indicating a potential issue for those with allergies or sensitivities. The biscuit’s inclusion of modified cellulose and wheat protein isolate, along with other additives, reflects the processed nature of the product. The hotcake syrup, primarily composed of corn syrup and sugar, adds to the high sugar content of the meal.

Considering the ingredients and the lack of organic or non-GMO certification, this Big Breakfast® with Hotcakes is advised against for those seeking cleaner, healthier food options. The meal’s composition, with its array of additives, sugars, and non-preferred oils, aligns poorly with the nutritional values promoted by the green leaf rating system. As such, this McDonald’s offering does not meet the criteria for a healthful choice among the alternatives available in the market.