Death In Box – McDonald’s Dinner Box

McDonalds Dinner BoxI was driving in this morning and a new billboard caught my attention.  It was a McDonald’s billboard talking about their new “Mickey D’s® Dinner Box” for only $9.99.  Seemed like a good price so I figured when I got to work I’d check it out.  Not because I would actually buy it (I’ve documented my issues with fast food here) but just cause I was curious as to what actually goes into this fabulous purchase.

Mickey D’s® Dinner Box

  • 2 Big Macs
  • 2 Cheeseburgers
  • 4 Small Fries
  • 10 Chicken McMuggets

Yes, I know the photo I snagged off the web is a little misleading as it also includes 4 sodas, but let’s be honest… Is the typical family (or person) that buys this Dinner Box NOT going to get a Coke too?  Plus, that’s probably how they’re making their money on this deal. Check out this article.

If you look at the McDonald’s website here’s how they market this deal:

“At McDonald’s®, what do we call it when we bring together two legendary Big Mac® sandwiches, two juicy cheeseburgers, four small World-Famous Fries®, AND a ten-piece Chicken McNuggets®—all for one unbelievably low price of $9.99? Well, we call it the new Mickey D’s® Dinner Box. But you can call it Family-tastic. Or One-Less-Job-for-Mom. Or Dad’s Night to Cook. The Mickey D’s® Dinner Box. More value to love.”

I’m just glad they didn’t reference this as a “nutritious” choice… cause it’s far from it.

Mickey D's® Dinner Box

Nutritional Value Of The Mickey D’s® Dinner Box

  • 2 Big Macs – 1,060 calories (530 each), 54 grams of fat (27 each), 170 milligrams of Cholesterol (85 each), 1,920 milligrams of Sodium (960 each)
  • 2 Cheeseburgers – 580 calories (290 each), 22 grams of fat (11 each), 90 milligrams of Cholesterol (45 each), 1,360 milligrams of Sodium (680 each)
  • 4 Small Fries – 920 calories (230 each), 44 grams of fat (11 each), 0 milligrams of Cholesterol (0 each), 520 milligrams of Sodium (130 each)
  • 10 Chicken McMuggets – 470 calories, 30 grams of fat, 65 milligrams of Cholesterol, 900 milligrams of Sodium

So for the “meal” we’re looking at 3,030 calories, 150 grams of fat, 325 milligrams of Cholesterol and 4,720 milligrams of Sodium.  I’ve archived the McDonald’s Nutrition Information here. As you go through it, you’ll see that these are not even the worst items offered.  Prepare to be appauled.

So, if we look at the Recommended DAILY Intake we’ll see that this single meal:

  • Contains enough calories to feed 1.5 people for a day (2,000 calories per day per person)
  • Contains enough fat for 2.3 people (65 grams of fat per day per person)
  • Contains just slightly over the daily Cholesterol (300 mg)
  • Contains enough Sodium for 1.96 people for a day (2,400 milligrams per day per person)

And all this… for just $9.99.  And we wonder why we’ve got an obesity epidemic.

10 thoughts on “Death In Box – McDonald’s Dinner Box

  1. people are obese because in todays modern world of convenience, there just plain lazy, has nothing to do with soda and fast food, 20 yrs ago when kids didn’t have video games and cell phones, they were more or less forced to actually play out side and even have “god for bid” chores, very few were fat and they ate the same stuff!!! So quit blaming fast food, school cafeterias, and so forth on why America is fat, get with the program, there LAZY!!!

    1. I don’t disagree that people are lazy. They are. But to say that the obesity issues we have in America isn’t due to fast food, soda an other food is plain ignorant.

    1. Yes, I realize that but this single meal is ridiculously unhealthy… even for four people. Not to mention the fact that I’ve sadly, seen several people eat this entire thing by themselves.

  2. So when my mom fried us hamburgers, on white bread with mayo, fried potatoes on the stove in lard and gave us a glass of milk….it was nutritious? No it wasn’t. But other days we had broccoli and Brussels sprouts and we played outside. Absolutely it isn’t all about the food. I eat at McDonalds EVERY single day and I’m 54 yrs old, 5’5 and weigh 145. I look way better than most teenagers. I just make good choices every day. We have grilled chicken salads too !

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