Why You Should Only Get Large Fries At McDonald's
It's a deathly black winter's evening. You've just left work, and now you're aggressively sliding on the frozen sidewalk as you ferociously slap tormenting snowflakes to the ground in a battle to return to your ice-encased car. The last thing you need is the bother of cooking a meal — especially as it could involve releasing the icy depths of the refrigerator. No, you need a quick and convenient takeout meal.
The typical go-to option is McDonald's. Even though only 56% of people openly admit enjoying McDonald's (according to YouGov America), 99% of Americans have heard of the fast food giant — surprising only because 1% of people claim to be unaware of its existence.
The only predicament would be choosing what to buy. It goes without saying that fries are a big part of McDonald's orders, but research carried out by The Food Theorists on YouTube suggests that the most cost-effective option is a box of large fries. So, how did The Food Theorists reach this conclusion, and what about small and medium portions of McDonald's fries?
There's little difference between McDonald's small and medium fries
The Food Theorists used a YouTube video to explain how large portions of McDonald's fries get you the most food for your cash. The researchers bought small, medium, and large portions of McDonald's fries in three locations: Los Angeles, New York, and Raleigh, North Carolina. They then weighed all the fries from each portion size and compared them against the purchase price.
The results showed that a small McDonald's fries costs $1.76 per gram of fries, while a medium portion is only slightly more cost-effective, costing $1.75 per gram. However, a large fry steals the show by producing an average price of $1.26 per gram of fries.
Additional research by The Food Theorists suggests that the packaging of all McDonald's fry options has the capacity to hold more fries than it contains. However, a cautionary tale is also presented: the bigger the fry portion, the higher the number of calories. McDonald's notes that its large boxes of fries contain more calories, fat, and sodium than the other two varieties, so although large portions may be more economical, they definitely aren't as healthy.