Almost a year ago, McDonald's was making headlines for revealing all 19 ingredients used to make their signature golden fries. Today, those same fries are in the news again, but this time, it's because of their surprising nutrition facts.
Canadians are used to being told we're generally healthier than our American neighbours, which is why it comes as a shock to many that the McDonald's French fries found in Canada are not only higher in sodium, they're higher in calories too.
According to the McDonalds.ca nutrition centre, a medium serving of French fries (110g) contains 350 calories, 17 grams of fat, 46 grams of carbohydrates and 260 milligrams of sodium.
In the United States, a medium serving of fries is 111 grams and contains 340 calories, 16 grams of fat, 44 grams of carbohydrates and "only" 190 milligrams of sodium.
As Reddit user Frazzydee points out, that is a 35 per cent increase in sodium on the Canadian fries.
And the fries aren't the only item to have a large discrepancy in nutrition. The Canadian McChicken is not only 33 grams heavier than the American version, it also has 100 more calories and 110 more milligrams of sodium.
In 2012 — incidentally, the year the Canadian Medical Journal noted that Canadian fast food chains had more sodium than other places around the world — McDonald's created a website where consumers could send in questions they have about the fast food chain. All the questions received answers from the brand, including why this variation between countries existed.
"We understand that sodium is a health concern for many Canadians," the company posted on their site. "Since 2009, we've worked with industry and health experts to reduce sodium levels in 47 of our menu items. We are continually looking for new ways to reduce the amount of sodium that we use in our products while maintaining the great taste that millions of Canadians know and love. If you would prefer to have your fries or burger served to you unsalted, you're welcome to ask our crew to hold the salt."
Sounds fair to us. Just be warned the people working the fry station might not be too pleased with you.
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