A McDonald's Hamburger Is the Cheapest, Most Nutritious Food in Human History?

Say, What?!

When starvation, rather than obesity, is your problem, then McDonald's has the solution. Economist Stephen Dubner, one of the authors of Freakanomics, argues that the McDonald's McDouble (pictured above) is the most nutritious food ever devised:

Stephen Dubner, who co-authored the best-selling book, hosted a debate on his blog after a reader suggested the McDouble packed a better nutritional punch for the penny than is often assumed.

The double cheeseburger provides 390 calories, 23 grams of protein – half a daily serving – seven per cent of daily fibre, 19 grams of fat and 20 per cent of daily calcium, all for between $1 and $2, or 65p and £1.30,The Times reported. [...]

Mr Dubner added: “The more I thought about the question, whether the McDouble is the cheapest, most bountiful, and nutritious food ever, the more I realised how you answer that question says a lot about how you see the world, not only our food system and the economics of it, but even social justice.”

More