Warning: This article contains discussion of calorie counting that some may find distressing

Gone are the days of having to eat a salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner… according to an expert, who has revealed you can actually enjoy a McDonald’s while on a diet.

It may sound too good to be true when you think a Big Mac Combo Meal

has 1,120 calories – and that’s for a medium, who the heck gets a medium?

Let’s be honest, most of us supersize our fast-food orders and a large one, accompanied by a Coca-Cola and fries, contains 1,320 calories.

Close-up of McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

Well, for those who are counting calories right now, or just wanting to eat a little healthier, UK-based personal trainer and fat loss coach Rosi May has explained how you can still order and, most importantly, enjoy fast-food.

Sharing an Instagram post with her 230k followers, Rosi said: “This is how you lose weight by eating McDonald’s and don’t worry I’m not about to tell you to swap your burger for a salad because nobody’s going to Maccies for a salad.

“And I’m not going to expect you to change your beef burger to a plain chicken burger, I am going to show you some like for like swaps that you can make.

“If you watch my videos, then you know by now that when it comes to losing weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit.”

The golden arches, need I say more? (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)

Being in a calorie deficit simply means that you’re burning more calories than you’re consuming.

She continued: “Meal number one, we have large fries, a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese and a large full fat Coke. Altogether this meal comes in at 1,385 calories which for most people is a big chunk of their daily calories.

“So, how can you still enjoy a McDonald’s but at much lower calories?

“The easiest swap to make is switching a full fat Coke to a Coke Zero or a Diet Coke which means that you save 212 calories.”

The personal trainer then suggests ‘swapping your large fries for medium fries’ and you’ll also save a dollar or so.

But she wasn’t finished there, Rosi added: “And then finally, you switch your Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese to a Double Cheeseburger.

“Altogether this will save you over 500 calories and you still get to have a Double Cheeseburger, fries and a drink. But it doesn’t take up all your calories for the day.

“And that way you can still enjoy things like McDonald’s whilst you’re on a weight loss journey. But it doesn’t have to be boring, you just have to get clever with it.”

While many praise Rosi for her useful advice, it seems not everyone agreed.

Over on Twitter, one user said: “It’s called eat smaller portions.”

While someone else suggested: “Skip the fries.”

As with many things in life, everything is OK in moderation!

McDonald’s has claimed one particular ingredient from California is the cause of a deadly E. coli outbreak which has sickened at least 49 people across 10 states – prompting restaurants like KFC and Taco Bell to swiftly remove the item from their menus.

On October 22, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced an investigation had been launched into an outbreak of E. coli across the country.

All those suffering from the bacteria reported eating at a McDonald’s eatery prior to contacting the virus, specifically a Quarter Pounder, which has since been axed from the menu.

The outbreak is spread across multiple states (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The outbreak has led to 10 hospitalizations and one man’s death in Colorado.

In a statement, McDonald’s owner Yum! Brands has said the company is continuing to monitor the recently reported E.coli epidemic.

Out of ‘an abundance of caution’, it has taken the step to remove fresh onions from select restaurants after believing the ingredient to be the cause of the outbreak.

These include various McDonald’s joints in Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Wyoming, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, and Montana, as well as specific branches of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC, as per NPR.

“We will continue following supplier and regulatory guidance to ensure the ongoing safety and quality of our food,” the brand added.

On Thursday (October 24) U.S. Foods, one of the nation’s biggest food distributors, issued a recall on raw diced, peeled and whole peeled onions from its third-party supplier Taylor Farms Colorado, as per ABC News.

“The reason for the recall is due to potential E. coli contamination,” reads the notice.

Other fast food chains have pulled onions from their menus (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

McDonald’s reportedly told USA Today that one of the Taylor Farms’ production facilities also supplied onions to McDonald’s in the areas impacted by E. coli.

They added that the recall of the fresh onions were ‘not related to the company’s removal of Quarter Pounders’.

US Foods is not a supplier to McDonalds, the fast food chain stated. This was echoed by a spokesperson from US Foods, who stated to USA Today that the company ‘s not a distributor of record for McDonald’s restaurants and McDonald’s restaurants are not included in the recall notifications issued by US Foods about the Taylor Farms Colorado onion products recall’.

As per The Wall Street Journal, Taylor Farms is cooperating with federal regulators after the onions it produced at its Colorado facility were recalled.

A spokesperson from Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, claim they have not been contacted from health authorities regarding the fresh onions they use in their recipes.

The onions were determined to be the cause of the outbreak (Getty Stock Photo)

However, they have already requested that employees ‘dispose’ of the vegetable, which ,like Yum! Brands, is sourced from Taylor Farms’ Colorado facility.

“Despite no contact from health authorities and no indications of illness, we proactively asked our five percent of restaurants who received whole onions distributed by this facility to dispose of them immediately two days ago and we are in the process of restocking them from other facilities,” the group said in a statement to The Daily Mail.

Mayo Clinic writes that you may be exposed to E. coli from contaminated foods such as raw vegetables and undercooked ground beef, and that common symptoms include diarrhea, stomach cramping, and nausea.

While healthy adults are likely to recover within a week, contracting a strong strain can be detrimental for children under five.

Following the E. coli breakout, McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger has announced that consumers can still ‘confidently go to McDonald’s’ and ‘enjoy [the] classics’ because ‘food safety is [its] top priority’.

Appearing on the Today show, Erlinger said: “It’s the top priority in this building where I am, at the McDonald’s headquarters. It’s a top priority in our nearly 14,000 McDonald’s restaurants across the U.S. It’s the top priority for our suppliers as well.”

UNILAD has reached out to Taylor Farms for further comment and has previously contacted McDonald’s and the CDC.

Have you ever wondered why the McDonald’s logo is red and yellow?

The iconic golden arches are internationally recognised and have been a part of the brand’s history since 1961, along with its iconic clown mascot, Ronald McDonald debuting two years later, though since 2016, he’s taken a back seat in terms of advertising.

But did you know there’s actually a psychological meaning behind the colors of the McDonald’s logo?

Over the years, experts have commented on its appearance, and how the combination of red and yellow can help draw in customers.

According to expert Karen Haller, who runs a behavioural design company, big brands use vibrant colors to influence people into engaging with them.

McDonald’s has an iconic red and yellow logo for a reason (Getty Stock Photo)

Writing on her website, she said (via The Mirror US): “Looking at the positive psychology qualities of red and yellow in relation to the fast food industry, red triggers stimulation, appetite, hunger, it attracts attention. Yellow triggers the feelings of happiness and friendliness.

“When you combine red and yellow it’s about speed, quickness. In, eat and out again.

“Yellow is also the most visible colour in daylight, which is why the McDonald’s M can be seen from a far distance.

“The language of colour is communicated quicker to the brain than words or shapes as they work directly on our feelings and emotions.”

In recent years, though, Maccies hasn’t stopped at red and yellow. In a bid to appeal to more environmentally conscious consumers, Haller says, the chain has altered its branding in some areas.

She added: “You may have noticed that McDonalds are changing a lot of their store colours to green. Notice the different feeling this gives.

“Green elicits the feelings of nature, natural and environmentally friendly. It’s no longer about rushing in for a quick bite to eat. You can relax, get comfortable, linger over a coffee (almost dare I say, a bit like Starbucks).”

Meanwhile, TikToker @vincent.ttcoach says the colors have a huge impact on our mind and bodies, grabbing our attention and making us hungry.

He says the color red increases our heart rates, while yellow really stands out and is seen more easily.

There are a handful of McDonald’s restaurants around the world that don’t have the brand’s iconic colours, however.

Located in Sedona, Arizona, you can find ‘the blue arches’.

In Sedona, Arizona, the arches are teal coloured (Getty Stock Photo)

It is the only McDonald’s on the planet that has the colorway but other than the outside, it is like any other you’d find.

It was built back in 1993 and surprisingly city officials thought the golden arches would mar Sedona’s beautiful red rock landscape.

In order for the McDonald’s to go ahead, they imposed an order on them to change its otherwise yellow logo to the teal color.

Speaking about it to ABC 15, Cari Meyer, Senior Planner of the Department of Community Development for the City of Sedona, said: “McDonald’s was built in the early 1990s, right after the city was incorporated in 1989.

“Someone suggested it would be interesting if they did something else than golden arches to fit in with the identity that the city decided to establish.”

Even McDonald’s hasn’t escaped the cost of living crisis but one TikToker was left particularly flabbergasted by the amount his typical order came to.

Young people no longer in with any sort of chance of getting onto the property ladder and now left unable to even buy a quick Maccies without having to go into their overdraft – what is the world coming too?

If you think I’m joking, don’t just take my word for it. A TikToker has revealed the price difference of his typical order as well as the markup in general prices at the fast food chain.

Content creator Christopher Olive is an aspiring strongman and in 2022 he presented his freshly bought fast food meal from the iconic golden arches.

It consisted of a Smoky Double Quarter Pounder BLT burger with a large fries and Sprite – a pretty tame order if we’re being honest.

So, how much do you think that amounted to?

Yeah, it’s more than a Happy Meal, and just a few years ago, you’d expect the meal to cost around $10, if not less.

But Christopher’s jaw was on the floor when he was given the receipt for his order

Even during the cost of living crisis, $16 is steep. (TikTok/@topherolive)

Looking down at the bill, he saw that he was charged a shocking $16.10 for his simple meal.

In the clip, he says: “So I get there’s a labour shortage, I get there’s wage increases and a number of other things but… sixteen dollars?

“Sixteen dollars for a burger, a large fries and a drink. It’s just crazy.”

Alongside nearly 180,000 views at the time of writing, the video has received thousands of comments from the online community, and it appears people are pretty divided.

On the one hand, $16 seems like a maddening price to pay for a burger meal. But on the other hand, every aspect of the supply chain has been hit with skyrocketing costs.

Taking to the comments section, one person wrote: “Five Guys prices at McDonald’s?!?” To which Christopher replied: “It’s crazy.”

Another said: “It’s officially not convenient or affordable anymore, might as well go to the store and buy hamburger meat.”

“I make a lot more of my own food these days because of stuff like this,” added a third, with the TikToker replying: “Exactly. I eat 90 percent from food I cook and this really shocked me.”

But not everyone agrees, with some suggesting he opted for the most expensive item on the menu.

“Bro ordered the most expensive meal they have and acted surprised,” wrote one, while another said: “Because you got DOUBLE DELUXE BACON quarter pounder, literally the most expensive option on the entire menu.”

And then there were those who suggested ways for McDonald’s lovers to save money, including this person who explained: “Download the app. You can literally eat McDonald’s for under $6 every time.”

A second chimed in: “Use the McDonald’s app, sometimes they have a 50 percent off and other offers.”

UNILAD previously reached out to McDonald’s for comment.