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Is Burger King’s ‘Oreo Irish Mint’ Healthier Than McDonald’s Shamrock Shake?

By Christopher Brown
Published on: 01:24 PST, Feb 27, 2016

The ides of March approach us as hopes of an early Spring after the blistering winter. But before everyone gets nice and warm as the temperature slowly rises — they indulge in one last frosty treat that is McDonald’s Shamrock Shake.

McDonald’s Shamrock Shake, now 46-years-old, has been everyone’s favorite seasonal shake for years — whether you’re a fan of McDonald’s or not.

McDonald’s officially announced the return of the highly anticipated Shamrock Shake on February 17th in a tweet.

The Green shake is now green lit and patrons can celebrate the incumbent of March the same ritualistic way they do every year — with the preamble of consuming a delicious Shamrock Shake.

But Suddenly, there’s been a change in the seasonal shake game!

Burger King has just introduced their version of the Shamrock Shake in an attempt to steal some of McDonald’s thunder like a jealous younger brother.

Therefore, it’s fitting that their new Irish Mint shake is just as enviously green.

According to Business Insider, the main key-difference between the Shamrock Shake and the Oreo Irish Mint shake it that the Irish Mint is of course the Oreo crumble which the Irish Mint shake possesses.

The Oreo flavor is prominent, giving the shake a chocolaty sweetness that the Shamrock Shake doesn’t offer. However it comes at a price to patrons seeking that true “minty” flavor given that a lot of the mint takes a backseat to the chocolate.

This wouldn’t even necessarily be a bad thing if only the Shake weren’t marketed as mint milkshake akin to McDonald’s Shamrock Shake.

BI added that the Irish Mint’s whipped cream topping comes off as bland as opposed to McDonald’s Shamrock Shake’s creamy finish. The shake itself is thick with a more icy texture than the Shamrock Shake.

On the contrary, The Shamrock Shake’s consistency was described as smooth, rich, and far more indulgently creamy as a milkshake. The audacious mint flavor is also undeniable of the Shamrock Shake, taking no back seat to any other additive.

The Shamrock Shake also isn’t as icy in texture, further enhancing its overall smooth texture, the Business Insider reports.

Overall, their verdict was that the Shamrock Shake is the better minty beverage. It’s simply, smoother, creamier, and most importantly, “mintier.”

So is the Oreo Irish Mint healthier than the Shamrock Shake?

We don’t know much about the nutritional value or ingredients of Burger King’s Irish Mint (as it’s still pretty new.) But McDonald’s Shamrock Shake on the other hand, is different story entirely in regards to calorie intake and other health concerns.

The Shamrock Shake doesn’t market itself as a healthy drink, and most patrons are aware of what a high-calorie disaster they are about to enjoy.

However, in an article written last year by The Inquisitr, it was discovered that just a small sized Shamrock Shake will add a staggering 530 calories to your daily intake, which equates to 15 grams of fat.

A large will cost you 820 amassing 23 grams of fat.

Again, most partakers of the shake know that anything that defiantly sweet is going to cost them. However not too many will claim to know that one large Shamrock shake is equivalent to 1.25 Big Macs, 1.5 orders of fries, 2.5 hot fudge sundaes, The Inquisitr writes.

Dietitian and online nutritionist at AskMaryRD, told Shape the following.

“The 82 grams of sugar is the worst. It’s like eating around six slices of bread all at once. The saturated fat is also high, at 40 percent of the daily limit (the goal is 10 percent). On the other hand, it is loaded with calcium (460 milligrams percent).”

On the contrary, The Impulsive Buy reports that Burger King’s Oreo Irish Mint has the following.

  • 430 calories
  • 13 grams of fat
  • 7 grams of saturated fat
  • 40 milligrams of cholesterol
  • 310 milligrams of sodium
  • 72 grams of carbohydrates
  • 60 grams of sugar
  • and even 9 grams of protein

Therefore the Irish Mint is slightly “healthier” than the Shamrock Shake, yet apparently less delicious which isn’t much different from all healthier foods vs. not-so-much.

[Image via Burger King & McDonald’s via Twitter]

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