On the McDonald’s menu, this is the entree with the least amount of calories

McDonald’s is both a Mecca of American excess and a Mecca of delicious fries. But while they’ve gotten their fair share of bad publicity, their food isn’t always as high-calorie as you might think. The entree with the least amount of calories on the McDonald’s menu might even surprise you.

While some might guess the Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich or the Filet-O-Fish to be the “healthiest” options, the sandwich with the least amount of calories is actually:

Drumroll please…

A plain old hamburger!

That’s right, the hamburger rings in at a very reasonable 250 calories. Of course we wondered if this is the normal calorie count for a fast food burger. Well, here are the calorie counts for other popular burger chains: Burger King — 230 cals; Wendy’s — 240 cals; Steak & Shake — 280 cals.

Seems like McDonald’s is right in the middle.

But what about the other McDonald’s menu sandwiches?

Cheeseburger: 300 cals

BBQ Ranch Burger: 330 cals

Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich: 360 cals

McChicken: 370 cals

Filet-O-Fish: 390 cals

Double Cheeseburger: 440 cals

Big Mac: 540 cals

You learn something new every day.