Healthier Happy Meals at McDonald's

Global restaurant chain McDonald’s has visibly been in the public eye for its attempt to be open about its food products and its aim toward healthier options. The company announced today that it will be making its Happy Meals healthier and plans to add a serving of fruit or vegetables to the meals while also shrinking the portion of its French fries. The unhappy change will be tested out in some markets in September and will be implemented in all 14,000 locations nationwide by April 2012.

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An order of French fries in Happy Meals will be cut from 2.4 ounces to 1.1 ounces and while soft drinks will still be an option, parents will have to request it for their children’s beverage. Jan Fields, President of McDonald’s USA says, “People come to McDonald’s and they want the choice and control to be theirs, but their expectation of a Happy Meal does include a fry. People tell us they want to feel good about visiting regularly, about the food options that we serve, and want to visit us even more often.”

Depending on each location, kids can opt for apples, carrots, mandarin oranges, raisins, or pineapple to come alongside their typical Happy Meal. And don’t expect to find the standard caramel dipping sauce if you order a side of apples – smart move, McDonald’s…it’s about time. We can imagine kids are going to be quite upset about this week’s announcement. We’ll keep you posted about any updates.