McDonald’s Promises Healthier Happy Meals

Remember not too long ago, when we reported that a bill before the Canadian Parliament would tighten up regulations on advertising for Fast Food products aimed at children? And that Fast Food Chains were not happy? Seems at least one chain had taken a positive attitude toward the challenge…

Happy Meal - © McDonald'sA happy meal, made to the current recipe. The new version will look much the same
(though with fewer Fries) but will have less Salt, Sugar, Fat and Calories…

McDonald’s, which has long touted its Happy Meal menu items as healthy and especially designed for kids, has announced it will launch new, healthier Happy Meals as part of its ongoing quest to make all its menu items healthier and more attractive to younger diners.

What they’re doing…

McD’s has announced it’s cutting Calories in its kid’s meals and bringing the Happy Meal combos in line with the company’s ongoing quest to reduce Sodium, Saturated Fats and Added Sugar across the board.

Calorie cutting efforts will empo0loy brute force tactics, including including Cheeseburgers and Chocolate Milk in the combos only on request and cutting the size of Fry servings. That might please parents, but I’m betting it will not go unnoticed by the kids, and they will – in the open and transparent way kids do – make their displeasure known. Sorry, parents. It’s your watch.

New international guidelines, call for a maximum calorie count of 600 in Fast Food menu items, with a maximum of 10 per cent of that coming from Saturated Fat and added Sugar. McDonald’s says the majority of the items its U.S. menus should be in line with the new guidelines by this June. Except for the Salt. The company estimates it will take until 2022 to develop new recipes that use dramatically less Salt.

Along with the food, McDonald’s has decided to replace the toys included in its Happy meals with books in at least 100 of its U.S. market areas by the end of next year.

What the critics say…

Registered Dietician and Nutritionist Nicole Silber says McDonald’s has made a good start, but there’s still a long way to go before its menu items are truly healthy.

“McDonald’s is taking baby steps in reformulating their children’s offerings, but they still have a long way to go,” Silber told Yahoo Lifestyle. “Six hundred calories for a single meal is still excessive for a child! For most age groups, 600 calories would amount to more than half of the daily caloric requirements. I am worried parents will interpret these baby steps as significant, and will now think McDonald’s is actually a healthy option.”

You now have three sides of the story: international guidelines developed by ‘experts’, a nutritionist’s candid view, and McDonald’s proposed and impending menu changes. You’ll have to make up your own mind as to what’s ‘healthy’ and act accordingly.

Meanwhile, it wouldn’t hurt to follow the old saying, “everything in moderation!”

~ Maggie J.