McDonald's keeps the 'happy' factor, increases the 'healthy' factor in redesigned Happy Meals

Yesterday McDonald's announced a number of changes they're making to their Happy Meals in an effort to make the meals healthier for children.  The price of Happy Meals is not expected to change as a result of this. The revamped Happy Meals will be introduced in September 2012 and rolled out to the company's 14,000 McDonald's restaurants by April 2012. So what can you expect to see when these Happy Meals arrive at your local Mickey D's in the next few months?

What will change:

• Fruity goodness!  Each Happy Meal will contain a pack of sliced apples.  Unlike McDonald's Apple Dippers (apple slices with caramel sauce), these apples won't come with caramel.  These packs of apple slices will also be 1.2 ounces (about 3-5 slices), not the 3.1 ounce size (8-10 slices) of Apple Dippers--which McDonald's is trying to phase out.


• Downsized fries.  Fries will still be included in Happy Meals, but there will be fewer of them.  The new portion will be 1.1 ounces (approximately 100 calories), down from 2.4 ounces.

What won't change:

• Toys.  Despite criticism that including toys in kids' meals create a strong connection between children and high-calorie meals, toys will still be included in Happy Meals.

What will change...eventually:

• Sodium content.  By 2015, McDonald's aims to reduce the sodium content in all of its foods by 15%, with the exceptions of sodas and desserts; this is also the deadline for them to reduce salt in their foods.


• Sugars, saturated fats, and calories.  McDonald's plans to spend the rest of the decade making adjustment to portion sizes, plus cutting back on calories, sugars, and saturated fats.


• More healthful choices.  McDonald's also plans to make it possible for parents to request more fruit for the Happy Meals or a serving of vegetables.  They'll also offer fat-free chocolate milk as a beverage choice.

Experts hope that the redesigned Happy Meals will not only keep kids healthier, but also get kids accustomed to eating fresh fruit and veggies when they go out to a restaurant.

While it’s admirable that lately there’s been a trend of restaurants trying to make kids’ meals healthier, as always, if you have concerns about your child’s nutritional needs and what foods can effectively meet those needs, it’s best to talk to a nutritionist or your family doctor or pediatrician. Check to see if your employee benefits package offers any type of wellness or nutritional coaching and/or education; some Health Advocate members have access to Wellness Coach, a useful resource for questions and concerns about nutrition.