Stories & Accomplishments

Fruit Added to All Happy Meals in the U.S. and Latin America
Choice for the Whole Family
Making Fruits and Vegetables Fun

Fruit Added to All Happy Meals in the U.S. and Latin America

McDonald’s iconic Happy Meal is changing to make parents and kids even happier. By March 2012, fruit will be automatically included in every Happy Meal served in U.S. and Latin America restaurants. Additional changes, including a new size of French Fries only available in the Happy Meal, will result in the overall reduction of calories and fat.

U.S. restaurants will continue to promote options that meet the new Council of Better Business Bureau’s Food Pledge nutritional standards. In Latin America, all combinations of the Happy Meal will have less than 600 calories, which equates to one-third of the World Health Organization’s daily requirement for kids ages 6 to 10.

More than 95% of McDonald’s restaurants around the world offer Happy Meals with sides of fruit, vegetable or low-fat dairy as an option. By the end of 2012, every Happy Meal purchase in Canada will feature a yogurt, as well as a choice of a new small fry or apples. Carrot sticks are offered in 23 countries such as Australia and France, while corn cups are offered in 13 markets.

Across Europe, 2,800 restaurants offer a four-item Happy Meal that includes a fruit or vegetable side. McDonald’s Italy increased the kid appeal of fruit by offering peeled kiwi on a stick as a Happy Meal option, a creative twist that doubled the number of Happy Meals sold with fruit during the initial promotional period.

“By changing the Happy Meal to always include fruit, McDonald’s is making it fun and easy for kids to eat foods that are good for them. We want to support parents and be part of the solution – helping champion generations of healthier, happier kids.”
– Greg Watson, Vice President
Menu & Nutrition Strategy / Stakeholder Engagement
McDonald’s USA

“As a member of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, I applaud the commitments made by McDonald’s. They have captured the intent of the Guidelines and have taken a reasoned, evidence-based approach that should have a positive health impact on the millions of children and adults McDonald’s serves every day.”
– Roger Clemens,
Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences,
University of Southern California

Choice for the Whole Family

McDonald’s is enhancing the nutrition profile of core products while continuing to introduce a range of new choices. For example:

Lower Sodium Chicken – McDonald’s Canada has reduced the amount of sodium in all of its menu items featuring grilled chicken. For example, the Chicken Snack Wrap includes a sodium-reduced tortilla, chicken and ranch sauce, resulting in a total sodium reduction of nearly one third (32%).

Whole Grain Any Time –All U.S. restaurants have begun offering “Fruit & Maple Oatmeal,” a delicious and wholesome snack that has two servings of whole grains, a half cup of fruit, maple flavor, brown sugar and a touch of cream. Available all day, it is low in fat, an excellent source of fiber, a good source of Vitamin C and only 290 calories.

Heart Foundation Tick-Approved Meals – McDonald’s Australia works with the Heart Foundation to identify McDonald’s meals that meet the strict criteria needed to earn the Heart Foundation Tick. This symbol indicates for customers that the meals have been independently tested and contain less than 2% saturated fat, virtually no trans-fat and at least one serving (75g) of vegetables.

Making Fruits and Vegetables Fun

In May 2010, McDonald’s launched a Global Happy Meal promotion featuring the characters from DreamWorks’ Shrek Forever After™. The promotion ran in the majority of our major markets and was translated into nine languages.

Advertising and packaging featured fruit, vegetable and dairy items such as carrots, apple slices or milk. There were also interactive games such as a pop-out Puss in Boots who makes drinking milk more fun. Online activities included: