McDonald's To 'Improve' Happy Meal Menu; Won't List Cheeseburger, Chocolate Milk Drink But They're Still Available Upon Request
The largest fast food chain in the world, McDonald's, is making some changes in its child-focused Happy Meal menu in the coming years.
The move is part of their family-oriented projects focused on making "improvements" in the Happy Meal food options. McDonald's announced: "By 2022, McDonald's will make improvements to the Happy Meal menu across 120 markets."
The fast food company promised to include "more balanced meals" in its Happy Meal menu and offer food options with simpler ingredients.
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McDonald's also mentioned its new Global Happy Meal Nutrition Criteria that will introduce sets of food with a total calorie count of 600 or less and composed of 10 percent of calories taken from saturated fat, 10 percent calories from added sugar and 650 mg sodium.
The company added that the new nutrition criteria was expected to be implemented on "at least 50 percent or more" of the Happy Meal food items before 2022 ends.
When McDonald's promised simpler ingredients on Happy Meal food options, it meant "removing artificial flavors, added colors from artificial sources, and reducing artificial preservatives where feasible."
McDonald's noted that it had started removing artificial preservatives from its Chicken Nuggets that are also available on its regular menu. This policy was implemented in the United States in 2016 as well as in France and Canada.
The company also plans to make the nutritional information of menu items more accessible by putting them up on its websites and mobile apps where customers can order their food.
While these changes will be made before 2022, McDonald's is set to jump start these plans this year focusing on its fast food establishments in the United States. By June, McDonald's said all the Happy Meal food items' calorie count will be at 600 or lower in the United States following the above-mentioned nutrition criteria.
In the U.S., customers will soon find only a few entrée items listed which include the regular hamburger, a choice of 4-piece and 6-piece Chicken McNuggets. The Cheeseburger will not be listed but will still be available if a customer orders it.
Instead of the small-size French fries, the Happy Meal in the U.S. will introduce a kids-sized item to be paired with the 6-piece Chicken McNuggets.
There will also be changes in the Happy Meal beverages. They will still include the chocolate milk drink but promises a "reformulated" blend that has less sugar. Like the Cheeseburgers, it will not be listed but will still be available if requested.
