New Happy Meal...Thoughts?

[ICF]

You do realize that there are parents who are quite happy with the changes, right? If what your news reported is accurate, it just means that McD's has simply decided to market to those who want 1/2 and 1/2 instead of parents who want all fries or all apples.

But why should they really be happy?

Prior to the change, if a person wanted to be "healthy" they could have ordered apples (instead of fries) and milk or juice (instead of a soft drink) to go with their meals.

Now, depending on what the "truth" is in regards to these changes -- since I've heard / read different things...you MUST take the 1/2 fries and 1/2 apples. This likely will mean -- as others have pointed out -- that some people will either pitch 1/2 of the fries (since they wouldnt NEVER let their kids eat such unhealthy things) or 1/2 of the apples (as their kids might just not like them). Before, you could choose what you want.....

Hopefully when this gets rolled out we will find that people can still chose which option they want, which would make this whole thread --- much ado about nothing -- as people can still get their kids meal however they want it.

 

[LuLuO]

A Big N' Tasty, no mayo, apple dippers (without the dipping sauce), and water or diet soda isn't bad. About 500 calories.

Lower calories doesn't necessarily make it healthy. You have to consider other factors like fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar, etc.

 

[ols386]

I don't have a problem with it. If I don't like the menu item selections, I can go somewhere else.

 

[mjantz]

I have to agree that the European McDonalds have much better options. They have these deluxe potatoes that we loved & the Happy Meals looked great. I wish we had those options here in the US.

 

[Carnie]

That choice won't work for us, as my son is allergic to apples.

French Fries it is!

And for the naysayers, he (and most of our family) have Oral Allergy Syndrome.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_allergy_syndrome

It's an awful allergy, especially this time of year. All the gorgeous fresh fruit like peaches.....cherries.....plums..... and we can't eat any of it.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Good parenting can't be legislated, its that simple.... what is next, the idea is scary.

I would like everyone to just let us all be, leave my food alone and leave my kids alone, I am not a moron and deeply resent being treated like I am. So what, now they are going to dip the apples in some kind of preservative to keep them looking fresh, yep, that's better.

 

[irisheyes123]

Oh wow there's a big difference then - I thought that North America would have more choice than Europe

We also get a drink , soda,evian water,organic apple juice or pure orange juice but you'd never get milk. I don't think anywhere here would offer children milk in a childs meal

Thank you for the reply

Here in Ireland they offer cows milk with the happy meal other choice's are juice, water and soft drinks

here you get a choice of Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Nuggets or Fish fingers

Then you have a choice between fries or apples and grapes and all meals come with a packet of raisins

 

[LuLuO]

That choice won't work for us, as my son is allergic to apples.

French Fries it is!

And for the naysayers, he (and most of our family) have Oral Allergy Syndrome.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_allergy_syndrome

It's an awful allergy, especially this time of year. All the gorgeous fresh fruit like peaches.....cherries.....plums..... and we can't eat any of it.

I feel for your son. I have the same thing. It stinks. I can't do raw veggies either. Everything must be cooked or processed. For years doctors didn't believe me. It wasn't until the Internet got up and going that I found other people like me.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

For what it's worth, my kids got milk with a Happy Meal in Germany a couple years ago when we went. (Burger/fries/I think it did come with raisins as well.)

Particularly remember because my German was pretty rusty- when I asked for milk, they responded with three options. I only recognized "chocolate", lol. (Turns out the options were white, chocolate or strawberry. All white milk cartons, but they got a chocolate Sippa straw with it.)

 

[luvmy3]

That choice won't work for us, as my son is allergic to apples.

French Fries it is!

And for the naysayers, he (and most of our family) have Oral Allergy Syndrome.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_allergy_syndrome

It's an awful allergy, especially this time of year. All the gorgeous fresh fruit like peaches.....cherries.....plums..... and we can't eat any of it.

My ds has OAS too but since my other ds likes the apples more than the fries they can just trade with eachother.
For some reason he can eat blackberries and raspberries so thats the only fresh fruit he ever has.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

My pleasure! It's always so interesting to see how the little, everyday things we are accustomed to are different in other countries!

May I ask why milk would not be an option? Children here drink milk quite a lot, and it comes in small cartons or small plastic bottles. Our schools always offer milk at lunch as well.

I don't know really, it's something I've never thought about especially as I don't drink milk myself.

Where I went to school in England we were made to drink milk but then that was stopped and I have never seen it here in France. Some children bring in a little carton of flavoured milk for the morning/afternoon breaktime but they only get water with meals.

I'm trying to think the last time that I saw a child drinking a glass of milk in a café and failing miserably to do so. There is a chocolat milk drink that you see from time to time but I think most children would drink milk at home say for breakfast.

Will ask OH about it tonight

 

[DisneyCher]

Why do so many people assume that McDonalds is doing this just to "feel good" about doing something about childhood obesity?? Last time I checked, McD's is in business to make money, just like Disney. They will do whatever they think will sell the best, and you can be sure that any decision to change Happy Meals comes after extensive consumer research.

I think it is "feel good" in the sense that McD thinks it will make them seem like a more likeable company, one that cares, and parents who are concerned about the obestity rates among children needn't cut back on their dinners at the Golden Arches, because, LOOK, we serve APPLES as the default with our Happy Meals now!

Of course they want to sell what will make money, but they have had their fair share of flops even with "extensive" research. Remember the McDLT? The Salad Shakers? I bet you anything McD's developed those ideas to cash in on the changing tides of what "healthy" options diners want to have available. They've recently hit on salads and yogurt that moms seem to enjoy. And, frankly, I am sure they did research before they rolled out that oatmeal breakfast, but I am not convinced that it will be a permanent addition to their menu. But that, too, to me, is kind of a "feel good" food, given the national attention placed on the importance on whole grains and their desire to see if selling such a product is profitable. I wonder how many oatmeals they sell as compared to McMuffins.

 

[palmtreegirl]

We'll stick to the fries. My kids like fresh apples and have healthy diets, McDonald's is a treat.

 

[castmemberb4]

Not true...

"So by the beginning of next year, McDonald's will instead include a half-order of apples and a half-order of fries. Customers can get all fries or all apples if they ask."

Source:
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/diet-nutrition/story/2011/07/McDonalds-Apple-slices-in-every-Happy-Meal/49662434/1

Oh! Now I get it !
In that case I don't see whay anyone would bave a problem with it

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Good parenting can't be legislated, its that simple.... what is next, the idea is scary.

I would like everyone to just let us all be, leave my food alone and leave my kids alone, I am not a moron and deeply resent being treated like I am. So what, now they are going to dip the apples in some kind of preservative to keep them looking fresh, yep, that's better.

McDonalds, last I checked, is not a branch of government, and thus doesn't legislate anything.

When I was a kid there were no chicken nuggets. Yes, I am that old. Chicken nuggets, apparently, are lower calorie than cheese burgers. Does that mean the McDonalds treated me like a moron by adding a slightly healthier option? How on earth is adding options demeaning to people?

 

[joviroxx]

Gotta love the disboards, we can even debate a Happy Meal LOL!

 

[JoiseyMom]

http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/2103/ammonia-content-of-beef-in-usa

And...it doesn't say that it isn't being done. I will not eat meat produced that way. And MickeyD's and BK, use meat processed this way.

 

[luvmy3]

And...it doesn't say that it isn't being done. I will not eat meat produced that way. And MickeyD's and BK, use meat processed this way.

Did I say it wasn't being done? Just found the links of the process interesting figured there were sme DISers wh would want to read about it before forming their opinions. Of course there are those of you that are free to form your opinions from reading an opinion piece about a NYT article, but thats not how I roll.

The Process
http://web.archive.org/web/20090125212632/http://beefproducts.com/the_process/index.cfm

 

[LuvOrlando]

McDonalds, last I checked, is not a branch of government, and thus doesn't legislate anything.

When I was a kid there were no chicken nuggets. Yes, I am that old. Chicken nuggets, apparently, are lower calorie than cheese burgers. Does that mean the McDonalds treated me like a moron by adding a slightly healthier option? How on earth is adding options demeaning to people?

Did you missed all the pressure the fast food places got from various cities about the Happy Meals and toys? I sincerely doubt the fruit is being added without pressure because I've never heard a kid ask, "Hey Mom can I get an apple with that milkshake, fries and burger." If the stores did it for the customers the customers would be generating demand, I don't for a second believe people buying Happy Meals are thinking about apples at that moment, if they were they wouldn't be buying Happy Meals.

 

[Nettester]

If they just stop putting beef fat in the fries my vegetarian husband and daughter would be happy. And my kids are turned off by fast food "apple slices" since receiving a bag of meely ones once. They aren't always that "fresh." McDonalds is never a choice the majority of my family gets excited about anyway. The older DH and I get, the more we avoid chains like the plague.