The McDonald’s Happy Meal is undergoing a big change.
On Thursday, the fast food chain restaurant announced that they would be removing cheeseburgers and chocolate milk from their popular Happy Meal menu in an effort to make the kids meal more health-conscious, PEOPLE reports. The change means that, on average, Happy Meals will contain 20% less calories, 50% less added sugars, 13% less saturated fat, and/or 17% less sodium.
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“As a nutritionist and a mom, this is a pivotal moment as we unveil new, ambitious goals in collaboration with Healthier Generation that we hope will positively impact families around the world,” said Julia Braun, MPH, Registered Dietitian and Head of Global Nutrition at McDonald’s in the company’s press release. “Our efforts have led to big changes and real progress and as part of our continued food journey, we’re committed to making it easier for families to choose balanced options that will make measurable differences.”
The removal of the items comes as the Golden Arches makes an effort to make their Happy Meal options consist of 600 calories or less, contain less than 650 milligrams of soda, and ensure that less than 10% of the meal’s calories come from saturated fat and added sugar, criteria that cheeseburgers and chocolate milk do not meet.
McDonald’s also announced that bottled water would be added to the Happy Meal menu as a beverage choice. Small french fries that come with the 6-piece Chicken McNugget meal will be replaced with a kid-sized bag.
Customers will still have the option of ordering cheeseburgers and chocolate milk with their Happy Meals, but the items will no longer be listed on the menu. The changes are expected to reach U.S. stores by June. McDonald’s will be working on a new recipe for chocolate milk that contains less sugar.
The company has been leading a turnaround of recovering lost customers by offering discounts, faster service, fresh beef, and franchising stores globally. The effort has also included the introduction of the new Dollar Menu.
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