McDonald's Ditches Soda In Happy Meal Menus

JustSammi

http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/mcdonald-s-ditches-soda-happy-meal-menus/244431/?ttl=1380840330#prclt-zdhF1JiJ

McDonald's Ditches Soda In Happy Meal Menus
Company Will Only List Water, Milk and Juice as Beverage Options

McDonald's will offer side salads and fruit as an option in its value meals in its bigger markets, and will also begin pushing healthier drinks for its Happy Meals.

The moves are part of a number of health-centric global initiatives the chain announced today with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a non-profit founded by the Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association to reduce childhood obesity.

"This commitment reflects McDonald's progress regarding nutrition and well-being," said McDonald's CEO Don Thompson. He noted that it's "another important step in our journey. And we know there's more to do. We will continue to use our size and scale around the world to help educate, empower and encourage our customers to make informed choices so they can live a balanced and healthy lifestyle."

As part of its commitment, McDonald's will only list water, milk and juice as beverage options for Happy Meals on menu boards, in-store and external advertising. It will also utilize Happy Meal and "other packaging innovations and designs to generate excitement for fruit, vegetable, low/reduced-fat dairy, or water options for kids." The company promised to "ensure 100% of all advertising directed to children to include a fun nutrition or children's well-being message."

That McDonald's will be offering a side salad or fruit as an option in its value meals is significant in that to date it has only offered fries. How the salad and fruit options will affect the price of the value meals is unknown at this point, and how many consumers will choose the fruit or salad remains to be seen.

'Historic progress'
McDonald's has been historically slammed by consumer-advocacy groups for its food, especially for marketing Happy Meals to kids. And though some activists commend the moves, they believe there is more for the industry to do. "Getting soda out of Happy Meals is historic progress that should immediately be adopted by Burger King, Wendy's, and other chains," said Margo Wootan, nutrition policy director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Soda and other sugar drinks are leading promoters of obesity and diabetes and one day it will seem crazy that restaurants ever made this junk the default beverage for kids."

Corporate Accountability International, another watchdog group, in May at the annual McDonald's shareholders meeting submitted a proposal asking the chain to assess the impact of its nutritional efforts. The proposal was voted down by shareholders.

Coca-Cola is the exclusive soft-drink supplier to McDonald's, which Beverage Digest said is Coke's largest fountain account by far. In a statement, Coca-Cola said, "We applaud McDonald's efforts to partner with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Obesity is a serious and complex global health problem which will take everyone's collective efforts. Earlier this year, we announced four global well-being commitments, including one to not advertise any of our beverages to children under 12. We have proudly partnered with McDonald's since 1955 and supply them with a wide variety of beverages, including low and no-calorie choices."

Marketing unclear
McDonald's in 2011 overhauled its Happy Meals to begin containing apple slices and fewer fries. It also offered low-fat dairy option, thought it was not the default. The result was a 20% reduction in calories in what the chain calls its most popular Happy Meals.

How McDonald's will market its Happy Meals moving forward remains to be seen, but the chain in early 2012 launched a Happy Meal campaign highlighting nutrition. Subsequent Happy Meal ads have highlighted lowfat milk and apple slices as opposed to the fries.

McDonald's will start the initiatives in 20 major markets representing more than 85% of global sales, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Taiwan, the U.K. and the U.S. An independent third party will assess its progress. McDonald's said that 30 to 50% of the 20 major markets will be implemented within three years and 100% of the 20 markets by 2020.

Railr0aderTony

Well this will not work and will not last. As a parent we treat McDonalds and Happy meals as a treat or reward and part of the treat is having a soda. I'll give it a few weeks and people will be screaming or going somewhere else.

_Zardoz_

As juice frequently has similar calories as soda this as guessed is just a PR exercise to appease the Soda is the work of the devil crowd.

The occasional Soda as part of a balanced diet is no problem

annwyatt69

Sorry. I say feed your kids healthy at home and leave McDonald's as a treat. I do not "slam" McDonald's. I find that many of their menu choices are far healthier than finer dining restaurants. Chicken nuggets aren't so bad. McDonald's lists calories on the menu and offers nutrition information readily. For fast food, it's the way to go. Now, eating every day isn't an option. But honestly, a Big Mac isn't any worse than a Subway footlong when you add cheese and the condiments. Pick your battles.

jennifer_417

As juice frequently has similar calories as soda this as guessed is just a PR exercise to appease the Soda is the work of the devil crowd.

The occasional Soda as part of a balanced diet is no problem

My thoughts exactly.

benol1

They should really ditch the fruit juice as well.

darrensurrey

As juice frequently has similar calories as soda this as guessed is just a PR exercise to appease the Soda is the work of the devil crowd.

The occasional Soda as part of a balanced diet is no problem

Yep.

Achrya

Sigh. Another example if not being able to have nice things. I'm a grown up, I can make my own grownup choices for myself and any kids I may have, and I don't need options cut out/not advertised in order to herd me towards more "healthy" choices.

Sometimes I like to get a mcnugget happy meal and a soda. Nothing wrong with that.

lauren3101

It's good that they are trying to make healthy options for customers, but no-one goes to McDonalds because they want something 'healthy', and everyone is aware that their meals can be calorific, but if it's used as an occasional treat, there's no issue. The problem lies with the individual, not the company.

The soda thing however is ridiculous.

Lynnmi07

I think it is funny everyone here has negative comments about the menu change, mcdonalds would never have had to make these changes had people not complained and used fast good as the excuse for obesity in the US.

Bluizflame

It doesn't say that Soda is not allowed with the kids happy meal, they just don't list it as an option. I'm pretty sure you can still go in and order a soda w/ it. Just like you can still get the 2 cheeseburger meal even though it's not on the menu anymore.

Deipneus

Well this will not work and will not last. As a parent we treat McDonalds and Happy meals as a treat or reward and part of the treat is having a soda. I'll give it a few weeks and people will be screaming or going somewhere else.

Ouch. This sounds like unintentional obesity training for kids. The danger is that kids come to associate food with approval and love and want more of it than is good for them. I like to reward the kids with something other than food.

_Zardoz_

Well this will not work and will not last. As a parent we treat McDonalds and Happy meals as a treat or reward and part of the treat is having a soda. I'll give it a few weeks and people will be screaming or going somewhere else.

Ouch. This sounds like unintentional obesity training for kids. The danger is that kids come to associate food with approval and love and want more of it than is good for them. I like to reward the kids with something other than food.

I love it when people over react.

randomtai

Well this will not work and will not last. As a parent we treat McDonalds and Happy meals as a treat or reward and part of the treat is having a soda. I'll give it a few weeks and people will be screaming or going somewhere else.

Ouch. This sounds like unintentional obesity training for kids. The danger is that kids come to associate food with approval and love and want more of it than is good for them. I like to reward the kids with something other than food.

PennyM140

Well this will not work and will not last. As a parent we treat McDonalds and Happy meals as a treat or reward and part of the treat is having a soda. I'll give it a few weeks and people will be screaming or going somewhere else.

Ouch. This sounds like unintentional obesity training for kids. The danger is that kids come to associate food with approval and love and want more of it than is good for them. I like to reward the kids with something other than food.

I love it when people over react.

That response may have sounded like an over reaction but I understand the point they were trying to make. I hate that I learned from my family to use food as a treat or a comfort. And I TRY not to do that to my son but it is a very hard habit to break.
McDonalds for me now is because I am in a hurry or didn't plan ahead well enough. Or sadly, because I'm having a bad day and I break down and get a milk shake. But it is not a reward and I don't want my son to think it is either.
Yes, I agree a small amount of any food/fdrink you like is ok to incorporate into your diet. But I want it to be just because I like it and I want it, not to make me feel better.

vim_n_vigor

Here kids, here is your healthy meal, no soda, veggies instead of fries. Eat this and be happy while mommy and daddy have some tasty fries and super-sized sodas....

I think all this will do is get parents to stop paying extra for the toys that have only been getting crappier and crappier over the years anyway.

ms_leanne

I'm totes with Lauren on this one as the decision lies with the parent. Maccy Ds in the UK has offered fruit bags and carrot sticks in Happy Meals for a few years now. McDonalds for us growing up was always a treat and we never had the healthy options available. Even when I was a teenager McDonalds was a treat and we used to get one after our Swimming Galas.

Anyway, the point being, my Dad hated McDonalds and my Mum liked it but again never allowed us to eat it regularly. Part of the reason I see for childhood obesity epidemic is from some parents pandering to their children's demands and some being too lazy to prepare healthy food for their children.

escort9580

I let me kids eat many things that are junk in moderation, but I draw the line at McDonald's food. When I was younger I made the mistake of letting my first born eat that and it was an addiction for him. I do not allow any of my children to eat that stuff because I am trying to establish good eating practices for them. I however feel that junk food and sweets are okay, just not that super insanely , not even food stuff they sell as food. We have a pizza Monday as a treat for the whole family. My kids have eaten chinese food and fried chicken but it's not an everyday thing. McDonald's is never king to be a great option because of the quality of food. If you go to a McDonald's in another country the quality is much different and thousands better. Even if they removed soda from the kid's option the burger o chicken nuggets are still unworthy of human consumption. Although it is wonderful to remove it from the menu most parents are not going to get their child a milk or water. I have gone to local restaurants and the waiter ask me if I was a soda for my two year old. It is just the norm. I do let my 11 year old drink sprite when we go out but we don't have soda at home. I try to bring peanut butter sandwiches and fruit when we are going to be long and if not possible then we will stop in a pizzeria or something that I find not as bad a a McDonald's.

bcattoes

How old is that article?

That McDonald's will be offering a side salad or fruit as an option in its value meals is significant in that to date it has only offered fries. How the salad and fruit options will affect the price of the value meals is unknown at this point, and how many consumers will choose the fruit or salad remains to be seen.

McD has offered sliced apples as an aternative to fries for some time. Only about 10% of parents opt for the apples though.

Fruit juice has about the same sugar and calorie content as soda so I'm not sure how that will help with the obesity epidemic.

rassha01

Doesn't bother me, my kids consider the chocolate milk a treat and do not care for the soda!!

FrankiesSaysRelax

It's good that they are trying to make healthy options for customers, but no-one goes to McDonalds because they want something 'healthy', and everyone is aware that their meals can be calorific, but if it's used as an occasional treat, there's no issue. The problem lies with the individual, not the company.

The soda thing however is ridiculous.

I agree with this so much.