McDonalds Promises Healthier Happy Meals

[MJS]

http://www.courant.com/health/hc-mcdonalds-happy-meals-20110726,0,7356222.story


"McDonald's said on Tuesday it will soon tweak its children's Happy Meals, reducing the french fry portion by more than half and automatically adding apples to the popular meals, after coming under pressure from consumer groups to provide healthier fare.
McDonald's said on Tuesday it will soon tweak its children's Happy Meals, reducing the french fry portion by more than half and automatically adding apples to the popular meals, after coming under pressure from consumer groups to provide healthier fare.
McDonald's — which consumer groups say should lower calories, sugar and sodium in its meals for children — said that it would start making the changes in September and that the new Happy Meals would be available in all of its 14,000 U.S. restaurants by the first quarter of 2012."


Does anyone think this will cut down on the obesity of kids in the world?

 

[MaxiMe]

http://www.courant.com/health/hc-mcdonalds-happy-meals-20110726,0,7356222.story


"McDonald's said on Tuesday it will soon tweak its children's Happy Meals, reducing the french fry portion by more than half and automatically adding apples to the popular meals, after coming under pressure from consumer groups to provide healthier fare.
McDonald's said on Tuesday it will soon tweak its children's Happy Meals, reducing the french fry portion by more than half and automatically adding apples to the popular meals, after coming under pressure from consumer groups to provide healthier fare.
McDonald's — which consumer groups say should lower calories, sugar and sodium in its meals for children — said that it would start making the changes in September and that the new Happy Meals would be available in all of its 14,000 U.S. restaurants by the first quarter of 2012."


Does anyone think this will cut down on the obesity of kids in the world?

Nope. I wanna know are they going to have a super size version so you get all the fries?

really isn't it the parents job to teach kids to make good choices?

Just like in the trades. You can have it 1. Fast, 2. Cheap, 3. Good

Pick 2.

 

[granfire]

Nope. I wanna know are they going to have a super size version so you get all the fries?

really isn't it the parents job to teach kids to make good choices?

Just like in the trades. You can have it 1. Fast, 2. Cheap, 3. Good

Pick 2.

most of the time pick one...

 

[MJS]

Nope. I wanna know are they going to have a super size version so you get all the fries?

really isn't it the parents job to teach kids to make good choices?

Just like in the trades. You can have it 1. Fast, 2. Cheap, 3. Good

Pick 2.

Yes, but that would require having to step up and acually do that, instead of taking the easy route...which is passing blame on someone else. Whats interesting, is that yes, there are healthier options. I've seen it on shows like The Biggest Loser. When they have the guest chefs come in, ask everyone what their fav. fattening food is, and create something very similar, with much less fat, cals., etc.

Eating healthy isn't cheap. Go into the grocery store and look at the prices of a healthy option for a cookie and then go into the aisle with the rest of the cookies and look at the price. You can go to the dollar menu with $20 and feed alot of people, cheap. Take that same $20 and try to find some healthy options at a nice restuarant. Sure, they're there, but they're limited and you'll be lucky if the $20 covers it.

 

[Steve]

Personally, as a guy who works full time, with a wife who also works full time in a job that includes very frequent travel, I appreciate this and think it will help. I'll freely admit that when it's just me and the three kids, two teenagers and a toddler, the choice isn't healthy or unhealthy. The choice is feed them fast food at 6:30 or feed them something at home at 8pm. While the teens are resilient enough to eat at 8pm, the toddler needs dinner at a reasonable hour, because her bed time is 8pm. I guess that's another choice... healthy food or a good night's sleep. Hmm... any way you cut it, I'm really, really happy to see that fast food joints are offering... let's call them less unhealthy options. Apples, milk and a cheeseburger is better than a pop tart in the back seat of the car on the way to soccer practice for one of the older kids.

I guess it seems to me to be a little unrealistic to suggest that this is simply a parenting issue. In a country where unemployment is at 10% and so many are struggling to just put food on the table, I'm certainly not complaining. But I don't have a domestic wife, like in Leave it to Beaver, who has dinner ready each night. I think I'm a pretty typical American. We cook at home as often as possible, but for those times when we can't, it's good to see that some restaurants are making it easier to find healthier alternatives.

 

[MJS]

Personally, as a guy who works full time, with a wife who also works full time in a job that includes very frequent travel, I appreciate this and think it will help. I'll freely admit that when it's just me and the three kids, two teenagers and a toddler, the choice isn't healthy or unhealthy. The choice is feed them fast food at 6:30 or feed them something at home at 8pm. While the teens are resilient enough to eat at 8pm, the toddler needs dinner at a reasonable hour, because her bed time is 8pm. I guess that's another choice... healthy food or a good night's sleep. Hmm... any way you cut it, I'm really, really happy to see that fast food joints are offering... let's call them less unhealthy options. Apples, milk and a cheeseburger is better than a pop tart in the back seat of the car on the way to soccer practice for one of the older kids.

I guess it seems to me to be a little unrealistic to suggest that this is simply a parenting issue. In a country where unemployment is at 10% and so many are struggling to just put food on the table, I'm certainly not complaining. But I don't have a domestic wife, like in Leave it to Beaver, who has dinner ready each night. I think I'm a pretty typical American. We cook at home as often as possible, but for those times when we can't, it's good to see that some restaurants are making it easier to find healthier alternatives.

Agreed Steve. If they are offering stuff with reduced sugar, sodium, etc., then good. Perhaps this will be a small part of helping to cut down on the obesity issue. As for the parenting issue....I do see your point, and I said myself, that healthier options, are more expensive than the less healthy ones. However, if it were a toss up between a bigmac at Micky D's and a tuna grinder from subway, well, the healthier option should be obvious. And when we think about it, the difference in price isn't that much.

As for the feeding times....one possibly solution for people could be to prepare foods in advance and freeze them. All thats needed then, is simply to reheat. I'm not saying this is the end all be all solution, just an option. My wife and I, unfortunately work different shifts, her during the day and me at night. The few days that I am home to share a meal with her, I start the process early enough, so its ready or close to ready, by the time she gets home. But yes, were we to work the same hours, yeah, its a pita to get home at 4 or 5, have to start cooking and not eat until an hour or so later.

 

[RandomPhantom700]

Note that the thread title's operative word is healthier, not healthy. This is a PR move by McDonalds, understandable from a business perspective, but concerning in the precedent it sets. You still need to moderate how much fast food you eat, and short of changing its entire restaurant structure (and thereby no longer be a fast-food joint), McDonalds will never be able to do the fixing for you.

 

[granfire]

Note that the thread title's operative word is healthier, not healthy. This is a PR move by McDonalds, understandable from a business perspective, but concerning in the precedent it sets. You still need to moderate how much fast food you eat, and short of changing its entire restaurant structure (and thereby no longer be a fast-food joint), McDonalds will never be able to do the fixing for you.

well, healthier options are a start.
but hey, even good stuff is bad when you consume it en masse....

nobody can fix what you put in your mouth for you.

 

[Steve]

Agreed Steve. If they are offering stuff with reduced sugar, sodium, etc., then good. Perhaps this will be a small part of helping to cut down on the obesity issue. As for the parenting issue....I do see your point, and I said myself, that healthier options, are more expensive than the less healthy ones. However, if it were a toss up between a bigmac at Micky D's and a tuna grinder from subway, well, the healthier option should be obvious. And when we think about it, the difference in price isn't that much.

Not as obvious as you'd think. Tuna and most fish contain trace amounts of methylmercury. The FDA recommends you eat foods such as shellfish and tuna no more than twice per week. Kids less often and small children and babies should eat it only occasionally.

As for the feeding times....one possibly solution for people could be to prepare foods in advance and freeze them. All thats needed then, is simply to reheat. I'm not saying this is the end all be all solution, just an option. My wife and I, unfortunately work different shifts, her during the day and me at night. The few days that I am home to share a meal with her, I start the process early enough, so its ready or close to ready, by the time she gets home. But yes, were we to work the same hours, yeah, its a pita to get home at 4 or 5, have to start cooking and not eat until an hour or so later.

Just for anyone who's interested, my wife travels most weeks Tuesday through Friday. So, the routine is get off work, pick the toddler up and hit the grocery store to pick up whatever we need. With a 210 lbs, 6 ft tall 15 year old, it is physically impossible to keep any food in the pantry. That kid puts away more food than I could ever have imagined. Then home.

My 14 year old and I do most of the cooking for the house. She's awesome and loves to cook, and I appreciate the help. So, between the two of us, we knock out dinner. Honestly, it doesn't take long to cook chicken, fish, or even beef, and I strongly recommend a pressure cooker.

There are times, however, when we have no time to cook. Band concerts, doctors appointments, JROTC drill meets, whatever. It's usually just me and the kids, and I can't do everything. So, we eat fast food... probably once a week. Couple times per month, I'm just tired and don't feel like cooking. So, we order pizza or pick one up at Costco. Or I'll just buy a frozen lasagna and a bag salad.

On a slight tangent, I've said before that I believe there's a difference between junk food now and junk food 30 years ago. Better living through science has made foods cheaper and less healthy. We're largely (as a society) living in denial. I mean, everyone knows that french fries aren't health food. But there's a difference between fried potatoes and what we get at McD's in a french fry container. Hamburgers aren't health food, but what you get at Burger King isn't just ground beef. It's a slurry patty. While we all know that ice cream is a sweet treat, a milk shake is as likely as not to contain no actual cream.

Point I'm driving at isn't that everything has to be healthy. We are, to a degree, responsible for what we eat. But am I the only one who believes that there's a market for reasonably healthy junk food? I mean, fast food doesn't have to be sugar filled, chemically altered, preserved, processed, artificially flavored, artificially colored and artificially textured slurry. It just doesn't.

 

[MaxiMe]

Not as obvious as you'd think. Tuna and most fish contain trace amounts of methylmercury. The FDA recommends you eat foods such as shellfish and tuna no more than twice per week. Kids less often and small children and babies should eat it only occasionally. Just for anyone who's interested, my wife travels most weeks Tuesday through Friday. So, the routine is get off work, pick the toddler up and hit the grocery store to pick up whatever we need. With a 210 lbs, 6 ft tall 15 year old, it is physically impossible to keep any food in the pantry. That kid puts away more food than I could ever have imagined. Then home.

My 14 year old and I do most of the cooking for the house. She's awesome and loves to cook, and I appreciate the help. So, between the two of us, we knock out dinner. Honestly, it doesn't take long to cook chicken, fish, or even beef, and I strongly recommend a pressure cooker.

There are times, however, when we have no time to cook. Band concerts, doctors appointments, JROTC drill meets, whatever. It's usually just me and the kids, and I can't do everything. So, we eat fast food... probably once a week. Couple times per month, I'm just tired and don't feel like cooking. So, we order pizza or pick one up at Costco. Or I'll just buy a frozen lasagna and a bag salad.

On a slight tangent, I've said before that I believe there's a difference between junk food now and junk food 30 years ago. Better living through science has made foods cheaper and less healthy. We're largely (as a society) living in denial. I mean, everyone knows that french fries aren't health food. But there's a difference between fried potatoes and what we get at McD's in a french fry container. Hamburgers aren't health food, but what you get at Burger King isn't just ground beef. It's a slurry patty. While we all know that ice cream is a sweet treat, a milk shake is as likely as not to contain no actual cream.

Point I'm driving at isn't that everything has to be healthy. We are, to a degree, responsible for what we eat. But am I the only one who believes that there's a market for reasonably healthy junk food? I mean, fast food doesn't have to be sugar filled, chemically altered, preserved, processed, artificially flavored, artificially colored and artificially textured slurry. It just doesn't.

I agree. Maybe I stated it wrong. It's the parents choice. And MC D's to either change practices or status quo. (for the record MCD's shares parking with Dojang and I don't like MC D's food never have so we don't go there.)
All in moderation IMHO
And brother I've been there with ya, no I aint washing another pot or defrosting tonight. Lets get a pizza.

 

[MJS]

Not as obvious as you'd think. Tuna and most fish contain trace amounts of methylmercury. The FDA recommends you eat foods such as shellfish and tuna no more than twice per week. Kids less often and small children and babies should eat it only occasionally.

The tuna was simply an example. But we can look at this:

http://www.dairyqueen.com/resources/0006/2889/2136/2011USDQFoodandTreatNutritionBrochure.pdf

http://www.subwayfreshbuzz.com/menu/freshfit_meal_builder/?section=kids#kids

Now, make no mistake about it, I'm not a health nut. Yes, I do exercise, I do my best to watch what I eat, but I also treat myself from time to time. There're alot of temptations very close to me. I can walk to the DQ, as its just down the hill from my condo, in a shopping complex. Do I go there daily? No. Not even weekly. Maybe once a month, if that. Theres also a Subway there, which I frequent more than the DQ. So, I guess thats what I was trying to say...within reason, is, IMO, fine.

Just for anyone who's interested, my wife travels most weeks Tuesday through Friday. So, the routine is get off work, pick the toddler up and hit the grocery store to pick up whatever we need. With a 210 lbs, 6 ft tall 15 year old, it is physically impossible to keep any food in the pantry. That kid puts away more food than I could ever have imagined. Then home.

Damn, thats a big boy!!!

My 14 year old and I do most of the cooking for the house. She's awesome and loves to cook, and I appreciate the help. So, between the two of us, we knock out dinner. Honestly, it doesn't take long to cook chicken, fish, or even beef, and I strongly recommend a pressure cooker.

There are times, however, when we have no time to cook. Band concerts, doctors appointments, JROTC drill meets, whatever. It's usually just me and the kids, and I can't do everything. So, we eat fast food... probably once a week. Couple times per month, I'm just tired and don't feel like cooking. So, we order pizza or pick one up at Costco. Or I'll just buy a frozen lasagna and a bag salad.

On a slight tangent, I've said before that I believe there's a difference between junk food now and junk food 30 years ago. Better living through science has made foods cheaper and less healthy. We're largely (as a society) living in denial. I mean, everyone knows that french fries aren't health food. But there's a difference between fried potatoes and what we get at McD's in a french fry container. Hamburgers aren't health food, but what you get at Burger King isn't just ground beef. It's a slurry patty. While we all know that ice cream is a sweet treat, a milk shake is as likely as not to contain no actual cream.

Point I'm driving at isn't that everything has to be healthy. We are, to a degree, responsible for what we eat. But am I the only one who believes that there's a market for reasonably healthy junk food? I mean, fast food doesn't have to be sugar filled, chemically altered, preserved, processed, artificially flavored, artificially colored and artificially textured slurry. It just doesn't.

I'm certainly not intending to tell people how to live their life, how or what they should cook, etc. Just simply responding to the thread. I have a sit down job, and yes, due to that, I've put on a few extra pounds. But, thats all the more reason for me to exercise more, and watch what I eat. Trust me, I'm tempted daily, by coworkers who go out to eat nightly. You name it...pizza, burgers, etc. If I ate that **** every day, I'd be 400lbs. Of course, like I said, preparing things in advance, and freezing them, and then simply reheat. Again, that isn't the end all be all solution, simply an option.