Happy Meal for Kids keeps Parents Happy as Well?

For years, McDonalds has offered its trademark Happy Meal to its customers ages 12 and younger. However, recently McDonalds has changed their Kid’s Meal.

No more than a year ago has this change been implemented, the former Happy Meal with chicken nuggets contains 520 calories and 26 grams of fat, while the altered version contains the number-slice of 410 calories and 19 grams of fat (Storm).

“By adding fruit in every Happy Meal, McDonald's hopes to address a challenge children face in meeting the recommended daily consumption of produce” (“New Happy Meal”).

Instead of ample amount of greasy fires for tiny mouths, this chain has given apple dippers as a means to “accustom kids to eating fresh fruit and vegetables when they go out to eat” (Storm).

When parents take an initiative to start their children on a healthy living style early in life, the more likely they will be to follow it.

Fast Food!

Americans love golden brown fries, hot, juicy burgers, and a refreshing beverage to wash it all down. Fortunately, America leads the list in the country with the most McDonalds – a company that specializes in just that (“New Happy Meal”).

As said by Suton, “the US food production system yields a large volume of food that is relatively low in cost for consumers but is often high in calories and low in nutritional value.”

Fast food companies make their money from busy consumers grabbing something quick to eat and lazy consumers who do not cook for themselves.

“Like upper income households, who spend almost half of their food budget on food away from home, many low- income households turn to restaurant meals in part to help save time,” (Carlson).

Living in America, it is hard to ignore the temptation of ready-made food offered for only a couple bucks.

However, there is a rising trend of a healthier living style, and most people do not see fast food as healthy.