Being healthy is the newest trend and McDonalds is giving in to it. Today the biggest fastfood chain in the world revealed that beginning next week, they will start posting calorie counts on their menu. Read more below.
McDonald’s said on Wednesday that it would begin posting calorie counts on all its menus next week — a move that could put pressure on other fast-food restaurants to do the same. The company also unveiled several menu additions aimed at making its offerings more healthful. They include an egg white McMuffin, a grilled chicken option for the Happy Meal and seasonal fruits and vegetables like blueberries and cucumbers.
“We recognize customers want to know more about the nutrition content of the food and beverages they order,” Jan Fields, president of McDonald’s USA, said in a statement.
McDonald’s has been experimenting this summer with placards listing “Favorites Under 400,” the items on its menu that have 400 calories or fewer. This fall, some 750,000 of its employees will be able to participate in an e-learning program about nutrition, calories and the company’s menu to help them answer customers’ questions.
McDonald’s plans to introduce an app this year that will provide customers with information about calories in its products and help them build a customized meal plan.
Under the health care bill upheld by the Supreme Court this summer, all restaurants with more than 20 locations will have to post calorie counts on their menus, though the precise regulations and timetable for doing so have not yet been detailed.
McDonald’s, which has 14,000 locations around the country, is by far the largest chain to post calorie counts nationwide. Panera Bread, which is much smaller with more than 1,500 bakery-cafes across the country, also posts calorie counts.
McDonald’s decided to act before the federal requirement takes effect, even though the industry at large has resisted listing calories on menus.
“They are such a huge restaurant and there are so many people that eat their food, so this is a really positive step,” said Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “It will help their customers get more familiar with calorie counts and make decisions about what they eat based on them, and it will probably improve McDonald’s menu over time.”
