As part of an ongoing initiative to make its food healthier for kids, McDonald’s plans to remove the cheeseburger and chocolate milk options from its Happy Meal menu by 2022.
The adults are not taking this very well. See a sample of the unhappy Twitter reactions below.
The idea that @McDonalds is going to remove Cheeseburgers from their happy meals, or that it is going to take 5 years to implement, is beyond stupid.
1. Their is no logistical reason it should take a fraction of 5 years.
2. Removing cheeseburgers is abandoning your core identity.— AkesAndPain (@AkesAndPain) February 15, 2018
In other news, @McDonalds changes name to Sad Meals https://t.co/WFm55OcM3k
— Domenico Montanaro (@DomenicoNPR) February 15, 2018
https://twitter.com/good_wifey/status/964099612796751873
Healthy & #McDonalds in the same sentence is an Oxymoron
— Mark Candler (@MarkCandler) February 15, 2018
I love you, McDonalds, but removing cheeseburgers from the Happy Meal is blasphemy.
— .:RiotGrlErin:. (@RiotGrlErin) February 15, 2018
Then it ain’t a Happy Meal https://t.co/RJnj3p6jP4
— Rebecca Theodore-Vachon ?? ?? ?? (@FilmFatale_NYC) February 15, 2018
BREAKING: McDonald's to remove cheeseburger from the Happy Meal in order to give kids healthier food options to go with their soda and french fries. pic.twitter.com/ZxyXQ1VJcp
— Robbie Jaeger ? (@RobletoFire) February 15, 2018
https://twitter.com/AForHonesty/status/964107426403373057
https://twitter.com/fityshadesofred/status/964104421599825920
https://twitter.com/FishFunSun/status/964100328097533957
In the interest of fairness, here are the statements from McDonald’s Thursday announcement:
“We recognize the opportunity that we have to support families as one of the most visited restaurants in the world, and remain committed to elevating our food, celebrating the joy of reading, and helping those in need through Ronald McDonald House Charities,” said Steve Easterbrook, McDonald’s president and CEO. “Given our scale and reach, we hope these actions will bring more choices to consumers and uniquely benefit millions of families, which are important steps as we build a better McDonald’s.”
“From day one, Healthier Generation knew our work with McDonald’s could influence broad scale improvements to meal options for kids everywhere,” added Dr. Howell Wechsler, CEO of Alliance for a Healthier Generation. “Today’s announcement represents meaningful progress to impact kids’ calories, saturated fat, sodium and added sugar in Happy Meal bundles as offered on menu boards – and to promote more water. This sets a high bar, and we hope other industry leaders will follow suit.”
“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. “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.”