Is McDonald's going over to the?light side? Find out ... - Health Blog

Is it true? Is McDonald?s, the company tarred and chicken-nugget feathered with Morgan Spurlock?s 2004 documentary Super Size Me (about the deleterious effects of 30 days of eating McDonald?s food had on his health) and the very same company that faced (and overcame) the prospect of a class-action lawsuit in California for including toys in its Happy Meals (because the toys were said to be enticing kids to eat unhealthy food), moving from the dark side of American nutrition to the light?

One thing?s for sure. McDonald?s wants to be seen as part of the solution to our rising obesity crisis and not as part of the problem any more. To that end, you can check out a ?Good Food, Good People, Good Neighbors? program, featuring healthy food, an exercise class, face painting and music at a North Texas McDonald?s.?It?s all happening ?Friday, Oct. 19 from 4-7 p.m. at the McDonald?s at 7233 John Carpenter Freeway in Dallas.

Franchise owner and operator Billie Hawkins plans to highlight the restaurant?s commitment to health and nutrition by showing?how food at the restaurant is prepared, how the company uses local vendors to provide fresh produce and ways that the company is committed to providing healthier food options, from new salads and grilled chicken items on the menu to a revamping of kids? Happy Meals to promote produce and low-fat dairy options. There?s ?a caloric and nutrition breakdown on each item, right down to the catsup packages, a commitment to reduce the amount of sugar and saturated fats and tips on how to make healthier choices.

One of the most intriguing ideas they?re offering is a chance to customize your meals. Among your options:

Ask for no salt on your fries

Big Mac ? ask to hold the medium bun and half the sauce

Hold the cheese on a 300-calorie Egg McMuffin to bring it down to 280 calories.

The company has been rolling out the new policy for a while now, with a ?Favorites Under 400 Calories? campaign that ran at the time of the Summer Olympics and a McDonalds.com meal option that shows you you can add or subtract calories from your meal (click on the Nutrition heading). They even have a new smartphone app that can give you calorie estimates.

So, what do you think? Does this change the way you think about McDonald?s as a food option for your family?

Kids will be encouraged to get apples and milk with their nuggets instead of fries and soda in the new Happy Meal

Source: http://healthblog.dallasnews.com/2012/10/is-mcdonalds-going-over-to-the-light-side-find-out-friday-as-a-mcdonalds-healthy-fun-and-games-event.html/

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