LaQuicha Jennings

After a long Saturday of shopping with the kids, hitting the nearest McDonalds is always first on the kids' mind even if it is unhealthy. They always order a Happy Meal. Only rarely will the cashier ask if the kids want apples and milk. They automatically assume they want fries and a soda.

I think to myself why they wouldn’t offer the healthier choice especially with so many kids being overweight. Of the 24 possible Happy Meal combinations McDonalds’s describes on its website, all exceed 430 calories, which is a third of the 1,300-calories recommended daily intake for kids 4 to 8.

Then adding a toy with the meal sets a child up to expect toys and food together. Wait until the first time they go somewhere else to eat without toys in the meals. Can you say meltdown? Fast food companies spend $520 million a year on marketing to children, and $350 million of that is on toys.

They could promote the healthy choices especially since they are using toys as a reward for the kids and unhealthy eating habits should not be rewarded. A child eating a Happy Meal with French fries, hamburger, and a soda has 590 calories, but if they decided to eat a hamburger with apple dippers and 1% milk, it is only 490 calories: 140 less calories or 25% fewer calories and half as much fat.

Kids sometimes get the Happy Meal just for the toys. Every time that we feed our kids at McDonald’s it is actually shortening their life span. Take a second look before you feed your kids greasy unhealthy food, I am.

How do you feel about toys in Kids' meals?

Photograph Credit:
Sabrina Segal