What I Learn at the McDonalds’s Lunch Bunch

Do you remember me sharing about the McDonald’s Lunch Bunch Events in North Texas? I recently attended one of these events at a McDonalds in Dallas. The event is designed to help teach moms and dads about the company’s efforts to address better nutrition.

McDonald’s Lunch Bunch

There was a registered dietician at the event who talked about portion control and adding more green foods to your family meals. The dietician also gave some good tips on how to eat more healthfully while on the go.

Busy parents often choose McDonald’s to provide nourishment for their families. Jeff Smith, the owner of a local McDonalds, said, “We love being able to provide them with easily accessible, healthy choices. We are listening to our customers and making some changes to our menu to offer a more balanced meal for kids by teaching them about various menu items and giving them a closer look at some of our innovative technology”.

You Have Options

One of McDonald’s efforts on this front is their online nutrition calculator. Parents can check this out to help steer their kids in the right direction for making better meal choices. Here are a few examples of what is in the nutrition calculator to help you choose:

• Fruit and Yogurt Parfait = 150 calories with 1 gram saturated fat and 4 grams of protein
• Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad = 350 calories with 4.5 grams saturated fat and 37 grams of protein
• Chicken McNuggets = 180 calories with 2 grams saturated fat and 10 grams of protein
• Apple slices = 15 calories and 0 saturated fat

The four McDonald’s Lunch Bunch events took place in the Dallas, Fort Worth, and Tyler areas throughout this year. Moms and dads will get the opportunity to get an inside look at McDonald’s community initiatives and operations. The event I attended also gave me an opportunity to meet other like-minded parents. You will also meet representatives from local Ronald McDonald House Charities to see how the company is helping those in need.

These nutrition-focused events are the result of McDonald’s recent announcement that it will market more balanced kids’ meals, including removing cheeseburgers from its Happy Meal menu. I think McDonald’s is moving in a good direction for the fast food industry that many rely on in our busy lives.