McDonalds food has been blamed for playing a part in the obesity problem in the western world. While this has some validity, they are not solely to blame and can be given credit for actively trying to do something about it. In many countries, they supply food information at their restaurants in a flyer format, so that you can check the fat content and calories of all the products before you buy.
McDonalds Healthy Menu Items
There is increasing pressure on McDonalds to provide healthy options. Society is demanding better options, and McDonalds have delivered. In Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, the selection is greatly extended with a range of healthier options under the menus "Salads Plus" (which offers salads, lean-beef burgers, yogurts and more) and "Deli Choices" (submarine style sandwiches made fresh to order). Although the majority of items on the original menu are high in fat, with the increasing selection in the McCafe area, there are some better choices to be made with the ever expanding menu.
New Frying Oil
In recent years, McDonalds in Australia (and probably elsewhere) have introduced a new oil for frying their food which is virtually free of trans fatty acids. The new oil is a blend of canola and high oleic sunflower oil. Previously they used a canola oil blend.
The new oil is cholesterol free (as are most vegetable oils) and has 85% less trans fats than the previously used oil. This change will remove more than 415 tonnes of trans fats from the Australian food supply.
Of course they first tested to see if there was a change in flavor when using the new oil, as profits are still the bottom line. Fortunately for the health of consumers, there was no discernable difference in taste, and we are all healthier for it.
Related Pages
- A Guide to Fast Food – Good and Poor Menu Choices when eating take-out / takeaway.
- Tips for Healthy Take Out — how to make good choices when getting take out / takeaways.
- McDonalds around the world — a guide to menu items from McDonalds restaurants around the world.
- Fast Food Marketing Strategies: Can We Protect Our Kids From It?
- Restaurant Healthy Eating — getting the most out of what they have to offer.
- Which Is Better after a Run – Eating Fast Food or Nothing at all?