"McDonald's is always changing its menu with shifting tastes, but the Happy Meal seems like it will be a stalwart forever. Introduced in 1979, the kids meal has become an iconic part of McDonald's cultural impact. With its playful red and yellow box and the McDonald's Happy Meal toys calling out to children, the company sells a reported 2.7 million kids meals a day worldwide."
"As part of the changes, McDonald's committed to getting all of its Happy Meals under 600 calories, with no more than 20% of those calories coming from saturated fat and sugar, and no more than 650 mg of sodium. The changes were intended to result in a 50% reduction in added sugars and a 17% reduction in sodium on top of the reduced calorie count."
The Happy Meal launched in 1979 and remains a high-volume kids' offering, selling about 2.7 million units daily worldwide. Original Happy Meal choices included a burger, cheeseburger, or Chicken McNuggets alongside small fries and a small drink. In 2018, McDonald's revised Happy Meal nutrition by replacing soda with reduced-sugar juice and milk and removing the cheeseburger option. Company targets required all Happy Meals to be under 600 calories, with no more than 20% of calories from saturated fat and sugar and no more than 650 mg of sodium. A single slice of American cheese adds 210 mg sodium, 2.5 g saturated fat, and 50 calories, which prevented the cheeseburger from meeting the new targets.
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