McDonald's Offers Healthy Choices, Non-Profit Funding for Nutrition Awareness

For the better part of a year, national fastfood restaurant chain McDonald's has been offering healthy options on their menu, and now many of the Tri-State Area locations, including the one in , launched a new localized outreach initiative known as the McDonald’s Nutrition Network.

The Network would award seed funding to not-for-profit groups that brings grassroots nutrition programs to the communities they serve.  It is considered an extension of the companies commitment to making nutrition fun for kids.

"As an owner and operator, I'm really proud that McDonald's is putting money behind this new program, reaching out to the community and helping local organizations bring nutrition information and guidance to residents,"  River Edge McDonald’s owner Linda Dunham said. "It's a great way to create awareness so that parents can make better food choice decisions. Nutrition is a big topic and we pride ourselves on providing outstanding customer service, so we're listening to our customers."

One way that Dunham and McDonald's as a corporation has been listening to its customers to by providing healthier options on the menu such as apple slices and 1% milk in the Happy Menu, oatmeal and parfait on the breakfast items, along with a variety of salads. The restaurant chain had switched to a Canola blend cooking oil for a 0 grams trans fat per serving and reduced the sodium involved in cooking by 10%.

"By placing healthier items in the menu we are evolving," Dunham said. "Parents can choose that their children have a smaller fry or instead have apple slices in the Happy Meal and have milk instead of soda. I'm a mother myself and I'm always interested in making the best choice for my children and I feel that I'm doing a good job for the community. Many customers have spoken well of the changes. Families are struggling everyday and we're providing them with choices so that they can continue that message at home and at school to make healthy eating decisions."

This weekend, McDonald's is sponsoring a registered dietician to speak April 28 at the YMCA of Greater Bergen County's Healthy Kids Day event in Hackensack. While children from age 5-12 participate in the day’s healthy and fun activities, parents can learn about healthy eating choices. The event runs from 10am to 2pm at 360 Main Street, Hackensack.