McDonald's is removing cheeseburgers and chocolate milk from the Happy Meal menu - and parents are furious
- McDonald's announced it's taking cheeseburgers and chocolate milk from the Happy Meal menu.
- The chain made the change to promote healthier options, and customers can still order cheeseburger Happy Meals by special request.
- Customers called foul, saying McDonald's shouldn't tell parents what to feed their children.
McDonald's has taken cheeseburgers and chocolate milk off the Happy Meal menu - and not everyone is happy.
The items were taken off the menu for nutrition concerns in what McDonald's head of global nutrition told Business Insider was "a gentle nudge in encouraging more positive choices."
Unfortunately, many customers see it as a harsh shove in a direction they don't want. They've taken to social media to voice their concerns over McDonald's playing a more active roll in their children's food choices.
Some voiced concern while stating that it was up to a parent to decide what a child should or shouldn't eat. They point out that though the chain has scrubbed up its unhealthy reputation from the '90s, it's still not a health food joint, and people who choose to eat there are doing so with intention.
Others' concerns were based primarily on the nostalgia factor. The cheeseburger is one of McDonald's most iconic offerings, and to take that away hurts the
The chain made the change, as well as adjustments to fry sizes included in Happy Meals, to try and make 50% of Happy Meal menu meals under 600 calories.
"With these planned menu updates, there will be average reductions of 20% in calories, 50% in added sugars, 13% in saturated fat and/or 17% in sodium, depending on the customer's specific meal selection," the company said in a statement.
The important thing to note here is that this only affects advertising for happy meals. The chocolate milk will return after it is reformulated to include less sugar. Customers can still order a cheeseburger if they ask for it.
It's more about the image of the brand. McDonald's has been on a health kick as of late, shaking off artificial ingredients and other preservatives that go into the food. It's all in a bid to modernize how people look at McDonald's.