Today’s Children Don’t Remember Happy Meals Without Apple Slices

Image courtesy of Hilda Solis

It’s not often that we use the phrases “McDonald’s” and “healthy” in close proximity, but the fast-food giant has one thing that it can brag about: putting billions of bags of apple slices in the hands of children. Yes, billions: this week, McDonald’s marked the two billionth bag of the fruit given out with Happy Meals.

Children under five haven’t lived in a world where the apple slices aren’t the default side dish in a Happy Meal: that change happened in 2011. Most of the slices have been served up since then: before the change to a half-serving of fries and a half-serving of apple slices, the chain admitted that most customers didn’t seek out the fruit, with maybe 11% of orders ordering it instead of fries.

McDonald’s would rather have you remember that it’s kids under 12 who have never seen a Happy Meal without apples, since they introduced the option in April of 2004.

(via The Packer)

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