McDonalds Tests Fruit Options in Kids’ Meals

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It’s no secret that most fast food kids’ menus don’t offer many healthy options. With parents and nutritionists pressuring top fast food restaurants to put more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables on kids’ menus, some chains are testing the waters.

McDonald’s announced that Cuties clementines from Sun Pacific will be added as a seasonal fruit option this fall; “junior” bananas are being tested and even blueberries are under consideration as a future option, revealed Greg Watson, senior vice president of menu innovation, in a USA TODAY article.

McDonald’s increasingly is looking at whole fruits that would rotate according to season and that require less labor and packaging than the current apple slices, which have been a huge hit with more than 1.1 billion packages sold since 2012.

Cuties — seedless clementines that are easy to peel — were tested at 100 restaurants around Austin for about 12 weeks. “The feedback was overwhelmingly positive,” says Watson.

According to the USA TODAY article, the fruit options won’t be limited to kids’ meals only, providing adults with a healthy on-the-go snack as well.