TOMORROW sees a change coming to Happy Meals at Wokingham’s only McDonald’s.
The Lower Earley branch is introducing cucumber sticks as an alternative to fries in the child-friendly meal deal. They will only be on offer until July and replace the option of carrot sticks.
McDonald’s said that the summer swap came about after they read new research that reveals cucumber is one of the easiest ways to up children’s fruit and veg intake.
Marie Emery, head of family marketing at McDonald’s, said: “We are always working on ways to improve our Happy Meal and the introduction of cucumber sticks is an exciting step in this journey.
“It can be tricky to get kids to enjoy their recommended fruit and vegetable intake but customers told us cucumber is a popular choice for families.
“More than a third of children already eat it between two and three times a week, so we’re delighted to be able to offer it as part of our Happy Meal. We’ll continue to listen to our customers and give them choices that work for their families.”
The survey, conducted by Opinium earlier this month, revealed that more than eight out of 10 parents admit that they find it difficult to achieve their children’s recommended portions of fruit and vegetables, with 33% of parents resorting to hiding it in meals, 21% cutting it into funny shapes and 21% bribing their children with the promise of pudding in an effort to make them eat it.
And the same survey found that cucumber sticks were voted among children’s favourite three healthy snacks, alongside carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes, with 24% of parents naming cucumber sticks as the easiest to give their children. A total of 1,000 parents were surveyed in the poll.