Delivering More Choice

We're helping customers make more balanced choices that don’t compromise on taste, convenience or price.

<h2>Delivering more choice</h2>

We’ve been providing nutritional information for over thirty years and, in 2011, we became the largest company in our sector to display nutritional information on our menu boards.

Since launching our Plan for Change in 2021 we’ve been making more small changes to inspire our customers to make more balanced choices. Customers can now see calorie information for all the ingredients within our products when ordering via our Kiosks and app, making it easier to make informed choices. Following extensive customer research, in 2023 we started to roll out updated nutrition signposting, helping them to navigate our menu. The signposting launched first on our website with other platforms to follow in 2024.

Our commitment and goals

In 2021, as part of our Plan for Change, we committed to strengthening our approach to offering choice on our menu that the whole family can enjoy while also providing more information to help customers make informed choices.

From 2021 conduct ongoing positive behaviour change research and implement findings across our order channels to inspire our customers to make more balanced choices

By 2022 launch the McDonald’s Nutrition Innovation Council, to create recipe reformulations and innovations that support more balanced options that taste delicious

By 2022 develop nutrition criteria in line with recognised guidelines, working with advice from the British Nutrition Foundation, to better define the choices we offer on our menu

By 2023 help customers to navigate our menu by refreshing our menu signposting and nutrition labelling

By 2025 have a market leading vegan plant-based food and drinks offering

By 2026 a minimum of 50% of our products available across the total of our restaurants, excluding promo products, will meet our nutrition criteria

Making a difference across our menu

More vegan options

We want to lead the way in delivering more choice, including plant-based options. In 2021, we launched the McPlant®, our first vegan burger made with a juicy plant-based patty co-developed with Beyond Meat® and certified as vegan by the Vegetarian Society. We were delighted that McPlant® was awarded Burger of the Year at the PETA Vegan Food Awards 2021.

Small changes, more balanced choices

We want to help our customers make informed choices. We’ve been researching interventions with behaviour change experts to help encourage customers to make informed choices across our menu. For example, simply by changing the ordering of drinks visible on our touchscreen kiosks has helped customers to make more healthy choices. In 2023 we switched to promote Grilled over Crispy Chicken in Wraps and Salads across all platforms and have seen an increase in the share of Grilled Wraps selected by customers.

Reformulating our menu

We are always looking at ways in which we can improve and reformulate the items on our menu, such as improving Grilled Chicken in our Wraps and Salads and launching a new healthier porridge. In March 2022, we launched The McDonald’s Nutrition Innovation Council which brings together our suppliers and other food experts, to create recipe reformulations and innovations that offer more balanced options that taste delicious. Working with the Council, we’ve explored ways to meet our healthier nutrition criteria and salt technologies to support our salt reduction programme.

New nutrition criteria

We’ve developed new nutrition criteria in line with recognised guidelines and working with advice by the British Nutrition Foundation. These criteria, launched in 2022, inform how we provide and measure more balanced options on our menu.

Refreshing our menu navigation

To help our customers to navigate our menu we have refreshed our approach to menu signposting and labelling. Our solution was informed by research, and tested with customers to ensure it is easily understood. Changes included adding calories on labels and symbols to show whether the menu item contributes to a customer’s five a day or is a source of fibre or protein. The new signposting is being rolled out across our kiosks, app and website.

Our journey so far

Calories at point of purchase

In 2011, we became the largest company in our sector to provide clearly visible calorie information at the point of purchase across all our restaurants.

Nutrition calculator

In 2017 we relaunched our website enhancing the nutrition calculator so customers can see the effect on nutrition values when customising menu items.

‘Meals Under’ 400 and 600 kcals

In 2017, in the UK we launched our ‘Meals Under’ 400 kcals and 600 kcals bundles which showcase the choices we offer on our menu. More recently we also launched Meals Under in Ireland.

Cutting fat, salt and sugar

Between 2020 and 2023 we removed 150 tonnes of fat, 18.8 tonnes of saturated fat, 34.9 tonnes of salt, 2,672 tonnes of sugar and 11.8 billion calories from our menu. As of 2023, 57% of our menu is classified as not high in fat, salt or sugar (non-HFSS).

New nutritional criteria

In 2021, we launched our new Ireland UK McDonald’s nutritional criteria to guide menu development. The criteria were developed working with advice from the British Nutrition Foundation.

Nutrition Innovation Council

In 2022, we launched our Nutrition Innovation Council to create recipe reformulations and innovations that offer more balanced options that taste delicious.

New menu signposting

In 2023 we started to roll out a new approach to menu signposting with clear labels and symbols to show calories, contributions to five a day and sources of fibre and protein.

How these changes add up

These small changes are making a big different to our menu and our customers' choices.

Between 2020 and 2023 we removed 1,200 tonnes of fat, 512 tonnes of saturated fat, 83.7 tonnes of salt and 2,545 tonnes of sugar from our menu. 90% of our core food & drinks menu in the UK is now 500 calories or under.

Small changes to the way we label and promote our menu items are also having an impact. For example, we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of Fruit Bags being sold in Happy Meals. Nearly one million (950,000) side salads were sold in 2017 as a result of the option for customers to substitute fries for a side salad for free with our meals. In 2023, we switched to promote Grilled over Crispy Chicken in Wraps and Salads across all platforms resulting in an increase in the share of Grilled Wraps selected by customers.

The people behind our Plan

“The informal eating out category is evolving. Customers are looking for more choice – and they expect brands such as McDonald’s to be leading the way. By partnering with our suppliers and the franchisees that run our restaurants, we have a clear long-term strategy in place to meet these changing customer needs.”

Thomas O’Neill, Head of Menu, McDonald’s Restaurants Ireland & UK

Happy Meal®

We review and update our Happy Meal® menu regularly. In 2020 we launched our Veggie Dippers, approved by the Vegetarian Society. 64% of items in our Happy Meal® menu are non-High in Fat Salt and Sugar (HFSS). Use our Nutrition Calculator to see the calories and other nutrition information for our Happy Meals.

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