Apr. 21--Healthy eating at McDonald's is not an oxymoron, says the registered dietitian who oversees nutrition at the company's 14,000 fast-food restaurants in the U.S.
Cindy Goody, U.S. director of nutrition for McDonald's, concedes nutrition used to be "a dirty word" at McDonald's, but now the chain is a leader in nutrition in the fast-food industry.
Goody told Viterbo University dietetic students last week that McDonald's now offers a wide range of balanced choices, which include more healthy options than ever before.
"The real deal on nutrition at McDonald's is that all food fits into a healthy, active lifestyle," she said. It is the customer's responsibility to make choices from a varied menu, she added.
Goody said McDonald's has focused more on fruit -- 100 percent fruit juice, apple dippers, fruit yogurt parfait and a fruit and walnut salad -- along with salads and snack wraps.
Onalaska-based Courtesy Corp., which owns about 40 area McDonald's restaurants, has joined with Gundersen Lutheran to offer healthy 500 Club choices.
McDonald's has reduced the number of calories in kids' meals by almost one-half, Goody said.
The chain is testing a fruit and apple oatmeal that has 280 calories, is low in fat and sodium, and tastes great, she said.
"We're always looking for products and ways to make sure our food fits into a balanced diet," Goody said.
"We're aware and engaged in lowering sodium," she said.
She said although restaurants have not been required to analyze their food, McDonald's has provided nutrition information in some form for 35 years. The chain offers nutrition information in brochures, on the package and on the back of tray mats, Goody said.
People can go to mcdonalds.com and build their own menu to find out the number of calories, carbohydrates, protein and other nutrition information, she said.
Like other restaurant chains with more than 20 locations, McDonald's must post calorie and nutrition information on menu boards in the next few years as required by rules in the recently passed federal health care law.
"That information will be very visible, and that could have an impact on people making healthier choices," Goody said.
She also told the students about McDonald's extensive food safety program in selecting quality suppliers, implementing good manufacturing practices and food tracking. Each restaurant goes through 72 food safety checks each day, she said.
Goody also talked about McDonald's ethics and the company's belief in strong labor laws. She said one potential supplier was rejected by McDonald's because it hired children to pick fruit.
She also shared a fact most students didn't know -- McDonald's serves "fair trade" coffee from Central America and South America.
Dietetic students know all food is good in moderation, but like me, I'm sure they still wonder whether people will consistently pass up the Big Mac for a grilled chicken salad.
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