Tag Archives: McDonalds

A Lighter Shamrock Shake Recipe That Doesn’t Need 73 Grams of Sugar Like McDonald’s

Every holiday comes with its traditional fare. During Lent the fast food chains bombard us with fried fish sandwiches. People lose their minds over Cadbury Easter eggs each spring. Candy corn makes Halloween more enjoyable. And for most of fall we add pumpkin to anything that will sit still. Few restaurants other than your surly neighborhood Irish pub get any attention on St. Patrick’s Day, but during the last ten years, McDonald’s has moved in on that market.

They didn’t do it with corned beef or potatoes or even soda bread, but instead with something not even remotely close to being Irish. They did it with ice cream.

Their Shamrock Shake has almost become the stuff of drive-through legends, falling behind its popular brother the McRib. With much fanfare the restaurant announces “It’s Back!” and fills customers with this cool, creamy mint shake just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Other than the fact that mint is green and St. Patrick’s day is green, we’ve yet to find much connection between the holiday and the herb.

What we have found is that the McDonald’s Shamrock Shake, for the small 12 ounces, will fill you up with 530 calories, 15 grams of fat, and 73 grams of sugar. That last one sent even us in to a bit of shock. Seventy three grams of sugar in a 12-ounce cup is, to put it mildly, a lot. (more…)

Posted on March 11, 2024 by Natalie K

McDonald’s Commits to Serving Certified Sustainable Seafood at All Locations

McDonald’s isn’t usually one to make headlines for positive news, but that’s just what they’ve done this week. The company announced yesterday that it will commit to serving only certified-sustainable seafood at all of its locations, making it the first U.S. national restaurant chain to do so.

This, of course, is big news for sustainability advocates as McDonald’s is the one of the largest single buyers of fish in the U.S.

Consumers will notice the change not only in the company’s packaging, which will now include a blue ecolabel of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). But also in a marketing effort which will roll out as soon as the changes are official in early February. In addition to their famous Filet-O-Fish sandwich, McDonald’s will also launch a new product called Fish McBites, which will be made with MSC-certified, wild-caught Alaska pollock.

As reported by the Huffington Post, the MSC is an independent non-profit organization that sets standards for sustainable fishing based on the impacts a fishery has on its ecosystem, its fish stock health, and its fishery management system. (more…)

Posted on January 25, 2024 by Dana

Some of America’s Top Brands are Leading Culprits in the Obesity Epidemic

You know advertising is a big deal when there’s such a thing as Advertising Week in the U.S. While few consumers took note, the event is happening this week in New York with the goal of identifying how brands sold by marketers can produce better business results.

A study released yesterday identified which brands are the most powerful and how they’re getting it right. Additionally, the study pointed out the problems of brands whose value is on the decline.

As reported by Yahoo Finance, the study is the 13th annual Best Global Brands report from Interbrand – an Omnicon Group-owned brand consulting company. The result of the study was a ranking of the top 100 most valuable brands based on measures such as financial performance, how the brand influences consumer choices, and its ability to boost its parent company’s earnings.

The best global brands of 2024 include 1) Coca-Cola, 2) Apple, 3) IBM, 4) Google and 5) Microsoft. Ferrari and Gap round out the list in slots 99 and 100, respectively.

Of the ranking, Christine Fruecthe, president and chief executive at Colle and McVoy advertising agency, believes companies should take note as to what works and what doesn’t when it comes to marketing and advertising their brand. “When we put together advertising programs, we’re constantly keeping in mind how to add shareholder value,” she said during the Advertising Week panel on Monday. “We want to have a tangible impact on the client’s business or service.”

As an example of their work, Colle and McVoy pointed to their client Caribou Coffee Company whose share value has risen from $1.17 to $18 since beginning work with the agency. The message here? Advertising is powerful, and when done well, it works.

Coca-Cola knows this. The soda company was ranked number one again for the 13th consecutive year. Its estimated brand value? $77.8 billion, up 8 percent from the 2024 report. Coca-Cola executive vice president and chief marketing commercial officer Joseph Tripodi believes this success is due to effective ads, which he suspects will help Coca-Cola increase its revenue from $95 billion in 2024 to $200 billion in 2024. (more…)

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Dana

HealthBuzz September 14: NYC Bans Soda, McDonald’s Shares Calories, and Healthy Comfort Food Recipes

Ah, the weekend is upon us and it is time for a dose of healthy news. This week’s HealthBuzz is filled with buzzworthy headlines from DIR and our friends, like Shape, iVillage, Fitday. Plus, we offer some guilt-free comfort foods like 12 healthy pop-tart recipes from Undressed Skeleton.

You don’t have to wait until the last day of the week to hear from us! Follow us on Twitter, Pinterest, or ‘Like Us’ on Facebook! 

New York City Soda Ban Passes; Soda Industry Plans to Fight

Since Mayor Bloomberg proposed NYC’s soda ban a couple of months ago, citizens have been vocal about their support or opposition. As of Thursday morning, NYC approved the ban of sugared beverages over 16 ounces. But, Major Bloomberg and public health officials in NYC shouldn’t celebrate their victory just yet. There is a possibility that the soda industry plans to fight back. New Yorkers for Beverage Choices has already started campaigning in opposition of the ban.

McDonald’s Posting Nutrition Information on Menus Nationwide, but Will it Do Any Good?

Get ready to see calorie counts on McDonald’s restaurant and drive-thru menus. Wednesday morning the company announced that they will be posting their meals’ nutrition information on their menus. Do you think the nutrition information will change the eating habits of fast food customers? Our resident dietitian, Mary Hartley, comments.

Regular Yoga Practice May Increase Productivity at Work

Yoga offers a great deal of health benefits, like less stress, toned body, and improved digestion. September is National Yoga Month, and our yoga expert Jill mentioned that those who practice yoga regularly may even see an increase in productivity at work. See what other benefits practicing yoga brings. (more…)

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Samantha

McDonald’s Posting Nutrition Information on Menus Nationwide, but Will it Do Any Good?

Ever wonder how many calories are in a McDonald’s meal? If you do want to know just how nutritionally void that Big Mac is, you would have to pull up the information on the restaurant’s web site. Until now!

Today, the corporation announced that they will list nutrition information on restaurant and drive-thru menus nationwide. President Obama’s new health regulation requires restaurant chains to post calorie information. McDonald’s move comes ahead of federal government regulation that could require major chains to post nutrition information as early as next year.

Jan Fields, president of McDonald’s USA, said in a press release that the company volunteered to give out their nutrition information. “We believe it will help educate customers.”

I asked our resident dietitian, Mary Hartley, what she thinks of McDonald’s providing their nutrition information, and she said, “It’s good publicity and they (McDonalds) know it really won’t make a difference, but who knows what will happen over time. Many people have no idea of how many calories they need and so the information is meaningless.” She points to the fact that New York City has required calories posted on menus for several years and it’s done little to change buyer behavior there. (more…)

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Samantha

4 Breakfasts Worth Waking Up For, Including a Vegetable Frittatta Recipe

By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D. for TheBestLife.com

I love breakfast foods, so I’ve always wondered why anyone would deliberately skip this meal. Cereal, oatmeal, waffles, eggs, latte—what’s not to like? And if you opt for healthy versions of these foods, breakfast could be your most nutritious meal of the day. Here’s how to make the most of your morning meal.

Cereal

Check the ingredient list to make sure that all the grains in the cereal are whole. Then check the label to make sure that you’re getting no more than 5 grams of sugar and at least 4 grams of fiber per 100 calories. If your cereal is very low sugar, such as Food for Life’s Ezekiel cereals or Uncle Sam’s, it’s fine to sprinkle on a few tablespoons of granola (which might exceed the “5 g sugar per 100 calories” rule in larger amounts). Here’s what to put in your bowl: (more…)

Posted on August 22, 2023 by BestLifeDiet

The Chinese Consider McDonald’s One of Their Safest Food Options

We have a lot of drama surrounding our food more so now than ever before. The news is littered with talk of pink slime, GMOs, organic, hormone-free, and local. And this is just the start of all the details we get caught up in regarding what we eat.

While these are serious issues to consider, a little perspective makes me happy that these are my most common food concerns. In China, people deal with so many issues of contamination and unsanitary cooking conditions that they have gone so far as to raise McDonald’s on a pedestal. In fact, the Chinese see McDonald’s as a trusted, safe and healthy food option.

Shaun Rein is the founder of China Market Research, and recently spoke to NPR about this perspective contrast. In America, McDonald’s really gets a bad rap. We blame them on contributing to childhood and adult obesity. We accuse them of using highly processed “nearly meat” products. All around, Americans tend to believe McDonald’s is unhealthy. But that’s not the case in China; not at all. The Chinese trust the American and Western brands far more than their own and feel that they are safest. (more…)

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Lacy

What’s in a McNugget? Canadian McDonald’s Reveals This and Other Menu Secrets

Oh, Canada, why are you getting all the interesting interaction from McDonald’s and we’re not? McDonald’s in Canada is making waves with their new “Our Food. Your Questions” campaign. Real customers are getting their tough questions answered about the restaurant’s food. Even the tough questions are being answered in very in depth ways.

I came across this campaign after hearing that a McDonald’s executive chef revealed the recipe of the Big Mac’s secret sauce through a YouTube video. The video exists on the Canadian McDonald’s YouTube channel along with some other very revealing videos. Most are simply extended responses to questions asked at the “Your Questions. Our Food.” website, only hosted in Canada.

At the site customers asked questions like, “when you say 100% beef, do you mean the whole cow: the organs, snout, brain, kidneys, etc. etc., or just the plain beef we buy at the grocer?” Or, “Does your Egg McMuffin use real eggs? They look too perfect.” (more…)

Posted on July 19, 2023 by Lacy

McDonald’s Chef Coudreaut Can’t Be Serious That He Sees Nothing Unhealthy on That Menu

One of my biggest food vices is McDonald’s. I own that. Those French fries have me in a trance just like everyone else. I didn’t used to care. I ate it rarely enough that when I did I figured the difference was made with workouts and healthy meals.

About two years ago, I literally had to wean myself away. I’d drive by and mentally debate myself over whether to pull in or keep going. I usually convinced myself to keep going when I’d conjure up the memory of the unrelenting headache I’d get within a few bites of my combo. Up until about two months ago, I hadn’t eaten there in six months.

One day, I’d failed to eat breakfast or anything else. I found myself running errands at about 2 in the afternoon when the shakes and a blinding hunger struck. The only thing in my vicinity was a McDonald’s. I didn’t have a choice. I inhaled the food, and sure enough, the headache hit me like a brick wall. When I returned to my office, I had to leave a short time later. I was so wrecked with nausea, shakes, and sweating that it wasn’t doing any of us any good for me to stick around. I’ll never eat there again.

There’s something very wrong with that food. I have a really hard time even calling it food because it’s what Jillian Michaels would refer to as a Frankenfood. It’s so pumped full of chemicals, so processed, and so far from resembling what that same food would look like if you prepared it yourself you have to wonder how it’s even legal.

I always wonder how culinary professionals who train for such a delicious career end up as the chief chef at fast food companies. I also wonder how people, like the senior director of culinary innovation at McDonald’s, sleep at night. For the fast food giant, that would be Chef Daniel Coudreaut.

He recently made this bold statement that has my head spinning as badly as it did from the sodium-buffet-in-a-bag I fed myself earlier this spring.

“I don’t see anything on that menu that’s unhealthy,” he said, according to Lisa Abraham in her article at Ohio.com.

WHAT???

He can’t be serious, right? (more…)

Posted on June 14, 2023 by Natalie K

15 Year Chicken Nugget Diet Finally Catches Up with Teen

Stacey Irvine takes fast food addiction to a whole new level. The British teenager has lived on a diet of practically nothing but chicken nuggets since the age of two.

“McDonald’s chicken nuggets are my favorite,” she said. “I share 20 with my boyfriend with chips. But I also like KFC and supermarket brands. My main meal is always chicken nuggets every day,” she said.

Irvine, who has claimed to have never eaten a fruit or vegetable, was diagnosed by doctors to have anemia, an iron deficiency, and swollen veins in her tongue. The 17-year old was rushed to the hospital after she collapsed and began struggling to breathe. Irvine received nutrient injections and was put on a course of vitamins before being released home.

Even after doctors urged her to change her diet, she says she will continue to eat her favorite food. “I first tasted chicken nuggets when my mum took me to McDonald’s when I was two. I loved them so much they were all I would eat. I just couldn’t face even trying other foods. Mom gave up giving me anything else years ago,” she added.

(more…)

Posted on January 26, 2024 by Kelly

Fast Food Chains Removing Pink Slime from their Hamburgers

McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Burger King announced they are officially dropping the use of Pink Slime in their food. Wait?! What? They were using something called Pink Slime?

Yes, not only were these major chains using the slime, but 70 percent of all the burgers in the United States contain the ingredient, too.

Pink Slime is the name given to ammoniated boneless lean beef trimmings. It’s an inexpensive beef filler. However, Pink Slime is unfit for human consumption until it is gassed with ammonia. McDonald’s and the other big chains are discontinuing their use of the slime after celebrity chef Jamie Oliver launched a campaign of criticism about the ingredient. Oliver brought the truth of the slime to the public’s eyes during his ABC television show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. Oliver explained how the filler is cheaply sold as dog food, but after the ammonia gassing, it can be served to humans. One of the biggest frustrations about the slime is that it is widely used in school lunches.
(more…)

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Lacy