Her Gone Life

A few weeks ago I blogged about Healthier Food Options at McDonald’s and the changes they made to the kids happy meal.

Please Note: I attended the event and wrote this post for a campaign by The Motherhood on behalf of McDonald’s. I received compensation to thank me for taking the time to participate. Views expressed are always 100% my own.

Continuing along that theme, recently a group of parenting bloggers and media was invited the 42nd Street McDonald's to taste some of McDonald’s healthier menu offerings and hear nutrition tips from Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD, and New York Times best-selling author of the F Factor Diet.

But we weren't just there to taste test. This event was also the launch of the McDonald’s New York Metro Nutrition Network and we learned how this new program will work with non-profits in the surrounding area.

McDonald’s New York Metro Nutrition Network (McDNN), is a new community outreach initiative to provide funds to local organizations for grassroots nutrition programs. Through the program, New York Tri-State McDonald's restaurant owners are offering seed money to help local organizations bring nutrition information and guidance to the communities they serve. This initiative is an extension of McDonald’s national commitment to offer improved nutrition choices.

In addition to providing seed funding to community organizations, McDonald’s will host a series of offline MeetUps throughout the Tri-State area where registered dietitians can engage directly with families and individuals seeking nutrition information.

I really like that registered dietitians will be able to meet with the family. One of the problems I've had with the anti fast food argument is that the blame is on the food itself and not about the goal of eating responsibly.

During the event one of the points made by Tanya that really stuck out to me was""Fast food is not taboo". McDonald’s has many healthy options. The McDonald’s “Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choice” initiative strives to help customers make nutrition-minded choices.


For example, McDonald’s ensures that all the food and beverages they serve customers meet stringent food quality standards. During the event it was confirmed NO PINK SLIME is used. McDonald’s does business with suppliers that share their commitment and work with them to continuously monitor, test, and track ingredients to assure quality. McDonald’s uses trusted ingredients such as:

• 100% USDA-inspected beef, with no fillers or extenders
• High-quality white meat in Premium Chicken Sandwiches and Salads
• Real eggs in Egg McMuffin® breakfast sandwiches
• A variety of field greens in Premium Salads, provided by suppliers and prepared fresh daily in our restaurants
• Select potatoes from trusted potato farmers for our World Famous Fries

So if you know of any New York Tri-State local organizations who want to bring nutrition information to their local community, here's a great opportunity. McDNN applications will be evaluated based on the impact of the proposed program on nutrition awareness in the community. This year, five organizations will be selected and each winning organization will be acknowledged with a presentation in their community.

Completed applications should be mailed to: McDonald’s Owners/Operators Association; Attention: McDonald’s New York Metro Nutrition Network; PO Box 280; Little Falls, NJ 07424. The submission deadline is June 1, 2012. Tri-State area non-profit organizations can obtain an application at www.McDNYMetroNutritionNetwork.com

For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com/qualityfood