McDonalds Happy Meal

McDonald's is a major chain of restaurants worldwide with more than 32,000 restaurants in service in 117 countries. They serve on an average of 60 million people each day. The majority of the restaurants are independently owned and operated.

McDonald's as it is known today, was founded in 1948. According to their website, some of the favorite foods are their fries, the Big Mac, the Quarter Pounder, their Chicken McNuggets and the Egg McMuffin. The McDonald's Happy Meal made its debut in 1979. http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company.html

Happy Meals from McDonald's gives parents and children a choice of Apple Dippers which are made with fresh, peeled apple slices and are served with low fat caramel dipping sauce, and a drink choice of 100% pure Minute Maid apple juice, 1% low fat white or chocolate milk jugs. These choices go with the regular favorites that McDonald's serves such as a hamburger, cheeseburger or Chicken McNuggets, and french fries. A toy is usualy included in the package.http://164.109.147.41/usa/kids/newchoices.html

McDonald's has capitalized on the success of their Happy Meals by creating a virtual world website where you can meet Yoda. You can create your own characters and customize a tree house, and a special code will unlock other items.http://www.xomba.com/happymeal_com

The Happy Meal toys from McDonald's have even become collectors items, bought and sold on such places as ebay and craigslist.http://www.ebay.com McDonald's creates toys for big events like the recent Olympics 2010 in Vancouver. They created Quatchi Ice Hockey, Miga and Quatchi Bossleigh, Quatchi Ski Jumping and Sumi Ice Sledge Hockey to be sold at participating McDonald's during the Olympics.http://www.flickr.com/photos/gizzypooh/4363893895

The nutritional value depends upon the type of Happy Meal that is purchased but in general, it can range anywhere from 380 calories and 12g of fat to 700 calories and 27g of fat. The least healthiest of the choices is the Cheeseburger Happy Meal with fries and chocolate milk; this meal combination contains 700 calories and 27g of fat.http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/nutrition_facts.html

McDonald's markets its Happy Meals directly to attract the kids by advertising the toys and food, using Ronald McDonald and the familiar gold arch. Parents like McDonald's for their special treatment of kids with the play rooms giving parents some free time to eat while the kids enjoy themselves.