New Bill Proposes Modifying Happy Meals with Healthier Options

If passed, the proposed Healthy Happy Meals Bill will improve the nutritional value of fast food meals targeted at children in NYC.

New York City legislators are considering a bill that would require fast food restaurants to make children’s meals healthier. The Healthy Happy Meals Bill would restrict the number of calories, fat, and sodium in meals marketed for children, as well as call for fast food restaurants to add healthy options such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits to their children’s menus, according to Reuters.  

The proposed bill would limit meals specifically marketed to children – defined as those including a main course, a side, a drink, and a toy - to 500 calories per serving.  It also allows for only 35 percent of calories to come from fat, fewer than 10 percent from saturated fat and sugar, and less than 600mg of sodium per meal. The Reuters report also notes that the provisions of the Healthy Happy Meal bill would reduce the average child’s daily intake by 54 calories – which amounts to a 9 percent decrease in calories and a 10 percent decrease in sodium and calories from fat per child.