Well, if you can’t beat them, join them. That seems to be the attitude that McDonald’s is taking when it comes to healthy eating. After knocking food trends like soy and quinoa, and praising the Big Mac in a recent advertisement, the company announced last Thursday that they will now be serving new breakfast bowls containing healthier alternatives, such as kale and spinach, in 9 select locations in Southern California.
“We are testing two breakfast bowls in Southern California in 9 restaurants, and one happens to have kale,” the company said.
As the country is becoming more health conscious, it would come as no shock to most that McDonald’s sales have been declining in the U.S. for the past 6 consecutive quarters. With healthier options at many other restaurants, McDonald’s does not want to be left behind, so they are changing their tune from mocking kale to embracing it.
The restaurant company closed 350 stores in early 2015, on top of the 350 it had already said it would shutter, as the burger purveyor seeks to stanch sales declines.
Earlier on Wednesday, McDonald’s had reported an 11% decrease in revenue and a 30% drop in profit for the first three months of year, a continuation of its troubles in the last two years as it has struggled to compete with new U.S. competitors, a tough economy in Europe and a food safety scare in Asia.
The bowls that will become available will be said to contain kale, turkey sausage, egg whites, bruschetta-style basil and tomato topping and spinach. The other bowl comes with chorizo, a hash brown, scrambled eggs, cheddar jack cheese and pico de gallo. Prices will range from $3.99 to $4.39, depending on the location.
While it makes me happy that McDonald’s has decided to test out healthier options on their menus, I am still not convinced that I would frequent a place like McDonald’s to get breakfast daily. Being the picky Southern Californian that I am, I still wouldn’t rely on McDonald’s for my kale needs. I would be worried that the kale wasn’t organic. Although, if I was in a bind and short on time, I would consider using the drive-thru to get a breakfast bowl (and only a breakfast bowl!) We all have good intentions when we roll up through the drive-thru, but that may change when we see the menu and all of a sudden, the healthy option you’re there for no longer seems as appealing as the high fat options. I can imagine that for some patrons, it would be difficult to avoid the temptation of McGriddles, and/or McMuffins that are staring back at them on the menu. Not to mention that, McDonald’s is also known for pushing add-ons. They may try to convince you to include some extras to your order that you hadn’t anticipated and hadn’t accounted for in your daily calorie target. So, don’t give in to the pressure! Stay on track and don’t get derailed by unhealthy food pushers.
If you are in southern California and near a participating McDonald’s, let us know what you think about the new breakfast bowls. Is it worth the money and the trip?
Christina
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