McDonald's Offering Happy Meal Happy Hour

To mark the recent release of healthier Happy Meal, all restaurants in the metro area, including in , will offer a "Happy Meal Happy Hour." Patrons will be able to buy one Happy Meal or Mighty Kids Meal and get one free from 2 to 7 p.m. through Sept. 22.

The meals, which will be available nationwide next year, automatically include apple slices as a side to Chicken McNuggets, hamburger or cheeseburger. Fat-free chocolate milk and 1 percent white milk will be available for drink options, while the fries will now come in a smaller size. For customers who prefer apples as the only side, two bags will be given in lieu of fries on request.

By adding fruit in every Happy Meal, McDonald’s hopes to address a challenge children face in meeting the recommended daily consumption of produce. McDonald’s has been offering apples as a requested Happy Meal choice since 2004, and while recent research found that 88 percent of McDonald’s customers are aware of the option, only 11 percent choose apples. 

“As the dad of a young daughter, I know that helping kids make good nutrition choices can be challenging,” said Donavon Groen, president of the Greater Atlanta McDonald’s Operator’s Association. “With the new Happy Meal, we’re helping support parents in encouraging their children to enjoy food that is good for them along with the foods they love by automatically including both apples and fries as part of a balanced, kid-appropriate meal. We’re excited this new offering will introduce about 100 million cups of produce annually into the diets of our youngest customers.”