McDonald’s Happy Meals to Include ‘Nutrition Books’

That’s correct, ladies and gents. For two glorious weeks in November, the fast food giant will be including self-published books in Happy Meals, instead of plastic toys. The press release states, from November 1 – 14, McDonald’s will offer books in print for Happy Meal customers, providing more than 20 million books to families across the U.S. Throughout the two-week Happy Meal Books offer, families will be able to enjoy four original books featuring McDonald’s Happy Meal characters.

Here’s my favorite book sneak peak: “Doddi the Dodo Goes to Orlando” – Follows happy-go-lucky bird Doddi who travels the world. She eats right because this dodo is always on the go-go.

Don’t you just get so stressed about finding good food when you’re always on the go-go? Me too. However, since I don’t get my nutrition advice from a fast food restaurant, I know that’s not where the healthy food is found. Sriram Madhusoodanan, a national organizer with Corporate Accountability International, a watchdog group that has called on McDonald’s to stop all marketing to kids says, “Even with the books in Happy Meals, this is still fundamentally about marketing to kids…and it’s undermining the authority of parents and health professionals.”

The effort is supported by Reading is Fundamental (RIF), the largest children’s literacy nonprofit in the US. CEO Carol Hampton Rasco believes far too many children don’t have access to books, and “to change this unfortunate reality, RIF is uniting with McDonald’s, a company that embraces the transformative power of books and is committed to helping families and communities thrive. Together, McDonald’s and RIF can truly help enrich kids’ lives through access to books and by putting the fun back into reading.”

It’s hard to believe that a company like McDonald’s has truly “embraced the transformative power of books.” It’s more likely that they are embracing a new marketing tactic aimed at children, and selling more “food.” Check out Huffington Post‘s rundown on the ongoing lies of McDonald’s, including their recent promise to stop advertising soda to children.

Image Source: Stefan/Flickr