by Effie Moore Salem

Created on: May 19, 2010

McDonald restaurants worldwide have kept up with the insatiable appetites, the desire for good food at a reasonable rate and quick moving waiting lines, and when customers were being lost because of trans fats and unhealthy oils, they changed their choices of oils.

They are, at their best, customer pleasers, regardless of the amount of blame they get for adding to, or even starting obesity. The truth is, they never started people gaining weight, nor have they contributed to it, not knowingly, that is. What they did, and what they continue to do, is to give the customers what they demand.

Their menu, and its changes over the years, reflects their interest in continuing their customer pleasing business. It is now possible to go in and order, get quick service and  seated within five minutes with a heart healthy meal in front of you. The the menu items below will show that eating at McDonald's can be a healthy experience.

They are now well known for their healthy salads that are in themselves a full meal. Their menu lists Premium Bacon Ranch Salad with Grilled Chicken; Premium Caesar Salad with Crispy Chicken; Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken; Premium Southwest Salad with Crispy Chicken.

While it is true that they are most well known for their hefty burgers and their lip smacking chicken and fish sandwiches, these are from wholesome products. As they will tell you, they have been committed to making a difference in people's lives worldwide. They started out with this in mind. Their burgers in 1955 were slim indeed and were the lowest priced around. Less than fifty cents would buy one. Their fries were made, or so the story went at that time, made from fresh potatoes.

From news releases, read on their web site, they have proof of their interest in their food being healthy and oriented toward getting children eating more fruits and vegetables. Happy meals for children are a favorite item for children that is mom approved. Along with the meal, of course came a small toy. And too, children at many sites were allowed to bounce around at play areas while at the same time eating a nutritious meal.

To fully understand the principle behind their health conscious foods, one only has to read the story of their founder, who thought health from the beginning. Roy Kroc, at  age 55 started his first business. He was impressed by how two McDonald brothers were running a restaurant with only a few items, burgers and fires and drink, or something similar to that, and he pitched his plan to them. Within five years he owned McDonald's and onward he went. Now McDonald's is worldwide and in almost all countries.

The food is consistent. While vacationing in Europe and hungry for a big mac, a chicken sandwich, somewhere nearby you will find a reminder of home, a healthy reminder that often the best things, - maybe not always the healthiest, but somewhere near, is what you left at home.

Learn more about this author, Effie Moore Salem.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.