Healthier Happy Meals Help Everyone

COMMENTARY | As a parent of a 3-year-old son, I feel that fast food restaurants need to have more healthier choices for our children. I am a parent of a special needs child: I have to be concerned as to what food goes into his mouth.

Apples instead of french fries as a permanent side item is a great decision. I am happy about the decision. If McDonald's makes the change permanent, others will follow suit. Apples is a great alternative for children. They should have different options besides apples, though. Vegetable slices would be a great benefit as well.

Parents need to be more concerned with the health of their children. Fast food isn't entirely bad for us or our children. It is all about moderation. As a parent, I have been there on many tired nights and decided on fast food instead of making dinner. We all have been there.

Happy Meals bring a smile not only to our kids but to us parents as well. For a fair price, our children are fed and are able to take a toy home too. What more could we ask for? The answer: We can ask for better alternatives to the french fries. And McDonald's has answered that by making apples the default side item.

This change will help other restaurants make the change permanent too. Apples are a great source of vitamins that many of our children are lacking. Healthier Happy Meals is something that should have happened years ago. It is good they are finally making the change.

Some of our kids are not eating healthy, especially with us parents buying a lot of fast food. However, with this default side item change, we as parents have more control over healthier kids' meals. I believe as parents, if we had not voiced our concerns over the years, this side item change would not be taking place.

McDonald's is easing parents' concerns about our children and what they eat. They are trying to make fast food healthier for their consumers. I stand behind their decision in changing the side item to apples. I can't explain just how great this change will be for parents and our children. This is just the beginning to restaurants changing their Happy Meal menu. This is a good decision on McDonald's part. I believe it will bring only good things to the fast food industry.