In the 12 years since McDonald's first introduced packages of apple slices as part of its kids' meals, McDonald's has served more than two billion packages of apples with its Happy Meals demonstrating the company's continued evolution to offering more wholesome options for its youngest customers.
As the first restaurant to offer fresh-cut apple packages as a side choice for children in April 2004, McDonald's helped transform the children's meal nutrition landscape by being the first to successfully create a market for convenient and easy, fresh-cut apple packs.
"We are proud of being part of a growing trend through increased access to pre-sliced apple packages," said Steve Kerley, Vice President and General Manager of McDonald's in the Philadelphia Region. "This milestone is a marker of McDonald's continuing to play an important role in every community and our ongoing efforts to help increase access to fruit and other nutritious food for children. The decision to serve real apple slices with Happy Meals more than a decade ago helped make it easier for parents to ensure that their children are getting wholesome options."
In order for McDonald's to introduce apple slices, it needed its suppliers to develop the capacity to offer the product. This led to an increase in the availability of pre-sliced apple packages, which had a positive impact on the access children and families had to apples throughout the country – including in schools, where getting students to eat a whole apple often proved challenging to many school nutrition directors.
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