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October 07, 2008

Southern Idaho McDonald’s Serves Up Wholesome ‘Good Fit Meals™’.

Central District Health Department Certifies 13 Meals Now Available in 32 Treasure Valley Area McDonald’s

Boise, ID – Treasure Valley area McDonald’s® and the Central District Health Department unveiled its new Good Fit Meals™ program at a special luncheon event today at McDonald’s. Through a unique strategic partnership with the Central District Health Department, area McDonald’s restaurants will now promote 13 meals that have been identified by the department nutritionists to be wholesome and balanced meal choices.

The Good Fit Meals™ program was developed to help consumers quickly identify wholesome and balanced meal choices. To be listed on McDonald’s Good Fit Meals menu, each meal must serve to increase daily intake of nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and dairy servings and contain:

• No more than 700 calories
• No more than 30 percent total fat
• No more than 15 percent of total calories from saturated fat
• No more than 0.5 grams of trans fat
• No more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium

“Knowing that many Idahoans eat at fast food restaurants, it is important that nutritious meal options are made available and promoted,” said Nancy Rush, Community Health Program Manager at the Central District Health Department. “Treasure Valley area McDonald’s is doing its part to help offer wholesome food choices while the state is educating consumers about the importance of balanced food choices and physical activity.”

Among the 13 meals that meet the Good Fit Meals™ program criteria is McDonald’s popular Southwest Salad with grilled chicken. Other McDonald’s Good Fit Meals include the Egg McMuffin Sandwich and a small orange juice, and a Hamburger or Cheeseburger Happy Meal with Apple Dippers, including Low Fat Caramel Dip, and 1% Low Fat Milk. For a full list of all of the Good Fit Meals now offered at McDonald’s, visit any participating Treasure Valley area McDonald’s or log on to www.goodfitmeals.com for a complete list of available McDonald’s Good Fit Meals.

“We are pleased to have McDonald’s and its local owner/operators taking action to promote wholesome meal choices on its menu,” added Rush. “One of the aims of our Community Health Program is to reduce obesity and related chronic diseases through the promotion of healthy lifestyles among Idahoans – and what a better way to achieve our goals than to partner with one of the largest Quick Service Restaurant in the Southern Idaho area.”

Additionally, Kristin Armstrong, world-class cyclist and Olympic gold-medal winner, helped promote the launch of the Good Fit Meals™ program by attending the McDonald’s Good Fit Meals luncheon event held this afternoon in Boise at the Overland McDonald’s restaurant. Armstrong hopes her support of the Good Fit Meals program will help raise awareness and educate Idaho residents about the importance of making healthy meal choices as part of a balanced, active lifestyle.

According to the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) report issued by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, 55% of Idaho adults are overweight or obese. In another statewide study of Idaho third graders conducted last year, 28% of the children fell into the categories of overweight or obese. The Central District Health Department is working to reduce the number of children with these problems because they may grow into the overweight and obese adults of tomorrow and face a future of chronic diseases that include high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and sleep apnea.

McDonald’s is introducing the Good Fit Meals™ program in its Treasure Valley area restaurants and plans to expand the program based on the completion of this initial project.

About the Central District Health Department

The Central District Health Department serves the residents of Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley counties with a variety of public health services. Working with a vision of “Healthy People in Healthy Communities” Central District Health strives to prevent disease, promote healthy lifestyles and protect the health and quality of the environment.

About McDonald's of Idaho

The 59 McDonald's restaurants in the state of Idaho are locally owned and operated by Idaho citizens. As proud residents of Idaho, McDonald’s Owner-Operators believe that being part of a community means giving back to it by supporting local economies in Idaho. McDonald’s restaurants of Idaho spend more than $46.3 million in their communities annually and create more than 5,575 jobs. To obtain additional nutritional information about McDonald’s menu or other information on McDonald’s, visit www.mcdonalds.com.

About McDonald's

McDonald's USA, LLC is the leading foodservice provider in the United States serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. More than 80 percent of McDonald's 13,700 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees. For more information about McDonald's visit www.mcdonalds.com.