Happy Meal Nutrition

Every parent wants to make sure they’re giving their kids a balanced diet, and McDonald’s wants to offer menu choices that allow you to do just that when you’re out and about.

Below, you can choose the Happy Meal combinations your kids might like and review their nutritional value as a meal including how this changes if you swap in a different drink, pick carrots over fries, etc. You can also compare them with some kids’ dinner-time favourites, to see how McDonald’s measures up with other meals when it comes to fat, calories, and salt.

You'll also find the Top Ten questions we've been asked about Happy Meal nutrition. Click through for the straight answers we've supplied to parents.

Use the drop-down menus to select your Happy Meal combination

Energy
(kCals)		 Protein
(grams)		 Carbs
(grams)		 Fat
(grams)		 Salt
(grams)
10% 16% 6% 14% 16%
14% 5% 14% 19% 16%
0% 0% 1% 0% 6%
% of average child GDA 26% 21% 21% 33% 40%
Please note that the drink selected above is included in the total
nutrition value of the comparative meals.
Slice of pizza and chips* 22% 23% 28% 16% 63%
Spaghetti Bolognaise** 20% 30% 23% 14% 53%
* 105g portion of cheese and tomato pizza, 93g portion of oven chips
** 300g portion, made up of 168g pasta and 132g meat sauce
Energy
(kCals)		 Protein
(grams)		 Carbs
(grams)		 Fat
(grams)		 Salt
(grams)
175 10 12 9 0.5
235 3 29 12 0.5
10 0 2 0 0.2
Total amount 420 13 43 21 1.2
Average child GDA 1600 60 200 62 3
Please note that the drink selected above is included in the total
nutrition value of the comparative meals.
Slice of pizza and chips* 412 16 57 10 1.9
Spaghetti Bolognaise** 328 18 46 9 1.6
* 105g portion of cheese and tomato pizza, 93g portion of oven chips
** 300g portion, made up of 168g pasta and 132g meat sauce

Comparative data source: Food Standards Agency (2002) McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods, Sixth summary edition. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry.


Your Top Ten Questions

  1. I couldn't help but notice the signs that popped into shops a little while ago saying "The only meat used in our NEW chicken mcnuggets is tasty chicken breast" I was just curious what other meats were in the OLD ones?
    Click here to read the answer to this question
  2. what do you put in your burgers?(cheese happy meal burgers)
    Click here to read the answer to this question
  3. why do you target children with unhealthy foods when there is an obesity crisis already?
    Click here to read the answer to this question
  4. why don't you have a childrens salad menu to promote more healthy eating?
    Click here to read the answer to this question
  5. what can I feed my child on a dairy free diet?
    Click here to read the answer to this question
  6. My child suffers from allergies to food colours and artificial additives. Lots of foods aimed at children are now removing them from their products, do McDonalds aim to do the same?
    Click here to read the answer to this question
  7. My six year old noticed all the happy meal boxes being thrown away."we put our card in the green bin can't mcdonalds?" Well?
    Click here to read the answer to this question
  8. When my children were growing up, we frequented MacDonald's often. They liked their hamburgers plain. i.e., just the meat and the bun. It was frequently very difficult to get a plain burger, but that has been a while ago. Has it changed?
    Click here to read the answer to this question
  9. I hear the toys used in Happy Meals are made through child labour in the developing world. Surely you should use a Fair Trade manufacturer?
    Click here to read the answer to this question
  10. Why do the fries in a Happy Meal have to have salt on them?
    Click here to read the answer to this question