McDonald's Healthy Move: Is it all about business?

There are two sides to this story. One that is in full support of McDonald's making Happy Meals a healthy option. Another that believes McDonald's is in this just for the money. I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I know that last month when we were traveling, we stopped at a McDonald's. I was pleasantly surprised to find the apples. Although there was a dipping sauce with the apples, I made the choice for my 4 year old that he did not need it. Once it again, it is still up to parents to make good, healthy decisions for their kids.

When McDonald's announced Tuesday that it would make the standard child's Happy Meal more healthful, company officials said they were responding to the desires of their customers. But the move also makes business sense, analysts say.

"This is good publicity, and if you sell more Happy Meals, you're likely selling more Big Macs to the parents," says Peter Saleh, a restaurant analyst with Telsey Advisory Group in New York.

Sam Oches, an associate editor with QSR Magazine, a fast-food industry trade journal, says McDonald's won't say how many Happy Meals they sell, but they're rumored to account for about 10 percent of sales.

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