New partner: McDonald’s joins the Healthier Food Community
“We want to make the responsible choice fun, easy and tasty”
“Changing our brand purpose is not our goal,” says Dolly van den Akker, Impact Director at McDonald’s Netherlands. “But we do want to support better food choices. That’s why we recently joined Foodvalley’s Healthier Food Community.”
McDonald’s reaches over 90 percent of the Dutch population. “With scale like that comes great responsibility,” says Van den Akker. “Our guests visit us for burgers and fries – and that won’t change. But we encourage them to make other, healthier choices too. And we do so in ways that fit our brand: easy, tasty, and never preachy.”
From nudging to better products
Together with Wageningen University & Research, McDonald’s developed three focus areas for healthier eating: nudging, variety, and product improvement. “We rarely talk about them publicly,” says Van den Akker, “but we take them very seriously.”
For example, McDonald’s now highlights water as the default option in the Happy Meal. “As a result, guests choose water five times as often.” The menu also features more fruit, vegetables, and meatless items. “And we’re continuously improving products behind the scenes – reducing sugar, salt and fat without compromising on taste. Our iced coffee, for instance, now contains much less sugar. And we’ve cut the salt in the McKroket by 30 percent.”
From real choice to real progress
Guests appreciate these changes, says Van den Akker. “As long as the more responsible choice remains one of several options.” She hopes that even consumers who are creatures of habit will become more open to choose a different product. “Changing consumer behavior requires cooperation – across business, government, research and NGOs. Only together can we make a real difference.”
That’s why McDonald’s joined the Healthier Food Community. “We bring marketing expertise, consumer insights, and hands-on experience to the table – and we’re especially eager to collaborate with innovators. Fresh ideas often come from unexpected places.” Van den Akker adds a call to action: “We’re not here just to exchange ideas. Let’s set clear goals – ones that will make a visible difference in five years. That way, we can build something we can all be truly proud of.”