MCDONALD’S is testing new Happy Meal menu items – there’s one new addition that I really loved.
The fast food giant changes its main menu every few weeks to attract customers, but changes to the Happy Meal don’t happen often.
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The shake-up is the biggest change to the Happy Meal in more than a decade – but the items aren’t available everywhere yet.
Four new menu items are coming to the Happy Meal range as part of a new UK trial.
The Sun’s Chief Consumer Reporter James Flanders was one of the first people to try the new additions.
Now on the menu in select locations is the Mayo Chicken, already a staple on the Saver Menu.
This marks the first time that Happy Meal fans can choose a chicken burger as their main option.
Next to join the range are Fish Bites – five bite-sized pollock pieces in a crispy panko breadcrumb coating.
These are a brand new main option, and I was keen to try them as I’m don’t normally choose fish-based products at fast-food chains.
For the first time, new flavoured milk and ice pops, perfect for the summer heat, have also hit the menu.
Here’s our verdict.
Fish bites – 5/5
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Now, I must admit, I’ve never been one to dash to Maccies for a Filet-O-Fish.
When I think of fast food, I think of beef or chicken burgers with fries and lashing of sauces.
However, I’m always willing to try new things, and I like fish, so I was pretty surprised when I took my first bite.
If you order a Happy Meal with fish bites, you’ll receive a bag containing five bite-sized pollock pieces coated with crispy panko breadcrumbs.
I have to say they were delicious.
You don’t feel short-changed either, as each individual serving is packed to the brim with tender white fish. I also loved the panko breadcrumb coating.
For me, a coating needs to be crispy without excess grease. And in this case, that’s exactly what you got.
Indeed, there was a crisp crunch with every bite and only the slightest transfer of the breadcrumbs to your fingers each time you picked one up.
The new fish bites have completely changed my outlook on McDonald’s fish-based products, and I can certainly admit that I’ll be coming back for more.
Kids will love them but so will adults.
The only downside is that fish bites have 164 calories, making them a slightly less healthy alternative to fish fingers, which they are intended to replace.
These have 155 calories – five calories less than the veggie dippers, which have 160 calories.
NEW HAPPY MEAL TRIAL LOCATIONS
THE new Happy Meal menu is trial-based and will only be available in the North West region of the UK and in selected restaurants in the Republic of Ireland.
It will involve 187 restaurants in Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, North Yorkshire, and the Republic of Ireland.
The new items will hit menus for 14 weeks from Wednesday, May 29.
But those who aren’t able to get their hands on the new items shouldn’t be too downhearted.
McDonald’s told The Sun that, pending the trial’s success, the new menu items could be rolled out nationwide next year.
Mayo Chicken – 5/5
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While the Mayo Chicken isn’t exactly new, its addition to Happy Meal menus is certainly significant.
It marks the first time that kids will be able to choose between a beef-based burger and a chicken alternative.
Up until this point, the only chicken-based option available in Happy Meals was a portion of Chicken McNuggets.
For those, who haven’t tried the Mayo Chicken, it features crispy coated chicken with lettuce and cool mayo in a super-soft bun.
I have to admit, it’s my go-to burger on the main menu because of its taste and cost – £1.39.
For me, it provides everything you want out of a simple chicken sandwich – a crispy breaded chicken fillet that isn’t overly greasy, lettuce to add a crunch and lashings of mayo to hit the tastebuds.
It’s a great McDonald’s staple, and kids will love it.
As far as burgers go, the Mayo Chicken has 282 calories and a healthier option than the cheeseburger, which has 294 calories.
Flavoured milk – 3/5
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Up until now, the only milk available through the Happy Meal is plain semi-skimmed cartons.
However, Happy Meal fans will now be able to pick between three new flavours – banana, chocolate and strawberry.
Now I must admit, my go-to beverage of choice at Maccies is a large Spirte.
I don’t love the heaviness of a milky drink while I’m stuffing my face with burgers and fried.
However, I can certainly see the attraction of the new flavoured milk for kids.
Strawberry was my favourite but the other two flavours did hit the spot when it comes to taste.
What I love, and what I think parents will love too, is that these drinks contain no added sugar or artificial flavours, and they certainly taste that way.
They also contain fewer calories than the standard organic semi-skimmed milk option, averaging 92-94 calories per portion.
However, you only get 200ml of milk if you go for the flavoured option as opposed to 250ml for the unflavored.
HISTORY OF THE HAPPY MEAL
HAPPY Meals were first introduced to the UK in 1986 after being launched in the US seven years prior in 1979.
They cost around £3.59, but the exact price you’ll pay depends on your location.
McDonald’s rarely shakes up the menu options available in its Happy Meals.
The launch of the three new menu items announced today marks the biggest change in over a decade.
However, McDonald’s has tweaked Happy Meals on a smaller scale over the last 13 years:
- In 2011, McDonald’s launched fruit options for Happy Meals. This included apple slices, pineapple spears, raisins, and carrot sticks.
- In 2018, a “healthier” option was temporarily added to the Happy Meal menu – a grilled chicken wrap.
- In 2019 the carrot sticks were replaced by cucumber sticks.
- In 2020 McDonald’s banned hard plastic toys from its Happy Meals, offering books or different toys instead. It also launched Veggie Dippers as a new healthy menu option.
McFreezy – 4/5
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I love ice pops and just about any ice lollies, and these are a wonderful addition to the Happy Meal menu.
Especially now that we’re fast approaching summer and the weather is heating up.
The new McFreezy dessert is made with fruit juice and puree and is available in orange or mango and pineapple flavours.
Both flavours were super refreshing, but I’d argue that the mango and pineapple option had the edge.
Like the milk options, these tasted very fresh and not overly sweet or artificial.
They tasted pretty much what is said on the label – just like fresh, but frozen, fruit juice.
I think they’ll certainly be a hit with kids this summer.
Plus, the fact they’re packaged in the ice pop style means there’s less mess and spillage as the desert melts.
The mango and pineapple McFreezy contains slightly more calories (45kcal) than the orange alternative (39 calories).
HAPPY MEAL MENU IN FULL
AS standard, McDonald’s fans can bag the following options when purchasing a Happy Meal.
Mains:
- Mayo Chicken – 282kcal
- Fish bites (x5) – 164kcal
- Veggie dippers (x2) – 160kcal
- Chicken McNuggets (x4) – 174kcal
- Fish fingers (x3) – 155kcal
- Cheeseburger – 294kcal
- Hamburger – 248kcal
Sides:
- Small fries – 237kcal
- Cucumber bag – 12kcal
- Apple and grape fruit bag – 46kcal
- Orange McFreezy – 39kcal
- Mango and pineapple McFreezy – 45kcal
Dips:
- BBQ – 49kcal
- Sweet and sour – 42kcal
- Sweet curry – 47kcal
- Ketchup – 27kcal
Drinks:
- Nestle spring water – 0kcal
- Organic semi-skimmed milk – 125kcal
- Chocolate milk – 94kcal
- Strawberry milk – 92kcal
- Banana milk – 92kcal
- Tropicana orange juice – 100kcal
- Robinsons Fruit Shoot blackcurrent and apple – 8kcal
- Small Coca-Cola Zero Sugar – 1kcal
- Small Diet Coke – 1kcal
- Small Sprite Zero Sugar – 3kcal
- Small Oasis Zero – 7kcal
- Small Fanta Orange Zero – 3kcal
- Small Coca-Cola Classic – 106kcal
Customers can also pick between a toy or book and add on a fruit bag for an extra charge.
Those not buying a Happy Meal can also buy the following items from the McDonald’s main menu:
- Fish bites (nine pieces) – £5.79
- McFreezy – £1.59
- Mayo Chicken – £1.39
- Flavoured milk – £1.69
How can I save money at McDonald’s?
You might not think it, but you can end up being charged more solely based on the McDonald’s restaurant you choose.
Research by The Sun found a Big Mac meal can be up to 30p cheaper at restaurants just two miles apart from each other.
But you can pick up a Big Mac and fries for just £2.99 by filling in a feedback survey found on any old McDonald’s receipt.
The receipt should come with a 12-digit code which you can enter into the Food for Thought website alongside your submitted survey.
You’ll then receive a five-digit code which is your voucher for the £2.99 offer.
Signing up to the My McDonald’s app means you can keep on top of the latest deals and offers.
The app will allow you to browse the latest menu available at McDonald’s – you can download it for free via Google Play or the App Store.
It works anywhere you have internet, so you can look up what’s on offer while you’re out and about, or at home.
Every Monday, the app has a host of deals available to cash in on.
Typically you can get things like a Big Mac, McMuffin or Fillet-O-Fish for just 99p.
You have to order it on the app and claim it from your closest McDonald’s by 11.59pm on the day though.
