French news site Le Parisien has reported on a study that shows that children’s meals in fast food restaurants in the country have become more unhealthy in recent years.
These revelations come as a result of a study carried out by the National Association of Consumers and Users CLCV, which studied the children’s menus offered by seven fast-food brands: McDonald’s, Burger King, Quick, KFC, Subway, Brioche Dorée and O ‘Tacos.
According to the results, the majority of these companies now offer kids meals which are more calorie-dense than in 2010. These meals tend to “provide excessive amounts of calories, fat, salt and sugar” for children and young people.
One example is the world-famous “Happy Meal” from McDonalds. In 2010, a Happy Meal represented 47% of the recommended daily calorie intake of a child between 4-7 years old. But in 2022, this has now increased to 54%. Yet, the difference is either greater when it comes to other leading chains such as Quick. In 2010, a “Magic Box” from Quick provided 51% of a child’s daily calories, however this has now reached 67% in 2022. Similarly, KFC’s “P’tit bucket” was 45% in 2010, and now is 60%.
The study showed that it was children between the ages of 4-7 who would experience the largest increases in calorie intake from these meals. Yet even for teenagers, a lunch meal at one of these establishments could represent around 59% of their daily caloric needs, which is “significantly more than the 34% generally covered by a lunch”.
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