McDonalds Owner and operator of UAE says people don’t want healthier options

Rafie Fakih, the Managing Director of Emirates Fast Food Co. and owner/operator of McDonald's restaurants in the United Arab Emirates, has an opinion on what people want.

He believes that people come to McDonalds not to eat salads, but burgers! This doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone, I mean when was the last time you went to McDonalds with the intent of eating something healthy.

McDonalds whole brand revolves around their juicy burgers, golden crispy fries, and sugary carbonated drinks. Anything that strays away from this can be considered a contradiction to their business model that has been built over the years.

Fakih has stated that the biggest challenge is having their customers opt for a healthier option, stating “They’re not buying more salads”

Is Ordering a McDonalds Salad Even Healthy?

Even if a customer decides to order a salad, there are additional options the customer could add onto the salad that would defeat the whole purpose.

Those who want to cut calories on their salads should do the following;

• Avoid chicken. If the additional protein is required, switch to grilled chicken rather than crispy.
• Add more vegetables--- Peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, etc.
• Cut the cheese
• If you decide to remove the chicken all together, reducing the fat and sodium content, go for adding more bean and lentils. High in protein and a healthier option.
• Forget the dressing, but if it’s a must you can go for the French Dressing: Only 90 calories

McDonalds has also taken steps in ensuring that their “unhealthy” foods options are a little less…unhealthy.

Here are the following changes McDonalds has recently implemented in making their food a little healthier:

• Reduced their Classic Mayonnaise fat content and calories by 50%
• Using sunflower and Canola oil for cooking fried foods, reducing saturated fat by 80%
• Improved technology in factories processing various ingredients
• Improved sourcing of Fish products
• Removal of artificial preservatives
• Providing chicken that isn’t treated with Antibiotics

Don’t get me wrong, the above changes are great for providing a healthier option to individuals, but does it change the fact that most items on McDonalds list should not be eaten on a regular basis? The answer is No.

I don’t believe eating McDonalds on special occasions will cause any harm, but adding a Caesar salad on the side with your Big-Mac doesn’t give you a free pass to eat it on a daily basis.