McDonald's To Further Appease Customers With The Good Food Story

Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt Ltd (HRPL) which is the master franchisee for McDonald’s restaurants in west and south India, has announced ‘The Good Food Story’ to reinforce its commitment towards promoting nutritive and wholesome food.

Having served the Indian food lovers for the last 22 years, McDonald’s always taken care of Indian tastes and sensibilities. It has kept its vegetarian kitchen separate from the non-vegetarian kitchen. The company also does not serve pork and beef in any of its restaurants in India.

The food giant has developed a menu that offers a wide array of choices to suit different preferences. There is a range of high protein products that have paneer, chicken, egg, and fish.

Outside of the signature burgers and fries, the company has launched Chatpata Naan a truly Indian delicacy with an international form. With the recent launch of rice having the goodness of bulgar, basmati rice and fresh vegetables in select markets, McDonald’s has ensured there is something for everyone. The menu also offers a plethora of sides and desserts to complete a meal. Through McCafé, it offers a range of over 30 cold and hot dairy and fruit-based beverages.

“Our customers are increasingly adopting healthier lifestyles and trust brands that behave responsibly and transparently, especially when it comes to food options. Our goal has always been to build a better McDonald’s by making little changes that add up to a big difference. All modifications in ‘The Good Food Story’ have been a result of over three years of persistent re-engineering of our products just so that we could offer more wholesome and balanced food choices to our customers at a great value,” said Amit Jatia, Vice-Chairman of Westlife Development Limited.

“The overall lifestyle of Indians is changing as many of them are leading a sedentary life with very little physical activity. This may cause obesity and deficiency of essential nutrients. It is a good step that restaurants are now offering food choices with a better nutritional profile which are richer in protein and dietary fiber as well as lower in fat and sodium. This along with nutritional awareness will go a long way in ensuring a healthy lifestyle.” Commented JS Pai, Executive Director, Protein Foods & Nutrition Development Association of India at the launch of the initiative by Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt Ltd.

Dr Nilesh Amritkar, Managing Director, Envirocare Labs Pvt. Ltd added that “It is indeed good to know that fast foods can be health positive. I think this is a good effort and will have a positive impact on the food industry.”

“Reducing salt and overall sodium content of the products are small yet significant steps initiated by McDonald’s. The effort taken to re-engineer their food towards a healthy shift is a good initiative. Using technology innovations to reduce overall fat content may be a sustainable solution towards responsible nutrition,” Naaznin Husein, President, Mumbai Chapter of the Indian Dietetic Association (IDA) said.

“As Indians, the majority of our population is protein-deficient. In the future, more concentration could also be placed on increasing protein in all products. The steamed egg is a great value-add. Healthier choices like wraps, steamed eggs, and other such options should be added to the basket of products. Lastly but most importantly, portion control is important. Also, a takeaway message is that these foods are ’sometimes’ food and should not replace every day healthy balanced meals,” she added.