Fruit, or fries

I haven't had a burger at McDonald's in at least ten years, but apparently there are some changes at the fast food behemoth that are worth taking note.

A national push toward more healthy foods (following, among other pressures, a lawsuit brought by two teens in NY who blamed MickeyD's menu for their generous waistlines) has inspired the company to offer sliced apples as a side dish or a substitute for fries in children's Happy Meals. This NY Times business article points out a number of positives -- and potential negatives -- of this decision.

First off, it's refreshing that a restaurant chain with more than 13,000 outlets serving some 26 million customers in the U.S. alone is offering salads and fresh fruit -- unfortunately alongside their signature salt-bomb burgers and trans-fat fries. The sheer purchasing power of a chain such as McDonald's is a boon for produce growers, the article points out, who have benefited from consistent demand and corresponding high prices. Yay for agriculture, yay for health.

The specter of crop monoculture (if you've never read it, check out the potato chapter in Michael Pollan's "The Botany of Desire") is a potential downside, as growers scramble to fulfill McDonald's demands for a certain type of apple (that fits the company's stringent quality requirements -- yet, is still produced with pesticides) while tossing other varieties.

Consider this: a chain as large and financially powerful as McDonald's, making a business decision to support organic produce. One can dream, no?