Get Lean: McDonald's Launches New "Favorites Under 400" Menu Platform

By: Finance Foodie 

In addition to introducing the limited-time “Flavors of Summer” menu, McDonald’s is also continuing to focus on the nutritional commitments they made a year ago to make calorie information more accessible to its customers. Last month, McDonald’s launched “Favorites Under 400 Calories,” a new national menu platform featuring popular food and beverage choices for under 400 calories at counters and drive-thrus nationwide. This menu puts the calories front and center, and serves to empower customers and employees to make choices that are right for their nutrition needs.

Premium Grilled Chicken Sandwich (350 calories)

Many customers will be pleasantly surprised to learn about calories of some of their favorite menu options at McDonald's – in fact, about 80% of McDonald's menu items are under 400 calories! Additionally, throughout the duration of the London 2012 Olympic Games, McDonald’s Executive Chef Dan Coudreaut, Champion of Food Kids, and Olympic Athletes will team-up to share creative home meal ideas, using fun, wholesome and great-tasting recipes with McDonald’s ingredients to help encourage family meal-time activities (You can view them on McDonald’s website by clicking on “The Best Of Our Best Taste” icon).

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait (150 calories)

So you ask - what is my "Favorites under 400" menu item? Well most people are shocked to discover that I eat a Egg McMuffin twice a week for breakfast (300 calories) and have been consistently doing this for the past three years. Not exactly the most glam of foods for a food writer like myself, but hey, it's convenient and gets the job done! Not only is the McMuff a good source of protein and tasty, but the calorie count / filling you up ratio is quite low (favorable) as well. And a little consistency in a volatile market is all I can ask for some days....

Egg McMuffin (300 calories)

***Giveaway***
Congrats - Lara! 

McDonald's wants financefoodie.com's readers to get healthy this summer with a month of free "Favorites Under 400" meals ! One lucky reader will a $25 Arch Card, ten (10) coupons good for any Premium Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Egg McMuffin and Fruit and Yogurt Parfait (10 each)!

Grand Prize: $25 Arch Card, 10 Grilled Chicken, 10 Egg McMuffin and 10 Fruit and Yogurt Parfait free product coupons (ARV: $50)

There are THREE ways to enter
1. REQUIRED: In my comments section, tell me what item on the "Favorites under 400" menu you are most excited to try. Also please include your email address so I can contact you if you win!
2. Follow Finance Foodie on Twitter (leave separate comment telling me this)
3. Reblog / Retweet this giveaway (leave separate comment telling me this)

Contest ends Friday, August 24, 2012 at 5pm EST. Winners will be chosen via random integer generator on random.org announced on the financefoodie.com site shortly afterwards!!

Full Disclosure: The  coupons are being provided by McDonald's. Finance Foodie Media Productions purchased the Arch Card. I was not compensated for this post.