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McDonald’s Comeback: Bigger Investment, But Is the Menu Getting Healthier?

The fast-food giant is putting billions behind a new growth strategy — but questions remain about what its comeback means for public health.

McDonald’s is preparing for a major transformation after announcing an $8.5 billion long-term investment and franchisee-support plan designed to modernise restaurants, improve technology and attract customers back to its restaurants.

The announcement has raised an interesting question for consumers: Is McDonald’s comeback simply about selling more food, or is the company also changing what it offers to help people make healthier choices?

The answer appears to be a mixture of both.

Billions behind the comeback

McDonald’s announced its new NEXT strategy in September 2026. The programme includes restaurant modernisation, technology and artificial intelligence, operational improvements and changes intended to respond to changing customer preferences.

The $8.5 billion figure covers support over the coming decade, rather than being a specific £8.5 million health investment. Reuters reported that McDonald’s is using the strategy to address weaker customer traffic and competition in important markets. 

The company is therefore looking at how to make its restaurants more attractive and efficient while encouraging customers to return.

But what about people’s health?

Fast food can form part of a diet, but regularly consuming foods high in calories, saturated fat, salt and sugar can contribute to health problems, including obesity and cardiovascular disease.

That makes the nutritional direction of McDonald’s menu an important part of the conversation.

McDonald’s UK says it has already been changing its menu. According to the company, between 2020 and 2023 it removed 150 tonnes of fat, 18.8 tonnes of saturated fat, 34.9 tonnes of salt and 2,672 tonnes of sugar from its menu. It also says that, as of April 2025, 89% of its core UK food and drinks menu was 500 calories or less. 

The company has also introduced nutritional information, calorie information at ordering points and symbols identifying products that contribute to five-a-day, fibre or protein.

Healthier choices — but still fast food

McDonald’s has introduced options such as its McPlant, grilled chicken choices and porridge, while saying it is continuing to reformulate products and reduce salt.

However, healthier choices do not automatically make the entire menu healthy.

The UK menu still contains burgers, fries, desserts, sugary drinks and other products that can be high in calories, saturated fat, salt or sugar. Customers therefore still need to consider portion sizes and how frequently these foods are consumed.

The company’s own strategy acknowledges that customers want greater choice, rather than suggesting that McDonald’s is becoming exclusively a health-food restaurant.

Is the comeback good for health?

There is no evidence that McDonald’s $8.5 billion investment is designed to increase heart-disease risk. Its stated purpose is business growth, restaurant improvements and adapting to consumer demand.

At the same time, the company’s nutritional changes provide evidence that it is attempting to offer more balanced options.

The bigger question for consumers is what happens in practice: Will people choose the healthier options, or will the most heavily promoted traditional fast-food meals remain the biggest sellers?

McDonald’s has made changes to its menu, but a healthier food environment ultimately depends on both what companies provide and what consumers choose.

The bigger picture

McDonald’s is clearly trying to make a comeback through investment, technology, restaurant improvements and menu development.

The company says its UK nutritional programme is intended to give customers more information and more balanced choices.

But the $8.5 billion strategy should not be described as an $8.5 billion health programme.

For consumers, the real issue is straightforward: more choice can be positive, but the nutritional value of the individual meal still matters.

As McDonald’s enters its next phase, its success may be measured not only by how many customers return to its restaurants, but also by whether customers are increasingly able to find — and choose — food that fits into a balanced diet.

Attached is a news article regarding McDonald 8.5 billion investment in the company 

https://www.reuters.com/business/mcdonalds-outlines-85-billion-plan-support-franchisees-2026-09-23/

Article written and configured by Christopher Stanley