OAK BROOK, IL - McDonald’s has released its first annual report on its 2013 pledge to increase its customers’ access to fruits and veggies.

"The progress McDonald's is making is a critical step in the right direction," Dr. Howell Wechsler, CEO of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and partner in McDonald’s health initiative, said in a press release. "Any business practice that enhances the opportunity for families to make healthier choices is beneficial."

According to McDonald’s, an independent survey found that 83 percent of its U.S. restaurants now offer a fruit, vegetable, or salad option in Extra Value Meals as a substitute for fries, after only having been rolled out in January of this year.

"We're making progress in areas that matter most to our customers, business, and society," Steve Easterbrook, President and CEO of McDonald's, said. "Our actions demonstrate the influence of our scale and the impact of our partnerships. We'll continue to work with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to offer more choices to our customers around the world."

McDonald's is the leading global foodservice retailer, according to the release, with over 36,000 locations and about 69 million daily customers in over 100 countries. Its resolve to make fresh produce and other healthy options available to those customers consisted of five specific commitments in 20 major markets by 2020, the U.S. included, which the company said accounts for 85 percent of its global sales.

Keybridge, a public policy economic consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. that McDonald’s retained to “to independently verify progress on these commitments in a clear and transparent manner,” reported that both markets are well-positioned to meet the commitment it set out reach within its projected time frame.

Key highlights of the report included:

• A nine percent jump in customers choosing juice and milk, with soda selections decreasing six percent.
• 14 Happy Meal boxes and bags dedicating a panel to a fun nutrition or children's well-being message in 2014, ten more than required in order to fulfill the commitment.
• In 2014, McDonald's USA included fun nutrition or children's well-being messages in 100 percent of its external advertisements directed to children.

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