16 photos that show the evolution of the McDonald's Happy Meal

Meredith Cash,Erin McDowellAug 6, 2020, 02:54 IST

Since 1979, McDonald's Happy Meal has been a staple for the giant fast-food brand.Ratana21/Shutterstock

McDonald's introduced its Happy Meal in the US in 1979.
Since then, the children's meal and toys have become a staple for the giant fast-food brand.
Over the years, McDonald's has worked to provide healthier options for kids by reducing calories, saturated fat, and sugar in Happy Meals.
Some McDonald's locations abroad have also pledged to pull plastic toys in order to be more sustainable.

Happy Meals have been a staple at McDonald's for as long as many of us can remember, but they haven't always been the centerpiece of the fast-food chain's children's menu.

The Happy Meal was introduced in 1979, more than 20 years after McDonald's was founded in 1955. After McDonald's employee Yolanda Fernández de Cofiño created "Menu Ronald," which combined a hamburger, small fries, and a small sundae specifically for young customers in Guatemala, the company's advertising executive Bob Bernstein brought the idea stateside and swapped out ice cream for toys.

Since then, McDonald's has collaborated with movies, TV shows, toy chains, and more to bring treats to every child who orders a Happy Meal.

Parents and health advocates have frequently voiced concern with the nutritional value of Happy Meals. The brand has offered some healthier options for kids by reducing calories, saturated fat, and sugar in Happy Meals, and it has promised to further cut the meals' calories in the next couple of years. The brand is also considering how it can evolve to be more sustainable when it comes to the toys included in every Happy Meal.

Here's how the McDonald's Happy Meal has evolved over time.

Happy Meals have been a staple at McDonald's for nearly 40 years, but they weren't the fast-food chain's first foray into providing offerings specifically for kids.

McDonald's Happy Meal hasn't always looked like this. Ratana21/Shutterstock

The original idea for the Happy Meal is said to have come from a McDonald's employee in Guatemala named Yolanda Fernández de Cofiño.

Ronald McDonald inspired the "Menu Ronald." Mike Fuentes/Getty Images

McDonald's credits advertising executive Bob Bernstein with the idea of the Happy Meal.

Bob Bernstein, who is credited with inventing the Happy Meal, holds an original Happy Meal box on the product's 25th anniversary. AP Photo/Orlin Wagner

McDonald's rolled out the first Happy Meal in the US in 1979.

An award given to Bob Bernstein on the 10th anniversary of the Happy Meal and an original Happy Meal box. AP Photo/Orlin Wagner

Later that year, the brand teamed up with "Star Trek" for its first major film partnership.

A screenshot from McDonald's "Star Trek" Happy Meal commercial. YouTube/TrekCore

Chicken McNuggets were added as a Happy Meal option in 1983.

Chicken McNuggets weren't always included in a Happy Meal. Steve Parsons - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

McDonald's introduced milk as an option in the late 1980s.

Drinks included in the McDonald's Happy Meal have changed over the years. AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

The first Disney-themed Happy Meal came out in 1987. The meals have since featured beloved characters like Mickey Mouse and his crew.

Caron Lawless displays her McDonald's Happy Meal figurine collection. Glenn Asakawa/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Characters from various movies, TV shows, and toy series have graced Happy Meal bags for decades.

Sisters Jade, 6, and Juele, 3, from Queensland enjoy a Happy Meal in 2006. Fairfax Media/Getty Images

No McDonald's Happy Meal toy was more popular than Ty's Teenie Beanie Babies.

McDonald's assistant vice president for marketing, R.J. Milano, is pictured with a display of Teenie Beanie Babies from McDonald's Happy Meals. AP Photo/Peter Barreras

As the new millennium began, McDonald's faced pressure to promote health consciousness with its Happy Meals.

McDonald's Happy Meal apple slices. AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

In 2016, McDonald's tested a breakfast Happy Meal.

McDonald's breakfast Happy Meal. McDonald's

Two years later, McDonald's removed chocolate milk and cheeseburgers from its Happy Meal menu.

A child eats a burger outside a McDonald's in Milan in 2012. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini

McDonald's says it has committed to making its Happy Meals healthier in the future.

McDonald's will continue to revamp its children's menus. 8th.creator / Shutterstock

Today, McDonald's has its own cartoon character modeled after the iconic red Happy Meal box.

Happy, a character created by McDonald's. YouTube/Commercials Ads

This year, McDonald's announced it would be removing plastic toys from Happy Meals in the UK.

A plastic toy inside a Happy Meal. David Paul Morris/Getty Images

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