# Box Lunch Reviews This Happy Meal Infographic Deciphers Food Marketing Aimed at Children By Rebecca Byers | Published 2012-02-28 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/happy-meal References: [holykaw.alltop](http://holykaw.alltop.com/happy-meal-the-ingredients-of-marketing-meals) FrugalDad.com's Happy Meal infographic, officially titled 'How Happy is the Meal You're Paying for? A look at the ingredient of marketing meals to children,' is a comprehensive and critical examination of the tactics used to sell fast food to kids. The [McDonald's Happy Meal](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/adult-happy-meals) is a perfect example of the quick low-cost "kid's meals" are directed at children solely because of its inclusion of a free toy with purchase, a practice that has come under intense scrutiny in recent years. The Happy Meal infographic examines the statistics associated with [McDonalds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcnuggets-land)' famous product, which, for example, represents $3 billion in US sales, more than the total sales revenues of [Burger King](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spongebob-menu) or Wendy's. The interesting graph also looks into the new health standards that are a product of new legislation in the US for meals that include a toy giveaway. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.3/10 - Popularity: 68% | Activity: 83% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Health](https://www.trendhunter.com/health) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Marketing Tactics for Kids:** Identify innovative ways to ethically market meals to children while promoting health and nutrition. - **Health Standards for Kids' Meals:** Explore opportunities to develop healthier meal options for children that comply with new legislation while maintaining profitability. - **Impact of Toy Giveaways on Sales:** Find disruptive ways to drive sales by offering incentives other than toys, addressing the concerns raised by the practice of including toys in kids' meals. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Fast Food:** Introduce innovative meal choices that cater to children's tastes while emphasizing nutrition in the fast food industry. - **Marketing:** Develop ethical and effective strategies for marketing kids' meals that go beyond traditional methods and reflect changing consumer preferences. - **Legislation and Compliance:** Provide consulting and solutions to help food companies adapt to new health and nutrition standards for children's meals. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Health-Conscious Kidult Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/happy-healthy-meal.md) - [Playful Adult-Oriented QSR Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/adult-happy-meals.md) - [Nostalgic Kidult Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/happy-meals-for-adults.md) - [Expressive Meal Boxes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/blank-happy-meal.md) - [Creature-Collecting Kids Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pokemon-happy-meal.md) - [Nostalgic QSR Miniature Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/happy-meal-collectibles.md) - [Eco Fast Food Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cool-kids-meal.md) - [Mental-Health Awareness QSR Packaging](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/happy-meal-box.md) - [Adult-Focused Meal Combos](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/happy-meal-1.md)