Burger King adds healthier kids meal to menu

Burger King Holdings Inc. launched a new kids meal Monday that the company will market to mom and dad.

“A large part of our customer base is parents with children,” said Russ Klein, president of global strategy, marketing and innovation. “As a parent, the challenge is always trying to get the kinds of things you want to but have some dimension of fun.”

The meal features a 4-ounce serving of Kraft macaroni and cheese, low-fat milk and “Fresh Apple Fries,” which are uncooked apple slices shaped like French fries and served with low-fat caramel dipping sauce. The price – $3.49.

The company will be offering free samples of the apple dish during July in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Houston. It will also give away samples at Jonas Brothers concert tour sites.

Klein declined to specify how much Burger King will spend on promoting the new meal, including TV ads set to start July 7, saying only that the company will spend millions “supporting this vehicle.”

Burger King isn’t the first fast-food restaurant to try to convince moms to listen to the pleas in the back seat for fast food. McDonald’s Corp. launched a public relations campaign last year that targeted mothers in a bid to neutralize criticism that the company’s food was a contributor to childhood obesity.

The McDonald’s approach included adding healthier items to its menu meant to entice both kids and parents, including “Apple Dippers” – slices of apple similar to the Burger King version. McDonald’s also started a “mom’s quality correspondence” campaign in which six mothers got a behind-the-scenes look at how the chain operates. The moms write about their experience on the company’s website.

Zack’s Investment Research senior analyst Anne Northrup said McDonald’s has been changing the perception that fast food is an indulgence that will probably lead to gaining a few extra pounds.

But convincing parents to correlate healthy eating with the home of the Whopper may not so be easy. Burger King has been criticized for not switching to trans-fat-free oil as fast as some of its rivals. It has committed to making the switch in all of its restaurants by the end of the year. Burger King shares fell 14 cents to $26.79.