McDonalds, the official restaurant of 2012 Olympic Games, aims to help customers make right nutrition-minded choices whether visiting McDonald’s or eating elsewhere. Yesterday, McDonald’s USA president Jan Fields unveiled the company’s ‘Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices.’

Working on menu changes, McDonald’s is to add more nutritionally-balanced choices and to increase focus on providing nutrition information.

«McDonald’s will always try to do the right thing, and we know we can help make a difference in our communities,» said Jan Fields, president, McDonald’s USA. «The commitments we’re announcing today will guide the future evolution of our menu and marketing.»

Being a restaurant with a big young audience, the fast food chain is going to champion children’s well-being: McDonald’s will automatically include produce or a low-fat dairy option in every Happy Meal and promote options that meet the Council of Better Business Bureaus Food Pledge nutrition standards by Q1 2012.

In 2012, the company will also promote nutrition messages in all national communications with kids, including merchandising, advertising, digital and the Happy Meal packaging. McDonald’s will also provide funding for grass roots community nutrition awareness programs. This will be one of the company’s responses to their opponents who demand to ‘stop marketing junk foods to kids’.

Then McDonald’s will expand and improve nutritionally-balanced menu choices. By 2020, added sugars, saturated fat and calories will be reduced due to varied portion sizes, reformulations and innovations.

To begin communication with customers, McDonald’s will soon launch its first mobile app so customers can access nutrition information on-the-go.

To support communities, Fields and McDonald’s U.S. executive leadership team will launch a national listening tour in August. They will hear directly from parents and nutrition experts about how McDonald’s can play a role in the topic of nutrition. McDonald’s will also create a new online parents’ community that provides a forum for McDonald’s and parents to discuss question regarding the topic.

The McDonald’s system has been investing significantly in nutritional menu innovations and communications during the past two years. Examples include investing in scientific and customer research, expanded agricultural supply chain contracts, an expanded team of nutrition experts, and updating nutrition information on McDonald’s website.