Mental Floss: Food History

The Happy Meal's Controversial History (2022x4)

Air date: Apr 27, 2022

The McDonald's Happy Meal is an iconic part of many people's childhoods. The toys, the box, the perfectly-sized portions... But did McDonald's steal the idea from another restaurant? On today's episode, we're breaking down the history of the Happy Meal. From million-dollar lawsuits to a brilliant experiment in Guatemala, the path to the famous McDonald's kid's meal can be a bit controversial.