McDonald's Is Jumping Aboard The Kale Train

Despite a Big Mac ad earlier this year that mocked burgers that used kale, quinoa, or soy, McDonald's announced it would be testing kale in breakfast bowls at nine locations across southern California. McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook told The Guardian he wants to turn the chain into a "modern, progressive burger company," and this test will try to help distance McDonald's from its fast-food stereotype.

McDonald's sales have declined at established US location for six straight quarters, so the chain is introducing the nutrient-rich "superfood" and trying the bowl method, which has been popularized by chains like Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., according to Reuters. Kale will be included in a turkey sausage and egg white breakfast bowl, which also includes spinach and bruschetta, Lisa McComb, a McDonald’s representative, told The Guardian in an email. The second option will be a chorizo and egg bowl, which includes hash browns, cheddar jack cheese, and pico de gallo. Both will be available for $3.99, according to USA Today.

The earlier Big Mac ad was apparently meant to play off of the fact that meat-eaters love to make fun of vegetarians and "hoity-toity foodies," according to TIME. The ad's narrator spoke dramatically about the "juicy" meat featured in the Big Mac and McDonald's use of lettuce:

All vegetarians, foodies and gastronauts kindly avert your eyes. You can’t get juiciness like this from soy or quinoa. Nor will this ever be kale.

In a separate event, Mark Kalinowski, a Janney Capital Markets analyst, said in a client note on Wednesday that McDonald's restaurants in Canada will also start offering three salads made with kale.

In other exciting McDonald's news, the restaurant also announced Wednesday that it will be bringing back its Hamburglar character, who hasn't been seen on TV since 2002, according to Reuters. USA Today said the character is different than the one viewers saw in 2002. Keeping with the company's new progressive goals, the new Hamburglar, whom USA Today suggested be called the "Kale Kidnapper," is a slimmer version of the previous one and looks more like a "suburban dad," according to CNN. Joel Yashinsky, McDonald's' Vice President of U.S. Marketing, gave a statement to Mashable about the reinvention:

We felt it was time to debut a new look for the Hamburglar after he’s been out of the public eye all these years. He’s had some time to grow up a bit and has been busy raising a family in the suburbs and his look has evolved over time.

Reuters said McDonald's will be announcing other "menu fixes" in the future.

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