(CBS News) – McDonald’s is rethinking its menu for a growing customer base that eats less. The fast food giant says it’s exploring smaller portions and high-protein options aimed at customers taking GLP-1 weight loss drugs.
“When people do go on GLP-1s they still crave our foods, but what they’re buying, the portions they are buying, changes,” McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said. “We are going to evolve our menu to make sure it reflects what that consumer is looking for in the future.”
What’s on the table
Bloomberg reports the new options under consideration include a crispy chicken bowl, grilled chicken snack wraps and egg bites. McDonald’s describes the effort as pursuing “portion flexible options” and “protein-led choices.”
The move comes as GLP-1 use surges. According to Gallup, the use of GLP-1s for weight loss has nearly quadrupled over the past two years.
Fast food chains feeling the shift
McDonald’s is not the only chain adapting. Chipotle is already promoting high-protein options it calls “GLP-1 friendly,” while Burger King is testing smaller Whopper bites.
The urgency is backed by data. Research shows that within six months of starting GLP-1 drugs, households with a user cut spending at fast-food chains, coffee shops and other limited-service restaurants by 8%.
David Portalatin, senior vice president at Circana — a market research firm that tracks what Americans buy and eat — says the drugs are triggering a wider shift in how people think about food.
“GLP-1 users still dine out at restaurants. They do eat a little bit differently than they once did, and so it is important to have things on the menu that are relevant to that audience,” Portalatin said.
A broader change in appetite
Portalatin says the ripple effect extends beyond GLP-1 users themselves.
“We’re seeing these things that GLP-1 users are pursuing are also being echoed more broadly even among other consumers who are not on the medications,” he said. “I think what you’re going to see is more diversity across the menu. Consumers are looking for flexibility on portion sizes.”
For a chain that once urged customers to supersize, the appetite for change may now be driving the menu.