The Egg McMuffin is getting a makeover.
McDonald's has announced that it will debut a yolk-free version of its iconic breakfast sandwich as part of its latest effort to attract health-conscious consumers.
The "Egg White Delight," which rolls out on April 22, will clock in at just 250 calories and feature a slice of white cheddar and Canadian bacon on a whole grain English muffin. "According to the McDonald's webpage, the egg whites will be grilled and will be sandwiched by 8 grams of whole grains. The Canadian bacon is extra lean as well," says CBS News.
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The yolk-free McMuffin isn't McDonald's first effort to be more nutritious. Last year, the chain began advertising a "Favorites Under 400 Calories" menu. It's also added more salad and wrap sandwich options to the menu, and revamped its Happy Meal offerings in 2011 by adding fruit slices and including fewer French fries.
The slimmer McMuffin comes on the heels of sluggish sales for one of the world's largest restaurant chains. Last week, the company said its American same-store sales slipped 3.3 percent in February.
Of course, the house that Ronald built is hardly alone in going healthy. "Though McDonald's dominates the fast-food breakfast category, competitors such as Dunkin' Donuts, Subway, and Starbucks Corp have offered egg whites — lower in fat and cholesterol than whole eggs — as a breakfast sandwich choice for years," says Reuters.
"It's a great move," said Bob Goldin, an executive vice president at food service consulting firm Technomic. "It will broaden [McDonald's] audience."
Of course, not everyone was quite so laudatory. Some members of the Twittersphere were predictably pessimistic about the new endeavor:
