Once upon a time, McDonald’s tried to create bubblegum-flavored broccoli. Yes, you read that right. This fascinating, if somewhat eccentric, episode in the world of fast-food innovation may sound like an urban legend, but it actually has a basis in reality and shows the lengths to which food companies like McDonald’s will go to make healthier options more appealing to kids.

In 2014, McDonald’s faced growing pressure from health activists and concerned parents to improve the nutrients in its menu, particularly the Happy Meal. Donald Thompson, the fast-food giant’s CEO at the time, recognized the need to make its offerings more nutritious to combat rising childhood obesity rates and respond to changing consumer preferences. In search of healthier alternatives, the company embarked on a mission to create a kid-friendly version of broccoli, a vegetable that is notoriously unpopular with many children.

The idea was simple: If broccoli could be made to taste like a favorite childhood candy – chewing gum – children might be more likely to choose it over unhealthier alternatives.

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Bubble gum-flavored broccoli was a Happy Meal flop

To make this unusual vision a reality, McDonald’s turned to its research and development team. Food scientists and taste experts were tasked with developing a variety of broccoli that not only had the distinctive taste of bubble gum, but also had the same nutritional value. This was a challenging undertaking because broccoli, a cruciferous vegetable, naturally has a strong and somewhat bitter taste – quite different from the sugary sweetness of bubble gum.

Although this project was seen as an ambitious attempt to make healthier foods more palatable to children, it was also met with skepticism and doubts were raised about the wisdom of getting children to eat vegetables. In fact, focus group participants were nothing short of confused. Ultimately, McD’s candy-like flavored broccoli never made it onto the chain’s menu. The project was eventually shelved, possibly due to insurmountable taste challenges or concerns about the acceptance of such a unique product.

In hindsight, the bubblegum-flavored broccoli experiment may have been a quirky footnote in McDonald’s history, but it reflected a broader trend in the food industry’s efforts to encourage healthier eating habits among children. While the idea of ​​broccoli tasting like bubblegum may sound outlandish, it underscores the continued importance – and limitations – of creative thinking and innovation.

Read the original article on Mashed.