Balance of Food

When McDonald's took away the super size portions, it did offer that they would come back for promotions. Sure enough, 15 months later, restaurants in the Chicago Co-Op (McDonald's franchisees in the area) will reintroduce the 42-ounce drinks this summer. The local promotion allows customers to get a free, 42-ounce beverage with a purchase of a Big Mac and fries. The promotion will start July 11 and last through the month. A McDonald's spokesperson said this is not super-sizing. Bringing back the promotion is no surprise. If customers buy a Big Mac and fries just to get the free coke, McDonald's will have accomplished its objective. The biggest profit margin in fast food comes from soft drink sales. So a Coke actually costs pennies. A 42-ounce Coke contains 410 calories. Given the average ideal calorie allotment is between 1,500-2,000 calories, 410 is a huge figure. A large Coke at McDonald's, which is 32 ounces, contains 310 calories, according to the company's Web site. By contrast, a 7-11 Super Big Gulp holds 44 ounces; a Double Gulp, 64.