By Julie Jargon 

McDonald's Corp. outlined plans for major changes to its food offerings--from the items it sells to how they're made--in the fast-food giant's most far-reaching steps yet to try to rejuvenate its flagging U.S. business.

The measures, discussed on Wednesday in an investor briefing on the company's turnaround efforts, range from culling items from a menu that has become bloated to giving more customers the option of more customized ordering. Executives also said the chain plans to study every ingredient in its products and review different cooking and holding techniques to improve the quality of its food.

"We must and will win with our food," new McDonald's U.S. President Mike Andres said during his first public address to investors.

The briefing came two days after the company reported the steepest monthly same-store sales decline in the U.S. in more than 14 years, extending a slump in McDonald's core market that began in 2012. The company has suffered from a range of problems, including a complicated menu that has slowed service and the loss of customers to fast-casual restaurants offering products that are viewed as fresher and more healthful.

"In the future we want to be much more culinary-inspired," Mr. Andres said. "We need to think about our ingredient labels being much smaller," with recipes consisting of ingredients people would find in their pantries.

"Why do we need to have preservatives in our food?" Mr. Andres said, noting that McDonald's goes through ingredients very quickly. "We probably don't."

Executives said the fast-food giant will remove eight items from its menu next month--though they didn't specify which ones--and reduce the number of extra value meals to 11 from 16 in an effort to simplify the menu. In markets where the reductions have been tested, the company said it has seen a decrease in drive-through wait times.

At the same time, the company is adding the ability to customize orders in some markets, an effort dubbed "create your taste" that lets customers use tablet computers to choose toppings. The customized option will be available next year in about 2,000 of its more than 14,000 U.S. restaurants. "Customers have told us, 'Make the best burger you can,' " Chief Executive Don Thompson said.

Mr. Thompson said McDonald's wants to be viewed as a chain of "modern progressive burger and breakfast restaurants."

Breakfast has been one of McDonald's bright spots in the U.S., and the company soon plans to start advertising the freshness of its offerings, including the fact that the restaurants crack eggs for use in breakfast sandwiches, whereas some rivals reheat breakfast items.

The company is putting more control in the hands of local markets in a new U.S. corporate structure announced in October. McDonald's says menu items that sell well in one part of the country don't necessarily appeal to consumers in another, so local managers are being given more authority to roll out locally relevant products--an initiative intended to also increase the speed of menu innovation.

Mr. Andres said the shift to local control is part of McDonald's effort to change its corporate culture to be more nimble. "We tend to be very risk-averse and make sure we test and test and test. We have the ability to greatly increase the speed to market," he said.

Mr. Andres also said the company has to become more involved in local communities by sponsoring local sporting events and holding events to entice families to dine at McDonald's. "People want to feel good about brands they do business with," he said.

Write to Julie Jargon at julie.jargon@wsj.com

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