To think a leftover happy meal isn’t the worst packed lunch you could have?

The issue here is the word McDonalds.

If a ‘concerned’ MNer said “I cook minced steak patties and chicken goujons from scratch. They’re yummy hot or cold and sooo filling”, other ‘concerned’ MNers would applaud.

But even though its ingredients are excellent, McDonalds is beyond the pale. This is a thread for showing off snobby values, not a sensible discussion.

I’m telling you it’s infuriating, just as you think it’s infuriating people pretend not to understand

I can’t believe I’m saying this, as it’s so obvious, but justifying something is very different to pointing out the hyperbole and mistruths of the response to the situation, and identifying when posters are eager to kick parents they think are “lame” because it brings them personal satisfaction.

i think it’s infuriating that grown ups pretend they think it’s neglect- and indeed tell posters who have done so with all the pride of someone who loves to devastate people- and throw around words like “neglect” and “safeguarding” oblivious to what they mean and their impacts. Ie

I'm not really sure what your point is: I didn't say its neglect or a safeguarding issue.

I'm not a teacher and I don't know what the safeguarding protocols are. As a one off or occasional thing it's possibly excusable and no doubt no one has time to look into a one off shit lunch at a busy school. I would imagine if a child is taking cold leftover McDonalds food into school every day it points at the very least to some dysfunctional parenting which merits investigating a bit.

Not sure why you're so keen to justify such lame parenting though, just because it doesn't technically trigger a safeguarding issue? Shit parenting is still shit parenting even if it doesn't necessitate involving social services.

i think it’s infuriating that grown ups pretend they think it’s neglect- and indeed tell posters who have done so with all the pride of someone who loves to devastate people- and throw around words like “neglect” and “safeguarding” oblivious to what they mean and their impacts. Ie

”safeguarding!”
”what do you mean?”
”I mean safeguarding!”

That’s disingenuous

I know it's infuriating that people are pretending not to understand this.

It's OK (occasionally) when hot and fresh. Really not OK when half eaten, cold and slimy.

I've said this before but the nutrition isn't the worst aspect of this. The worst thing is that giving your kid a half-eaten cold hamburger tells them you don't give a shit about them.

I love that this is just pure ragebait lol. The faux disingenuous 'but why isn't it okay for lunch if it's okay for dinner?' deliberately pretending not to understand the difference between a hot fresh takeaway and cold rubbery leftovers the next day.

I'm sorry I just don't buy it.

Sorry, are you trying to claim that McDonald's isn't ultra processed!?

In what world do we class adding some cold protein into a child's lunch box along the same lines as neglect...? I cooked the dippers that morning, let them cool and packed them up. Is it any different from her taking some cold leftover roast children? Maccies nuggets are actually quite a safe protein food, my competitive athlete teens are encouraged to eat them pre race by their coach. I think some of the posters on here need to actually look into the world of neglect and maybe engage their brains before posting. Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than speak and remove all doubt.

In what world do we class adding some cold protein into a child's lunch box along the same lines as neglect...? I cooked the dippers that morning, let them cool and packed them up. Is it any different from her taking some cold leftover roast children? Maccies nuggets are actually quite a safe protein food, my competitive athlete teens are encouraged to eat them pre race by their coach. I think some of the posters on here need to actually look into the world of neglect and maybe engage their brains before posting. Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than speak and remove all doubt.

There's a lot of food snobbery on here!!

I was pretty anal about my DC's food ensuring it was all organic and well balanced. I probably took it too far and I'm sure they would have been thrilled to have a leftover happy meal as a packed lunch just for the novelty of it.

A 2oz beef patty in a bun is probably just as nutritious as a homemade ham sandwich or a slice of cold pizza.

The thing I don't understand is having a leftover happy meal. If I order fast food I don't order more than we are going to eat. It's not like batch cooking.

It better still, pasta, pesto, cubes of cheese, chopped cucumber and tomatoes. Still cheap more nutritious. The problem is a lot of these children are weaned to eat beige tasteless crap.

You are thought to be posh and pretentious if your child eats decent quality food or likes the taste of an olive.

Plain just meat and cheese or with sauce and onions?

For show, yes. But actually better than meat and potatoes to get through a school day? The thought of it makes me shiver though.

Also agree

a cold leftover takeaway is just lazy

and tbh prob rank

Working in a school I’ve seen left over burger chicken nuggets and fries on multiple occasions. Absolutely disgusting cold. Totally fine for a child to have a McDonalds on occasion but cold? No it’s not an acceptable lunch. Better than starving to death? Yeah, so if that’s your argument OP then I agree.

My daughters car is disgusting. I was cleaning it when I found a cheeseburger from macdonalds under a seat. It wasnt mouldy it didnt smell it was rock hard perfect in every way. Not a spec of mould.you could have put it in a toy box and it would pass as a toy. I think that's really worrying. So no cold macdonalds for me.

We don’t eat McDonalds at all in our house. We are very anti-fast food. There is no nutritional value.

However, I did occasionally eat McDonalds as a child - it was a huge treat to have it. But even back then, no one I know would have eaten it cold. Even McDonalds throws the food away within a certain time after it’s cooked.

And?
Thats nothing like yesterday's happy meal is it?

I send my kid to school sometimes with cold pasta from the night before

The bread from the coop is nice, and less than £1. Pack of ham, honey ham, or chicken slices for just over £1. Multipack of crisps for £1.60. Same price for 3-4 days.

Apparently all these "holier than thou" posters know the nutritional content of every food that is available to eat!

I would be bored to tears with their lives.

It depends really if its a continuous thing then I would be concerned. I am a Childminder and i have seen some pretty horrendous packed lunches which border on neglect.
However i don't like wasting food so keep leftovers in general and my son has gotten that habbit off me so if he can't finish his food he sometimes asks if he can put it in his Lunchbox for school the next day. Mc Donalds is a rare treat for us and my son loves it so if he doesn't finish his happy meal (would be a big if) he would ask to take it in with the addition of his veggies and fruit to balance it out.
But I do aggree with the fact that it shouldn't be a regular thing. And if its a hard times thing you could get a couple of days worth of igredients if you buy supermarket value products or wonky veg for about the same price as a happy meal.
I always keep a stash of ready cut veg like carrots cucumbers and peppers in my fridge for my family and always offer kids even if parents opt out of my consumables and pack lunches so that they have the option.

A 100% burger, which McDonald's is, has got to better than ultra processed ham. Maybe not everyone's taste, but perhaps said child likes it cold.

Define ready meal and takeaway , or rethink that sweeping statement

Verging on neglect.