Opinions on Mac Donalds needed for Radio 5 interview tomorrow

Right, I'm going to bed now too, chat another time about this, yeah?

I worked full time for McDOnalds for a year in 1983.
Hygiene standards are better than most hospitals I have worked in.Their raining methods were barking mad in many respects.

Think they are a fantastic example of a successful company and the phenomenon of how some people hate and mistrust success on a grand scale.

The supersize me film was a ridiculous piece of hype. One of the finest restaurants in the country is a few miles from my house and If I had breakfast lunch and dinner there every day for a month I would be fat and ill but I don't see anyone queuing uo to make a film about Lochgreen house.

LOVE their food but don't eat it too often . Am going there tomorrow for lunch. QP with cheese and a hot chocolate. Fab.

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Again, I agree with Oops. These big corporations are destroying our planet and we just sit back and let them. It's horrific.

Oh, and add cynical manipulation to my list of objections.

Ok, I've read a few more now, but not right the way through.

Personally I would never take my kids to McD's.

They are a wholly unethical company concerned only with profits. This whole 'healthy (pah!) menus' thing isn't because they care, it's because that's what people are beginning to demand.

McD's play a large part in the destruction of rainforests. Cheap beef.

They are rubbish employers.

Their animal welfare record is appalling.

And aside from all that their food is full of crap.

I'm a vegetarian, so quite frankly the idea of putting even the finest organic meat into my precious children's bodies is repulsive to me, but McDonalds? Urghhh, never in a million years.

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Haven't read anything except the very last post, but I agree entirely with Oops

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We use McD's maybe once or twice a year but it has to be said, it was a real treat, when we lived in Indonesia, to have a McD's!!

It probably has had its day, tbh. As Aloha says, they are depressign inside and I've never got used to eating without cutlery. But it's a free country and no one has to eat in McD's. If no one liked them they wouldn't still be in business - bit like MG-Rover, really.

I like the food personally, and we go maybe once a month or six weeks as a treat for the family. There are no freebies here in Ireland, that I am aware of, but they have a great Eurosaver Menu, where you can get a burger, fries, and coke for Euro 2.50, and a quarter pounder for 2 Euro.

At least they are giving people an option by providing a more healthy choice.

I think it's not so bad now - never used to take dd there, but now I will because she wants a toy, and it's occasionally handy to pop in. However, she won't eat the chips (I do tho' )She drinks the organic milk, nibbles at the carrots and fruit bags and will eat 1 chicken nugget - so she'll eat more fruit in that intake than a meal at home... I'm a happy camper - and it's cheaper than buying a toy in a shop.

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Haven't read other comments but DS2 - aged 12 tomorrow and a big McDs fan - and I got Big Mac value meals on the way home from an early evening footie match yesterday.

We had had a 2-for-1 coupon through the door; picked them up from the drive-through and ate them at home 5 mins later - lovely apart from the pickle [gag]. He had Coke and I had Tropicana oj.

I would never choose to eat in there, but think that the burger meals, esp when chips are fresh, are very good. (I actually prefer Burger King but they are thin on the ground round here.) AFAIK the meat in the burgers is carefully sourced and good quality? DS2 used to eat McNuggets but since seeing JO and his skin-and-fat blender recipe has gone right off those.

Our family has never used McDs much but hasn't been affected either way by publicity. They do seem to be handing out lots of freebies (like our coupon) lately though - is this significant?

It's not the food, it's the horrible environment that gets me. As I said before, a room with striplights and plastic chairs bolted to the floor are not the kind of thing that makes me think "ooh this is a nice place to be". I think it's depressing. I'd rather eat in my car.

Sorry Flossan my comment about not really a salad was directed at Foxin Socks

the chicken was grilled, not oily or greasy. The salad dressing was a bit naughty but healthier lighter alternatives were available. It was a better ceaser salad than I have been served in other, more desirable establishments, and it was less than 500cals all in which isn't bad for a lunch IMO.

But it's not really a sald is it? It's chicken drenched in olive oil and almonds with a bit of rocket tossed in for colour ... making me drool just thinking about it...

Mcdonalds won't have had its day yet IMO. It is desperately stuggling to keep up with the times and seems to be doing it better than its competitors. The healthier choices are actually nice and it is food I would enjoy eating, I had a grilled chicken cesear salad earlier this week there, it was lovely. I'd even consider taking my mum there!

yes I agree with the 'attention grabbing headline' but then that's what papers do innit!

I think 900cals is a lot for a salad but then again, I love pizza express pizzas and they have miles more cals! I imagine for a restaurant meal, 900 odd cals is probably about norm.

Not suggesting you don't have an ounce of intelligence fis, but it's just an attention grabbing headline "1000 CALORIE SALAD!"

M&S has some sandwiches that have nearly 1,000 calories. (Tasty ones too!)

TBH I never think about calories at all but I don't think 900 calories is DREADFUL for a restaurant main meal?

We do take ds there about once a fortnight, he loves the food there despite being weaned on good, organic, homemade food! The reason I dont mind taking him there is he has food allergies including a very serious nut allergy. McDs in one of the few places to provide adequate information re food content. In many other places my questions get brushed off with a vague "all our products might contain nuts" type response which is no use whatsoever.

Croydon is really pretty awful for alternatives, I have to agree with you there, serenity!

McDonalds wasn't around when my kids were little and for that I'm grateful - (although they did eat plenty of home made chips!).

I have had a McDonalds myself - its gross!

'warm salad of succulent chicken, chargrilled aubergine and crunchy toasted almonds with baby spinach, rocket, rosemary, honey and lemon dressing, served with baked dough sticks'

personally I wouldn't guess that had 942 calories and 35% fat, twice the amount of calories as a big mac.

I know fat isn't everything. I'm not an imbecile nor am I an adult without an 'ounce of intelligence'! I was just posting that to try and put things into perspective a bit.