Carbs with carbs, and a side order of carbs. WTF M & S?

[AudTheDeepMinded]

Good grief, no wonder we have an obesity crisis. Was in M & S cafe for a mid morning coffee and spotted their latest menu. Included is a mac and cheese toasted sarnie, with which you can have a side order of fries for an extra £2. Can't believe they seriously thought this was a good idea.
Should probably have posted this in AIBU! what's the most bizarre offering you have seen on a menu?

You don't need anything with it, do you? A plate of macaroni cheese is a meal by itself - no need to add a side to it.

A meal should have some kind of veg imo. (Not necessarily when you’re in a restaurant or café as a treat though).

'But the reasons behind poor diet and food choices are a lot more complex than "just pick the fruitcake not the fry-up".

🥱

Of course. Everyone has an eating disorder, everyone is in poverty so can only afford chips and loads of biscuits. It is never the obese person's fault. Ever.

@JaniieJones

'so normalising the consumption of very calorific food, with little real nutritional value, over healthier alternatives, at a time when so many struggle with health issues related to obesity is not a terrible way to live?'

Oh god don't mention obesity and food or as this thread demonstrates the overeaters will be fuuuuuumin while running to the fridge for another plateful.

I agree op. No, M&S don't need to provide lettuce sandwiches only however there is a middle ground, something vaguely healthy yet tasty.

So many fat people don't like to hear it though.

Why do you assume everyone who's defending freedom of choice is fat?

@JaniieJones ‘over eaters’ 😂😂😂 I’m a size 8 my love, and I support allowing people to eat what they want, including treats, in moderation. I did a 30 mile endurance walk last weekend and ate a mega donner kebab after. If someone is working on being healthy at whatever size that is, and they fancy a macaroni toastie one day after a days shopping, they should be allowed to have one. Maybe the next few days they cut down to make up for it, how the fuck do you know peoples habits? And why is it any of your business?

Of course. Everyone has an eating disorder, everyone is in poverty so can only afford chips and loads of biscuits. It is never the obese person's fault. Ever.

I think I agree to an extent. There are obese people from all walks of life - the reasons are multifaceted but reasons do not equate good excuses. You might be over weight because you are eating too much due to grieving a family member - that still doesn’t mean being obese out of your control. There are also people from all walks of life that are a healthy weight too. Not everyone who is disadvantaged is fat. Not everyone who is going through a tough time is fat. If they were then yes we could say ‘well it’s out of their control’. It’s ok to say you struggle with eating healthily because of x y and z - but struggling to do something doesn’t make it impossible. It’s not a good enough excuse IMO.

'Maybe the next few days they cut down to make up for it, how the fuck do you know peoples habits? And why is it any of your business?'

It's a chat forum, we share opinions you see. So nope what folk stuff in their faces isn't any of my business per se, but the massive obesity crisis is my business because we know that the NHS is under immense pressure as it is and we need to promote health not ill health.This head in the sand don't upset the obese people culture doesn't help anyone.

We don't hear people saying 'oh no we can't encourage smokers to stop or drinkers to drink less or else they may feel shamed' do we??

@AudTheDeepMinded

and I'm not sure it is a sound business decision, would that many people actually want to purchase it?

Tbh, it sounds like heaven if it was my time of the month!

and I'm not sure it is a sound business decision, would that many people actually want to purchase it?

I would. Honestly, just because some people want to live on salad (or the famous MN chicken) it doesn't mean everyone else does. If I'm eating away from home I want something I probably wouldn't have at home - and that includes treat type food.

I know I'm not required to order it. I'm objecting to a high street shop with a massive presence normalising something obscenely unhealthy.

I object to posters on MN normalising an unhealthy attitude to food, where there is "good" and "bad" food and one can't even have one "bad" meal now and again. A mac & cheese sarnie is not "obscenely unhealthy" and if people want fries with it one helping won't immediately send them to the hospital!!! Grow up.

I know I'm not required to order it. I'm objecting to a high street shop with a massive presence normalising something obscenely unhealthy

Well I suppose it makes a change from singling out McDonalds for similar.

Like a PP says, one 'bad' meal every now and again is absolutely fine and you don't know how much energy a person burns or what else they eat that day.

If I had that for a late lunch, I'd have little or nothing for the rest of the day and seeing as I walk 5-10 miles just about every day, I'd probably burn it off anyway.

(continued)

Sponsor: "You've done so well Amy, I'm really proud of you. 12 months clean now. Are you ready to lead your first meeting of Carbs-Anonymous?"

Amy: "Thanks. I'm so nervous. But I have to do this, I want to get better! For Ben. I'm doing it for Ben."

Sponsor: "I'm so sorry about your loss."

Amy: sniffs "He was clean for 3 months..." suppressing sobs "But then he relapsed. He went out and scored 300 grams of carbohydrate and ate them all in 24 hours. Can you imagine! He had a heart attack there and then. Big smile on his face like he was finally at peace, at least. But I'm heartbroken. He was my Benji-Wenji."

Sponsor: "I'm so sorry."

Amy: "I'm going to make it my life mission to stop those nasty Carbs dealers. No one else should ever suffer again!"

'I would. Honestly, just because some people want to live on salad'

Nobody wants to live on salad. This is a typical defensive comment from probably an overweight person, or are you 'a size 8' too?

We can eat nice food without gorging on double servings of massively fattening crap.

There is so much apologising and enabling going on on this thread.

I am off to eat a chicken and mushroom pot noodle sandwich

@lljkk you’re doing excellent work here

Nobody wants to live on salad. This is a typical defensive comment from probably an overweight person, or are you 'a size 8' too?

I'm certainly not a size 8, but I'm not overweight either.

We can eat nice food without gorging on double servings of massively fattening crap.

We are talking about ONE meal here. People like you irritate me beyond belief, so sanctimonious and judgemental.

I always have to laugh when I read posters say how obese people are now (which I agree, they are) and then tell us how previous generations were slim. I can assure you they didn't get that way by not ever eating anything "massively fattening". There were lots of carbs eaten in those days but people didn't sit watching screens all day, they didn't spend ridiculous hours sitting in offices, or in traffic getting to those offices, having other people run around after their children, or have others doing their housework. They ate what they liked, lots of red meat, puddings, baking etc. and didn't give their diet a second thought.

@LittleBearPad -- at last ! Someone commented. You're my favourite MNer now... or for the next 20 minutes, at least.

More instalments coming as long as this daft thread continues soon....

God, MN is so fatphobic. Everyone is constantly trying to one up each other when it comes to eating 'healthily'. I have anorexia and these type of things are examples of why im going to find it so hard to recover.
It's everywhere, people constantly criticising food. Analysing it, stating how unhealthy it is.

@JaniieJones love how you’ve put ‘a size 8’ in quotes like I’m lying or something

I assure you I’m not, sorry you have to restrict yourself to not be overweight, not everyone does and some of us eat what we like when we like in moderation, with exercise, and live healthily and happily without sticking our noses in other peoples eating habits

'God, MN is so fatphobic'

Yes yes of course it is, anything to avoid the inconvenient truth.

Smokers are encouraged to stop. Heavy drinkers are encouraged to drink less. Yer we are supposed to tip toe round the fat epidemic or else we are 'phobic' and 'fat shamers'.

'sorry you have to restrict yourself to not be overweight, not everyone does'

Oh don't be sorry! Im fine thanks. I eat healthily and have lots of treats. I'm doing great.

If by 'restricting myself' you mean I don't overeat, well yes correct.

That's a lot of carbs. Twice I have bought sandwiches and juice last week and both times the person on the till said 'if you buy crisps aswell its cheaper'. 🙄

@HeyDW96

That's a lot of carbs. Twice I have bought sandwiches and juice last week and both times the person on the till said 'if you buy crisps aswell its cheaper'. 🙄

Wow what terrible service making the cost of your lunch cheaper for you. I'd complain to the CEO, obviously

@HeyDW96

That's a lot of carbs. Twice I have bought sandwiches and juice last week and both times the person on the till said 'if you buy crisps aswell its cheaper'. 🙄

They usually have other sides available as part of a meal deal as well. It’s just quicker to say crisps than list the options.

[quote Blueeyedgirl21]@JaniieJones love how you’ve put ‘a size 8’ in quotes like I’m lying or something

I assure you I’m not, sorry you have to restrict yourself to not be overweight, not everyone does and some of us eat what we like when we like in moderation, with exercise, and live healthily and happily without sticking our noses in other peoples eating habits[/quote]

Don't you know a size 8 in today's size is basically a size 18 in reality and you're just kidding yourself about being slim when you're probably morbidly obese like the rest of the UK

@HeyDW96

That's a lot of carbs. Twice I have bought sandwiches and juice last week and both times the person on the till said 'if you buy crisps aswell its cheaper'. 🙄

Well if you are so worried about carbs, why are you buying sandwiches and juice anyway?

I picked up a couple of meal deals last Friday, for the main, I could have had protein only, salad pots or even a big pack of crudites or fruit.

The sides included more fruit and veg, nuts, all sorts of things as well as crisps or cake.

And for the drinks, of course there was water, which you could even get in a can instead of a plastic bottle.

It doesn't have to be carbs three ways in the form of sandwiches, crisps and fizzy pop. And it is cheaper, which I agree that makes no sense. In most cases, the price of the main alone was only a few pence less than the meal deal price, making the full deal pretty good value - I was in an airport, the coffee I bought cost nearly as much as the meal deals.