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?

[quote AudTheDeepMinded]**@NeonTetras* it's interesting you should say that. In my personal experience a fair few of my acquaintances are aware of nutrition and good food choices (we may not act on what we know but not through ignorance). I would not think my friendship group is unusual either, not super rich or super poor, not affluent area but not deprived either, some gym bunnies, some most definitely not. Your experience would seem to suggest, as @hettol* has noted, more is needed to educate the young about nutrition.[/quote]
It isn't about the young or about tradition, it is about heritage and culture. Maybe we should be educating people on the various cuisine cultures of countries and communities? Because there seems to be a lot of British snobbery and ignorance when it comes to this. I don't know many Italians, or French or Greek who have an obesity crisis.....

This is appalling. In this country it’s not mac and cheese, it’s macaroni cheese. M&S is being v unreasonable on this point. But £2 for chips is pretty good when they’re at least £3.50 as a pub side order near me. On balance, I accept their proposition.

@Saltpepperbutter

What I have to say about it is Bugger Off with the ‘Mac and cheese’ nonsense.

It’s macaroni cheese.

This. Eat what you like but it’s macaroni cheese. M&S should know better.

(continued)

Me: "On second thought I think I just want to order a coke instead."

Staff: "Regular full sugar coke?"

Me: "Yes"

Staff: "We only sell full sugar coke with vegetable accompaniment to increase your official fibre consumption. Would you like raw courgette sticks or lettuce leaves with your coke?"

Me: "I don't like lettuce or raw courgette."

Staff: Leans in to whisper "You don't actually have to eat them either."

@WiddlinDiddlin what drama? It's a genuine discussion in chat, I'm not hyperventilating into a paper bag over it, are you?
And although I've no doubt M and S did do some market research, they wouldn't be the first company to implement something that wasn't successful in real life would they? But, by the posts on this threads, it would appear that they are actually onto a winner.

By the way, OP, I’m not a huge fan of processed carbohydrates. There’s enough nutritionally in loads of vegetables—especially root vegetables—to suffice for most children and adults.

But I certainly don’t want to live in a world without options. This isn’t the only café serving the population. There are other places with different menus. There are restaurants and grocery stores and online food retailers and local farm shops and markets.

People have a choice. I’d like it to remain that way.

Another point is that for many who enjoy a low carb diet, M&S is a haven with some of the lunch options in their shops. They also offer low calorie foods, for those who prefer that way of eating, not to mention vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose intolerant...the list is never ending. They’re offering a choice.

[quote AudTheDeepMinded]@Mrsjayy But do they have a moral obligation not to condone something that is blatantly unhealthy?[/quote]
No.

@NeonTetras Apologies, I took your post to refer to people in general, not those from specific countries. There was no 'British Snobbery' intended.

Just googled - looks lush!

But the chips are something you would pay for as an optional extra .
Like every cafe or pub in the country - there's a sides section where people can order chips to add to whatever meal they have chosen .

I think far more unhealthy is the trend for gourmet burgers on offer in most pubs including the more upmarket ones . As
An example - double burgers stacked with bacon, cheese and hash browns - in a brioche bun - and mostly the fries are included rather than an optional extra .

Or big bucket fried chicken .

Or those pubs encouraging huge meat filled plates with onion rings and fries on dustbin lids.

And actually when it comes to mac'n'cheese - the number of pubs now doing it as a side order as if it was a vegetable rather than a main course .

And if you are talking about food being obscene , I think that's when meals are of a size that no normal person can eat and so much gets thrown away.

I can't see a problem with that sandwich to be honest .

@Mrsjayy But do they have a moral obligation not to condone something that is blatantly unhealthy?
OP M&S also sell wine and ridiculously indulgent delicious cheese, with little nutritional value, not just unhealthy, obscenely unhealthy...

Do you suggest they have a responsibility to sack off these too? It's all about balance and personal choice surely?

This isn’t the only café serving the population. There are other places with different menus.

It’s not even the only option on the menu at M&S.

They also sell cake. Are they normalising cake at every meal too?

At least M&S display the calorie values of all their cafe food, which allows everyone to make an informed choice about what to eat. I recommend their vegetarian frittata. It comes with some salad, you'll be pleased to hear OP.

So a toastie and chips = bad. But a carb base with fat and sugar piled on top of it (cream tea) is "food of the gods". Makes sense.

Or those pubs encouraging huge meat filled plates with onion rings and fries on dustbin lids.

not envy. Dustbin lids. I thought slates were bad enough or the places that use flat caps. Double

People need to take responsibility for gaining weight. I say this as someone who gained weight while pregnant and have a stone left to lose before I’m back. Why did I gain weight? Because I shoved my face full of carbs every day to curb off morning sickness. It’s not up to shops to monitor my food and baby me.

People need to take accountability.

I've had a macaroni cheese toastie from m&s. It was actually delicious! I didn't have chips with it though but the bread was garlicy so just like having macaroni cheese and garlic bread. It's not something I'd have every day, but once in a while can't hurt can it?
I agree with op in that it is a bit carbon heavy and the cards are what cause issues for diabetics. I had late onset gestational diabetes with my first and the only time my blood sugars went way over was when I had macaroni cheese and garlic bread!!!
I do think that dishes in the UK are often quite carb heavy too. Sausages, chips and beans being one dish!!

[quote AudTheDeepMinded]@Camblewick fair point, I should imagine you are pretty expert at that then! I don't disagree that a carb heavy meal once in a while is not an issue for most people. There's just something about a triple carb meal being actively promoted that doesn't sit well with me. Perhaps if they offered the choice of a really lovely dressed salad as an accompaniment it would even things up a bit.
This thread has made me think, people have taken permutations of my opinion to the nth degree to demonstrate how unreasonable I am being. But the obesity crisis is real and suggesting ways to help people help themselves in terms of healthy choices can't be that bad can it?[/quote]
But most takeaway meals are triple or quadruple carbs. That's the whole point. Big Mac (carbs), fries (carbs) and coke (carbs). Triple there. Then add a sundae. More carbs.
Spaghetti (carbs), garlic bread or bread roll (carbs), dessert (carbs). Even if you have fruit for dessert, most fruit are high in carbs.

M&S are just selling a very normal and standard product.

*Carb heavy!
*carbs

@PackedintheUK Good point.
I wonder at what point, if any, people would decide that a choice was an unreasonable one to offer. Hypothetically, for example, if a choice was half a cake, with a cup of clotted cream, and a large portion of ice cream, with a layer of sauce and sprinkles. Would that be acceptable? Still bottoming this out in my mind, when is excess too excessive?

I do think that dishes in the UK are often quite carb heavy too. Sausages, chips and beans being one dish!!
Cos it’s cold, rainy, fascist, Brexity and largely shit. Let us at least eat our feelings and warm our bones.

As an aside, pub burgers should include chips. Daylight robbery to make you order them as an extra.

This is not a good thread for my day 6 of low carbing I Really want macoroni cheese now. Damn it.

I do think that dishes in the UK are often quite carb heavy too. Sausages, chips and beans being one dish!!

Depends on the sausages frankly - cheap ones yes.

@scotx I never claimed to be rational or logical! Good thought-provoking debate though, even if a little uncivil on occasions.