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?

A collective effort to help people help themselves surely shouldn't be sneered at as controlling should it?

How far are you prepared to go with that, though?

I mean, alcohol is bad for you and turns some people into alcoholics who drink themselves to death, so should adverts for gin/beer/vodka be banned?

What about adverts for bookies and deals surrounding gambling?

Adverts for things like Ben and Jerry's, McDonald's, Burger King?

I don't want to live in a world where the government control what I eat to such an extent, I'm afraid. It's a slippery slope.

We used to have some really good debates on here - I thought you'd been around a while

@icedcoffees personally yes I would ban adverts for those.

It's up to people to make their own choices surely. Can't really blame businesses for attempting to make money, that's what they're about not making moral choices. Its like blaming banks for people getting into debt and not managing their money properly

@julieca
I concede that they can offer what they like, but actively promoting it, with the added bonus of cheap chips on the side on a placard by the till is the problem. As for a healthier choice, they offer JPs but this was not displayed on the menu nor actively promoted.

637 kcal per toastie. One third of a woman's estimated energy requirements. Not bad considering it's a whole meal and only eaten occasionally.

Or you could have a slice of cake and a drink at significantly higher calories and then go home to have your tea.

If you're a MN teeny tiny who can only consume tiny morsels and must keep to under 1000 a day, it's fine because you'll be full up and won't manage anything else. If you're a normal weight, it's a meal. And if you're obese, the TDEE for moving around is significantly higher than 1800 kcal/day, so it's still just a meal.

@AudTheDeepMinded

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 hear you OP. I don't think most people understand that a diet high in lots of simple carbs isn't good for you.

@icedcoffees alcohol adverts are already subject to several legally binding restrictions.

[quote AudTheDeepMinded]@vajingleberry to be fair if alcohol was promoted at M and S cafe in the same way people would more than likely object. There are far tighter controls on availability and promotion of alcohol.[/quote]
Why would they object? Probably the only reason there's no alcohol is silly licensing rules. I'd quite like to have a glass of wine with my cream tea.
Are you against pubs and off licences too?

It's not "obscenely unhealthy".

High calorie, yes probably, and you wouldn't have it every day, but it's just food.

You can walk into any supermarket and buy all the crisps, biscuits, bread, pasta and other carbs that you want.

A toastie and fries is not going to kill you.

Hope you get brown sauce with the Mac sandwich

@ginslinger I recognise your name too. I name changed for a while but always come back to Aud!
Debating is a dying art, personal mud slinging is so much more productive...

I love good fresh bread and red wine. Best meal ever.

I live in Scotland. What you have described is a standard offering here!

[quote AudTheDeepMinded]@julieca
I concede that they can offer what they like, but actively promoting it, with the added bonus of cheap chips on the side on a placard by the till is the problem. As for a healthier choice, they offer JPs but this was not displayed on the menu nor actively promoted.[/quote]
So they can serve it, but it should be a secret? Should it be kept under the counter and served in a brown paper bag?
I think the all you can eat format is much worse than this. That really promotes overeating whereas this is just more carbs than you think should be allowed.

God are we to become a country where all choice is removed and we cannot think for ourselves. To be told when to go to work, how much exercise to do, what exercise to do and when to do it, followed by when we can have fun nd now what food we can eat.

no thank you

Burger and chips followed by sole crumble is triple carbs.

Ditto pasta, side of garlic bread and a slice of cake

And many more combos.

At least this (quite revolting sounding) M&S version is sugar free.

There can’t be much macaroni cheese in a toastie.

[quote AudTheDeepMinded]@icedcoffees alcohol adverts are already subject to several legally binding restrictions.[/quote]
Yes, but they're not banned altogether. I have the TV on now, and in the last hour I've had adverts for gin, beer, Ben and Jerry's and KFC.

Would you really be happy to live in a world where the government controlled our lives to such an extent? Where they decided what was or wasn't healthy, and made shops and cafés only sell specifically mandated meals and foods?

If you disagree with triple carbs, don't order it, but don't take the choice away from people who do want it.

@ColourMeExhausted I lived in Scotland for a few years, always impressed by what could be battered and deep fried!

[quote julieca]@icedcoffees personally yes I would ban adverts for those.[/quote]
Well, I'm very glad you're not the one in charge, lol.

It's ridiculous how much control some people seem to think the government should have over our lives.

Ooh, I'd like to be eating that right now!

I take your point re obesity crisis, but there's nothing wrong with the occasional day eating something indulgent, even if unhealthy.

I also like to add a side order of chips to lasagne sometimes as a treat. Mind you, I tend not to want to do much for a while afterwards.

@icedcoffees I don't think I've suggesting banning it (I could be wrong, it's a long thread), just suggested it's not an appropriate thing to promote in combination?

God this thread is just making me want chips.

@mynameiscalypso

I feel like that would be an amazing hangover cure.

YES!

I was considering making a macaroni cheese tonight - yum might do a toastie instead with some rocket