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Original poster

What age to switch from a Happy Meal?

279 replies

RhubarbThumb · 16/02/2025 13:41

My DS is 6 (7 in March) and went with a school friend swimming, and went for McDonald's after and the other boy (was 7 in October) was bought an adults medium meal.

Is 7ish the age? I was thinking maybe 11/12??

OP posts:
Hwi · 16/02/2025 16:29

I am a grown up and I have not switched yet.

MrsLT84 · 16/02/2025 16:30

My 10 year has just started having a double cheeseburger meal now. He is very tall for his age and generally leaves half the chips, but I don't order with chips with mine so I have whatever he doesn't finish.

fridaynight1 · 16/02/2025 16:34

I’d go with appetite. Some kids are bottomless pits when it comes to feeding. For some adults (me) a happy meal is perfect.

Dracarys1 · 16/02/2025 16:34

My DD doesn't really like the chips bit still likes the toy (she's 8) so I get her the happy meal and she shares some nuggets with me as well. As said previously you go on appetite, not age. My son (4) manages on just the happy meal.

RuthW · 16/02/2025 16:36

Agreed , about 7

user1471538275 · 16/02/2025 16:39

Mcdonalds is far too easy to eat to give a young child a choice about how much they order.

I think a Happy meal is sufficient food and calories for a primary school child.

I feel the same way about younger children ordering large amounts of food in a restaurant - they tend to over-order and then not be able to eat it, so I've always enforced what their options are.

I have had many experiences where I have gone out with other families who have allowed children to over order and then waste it. That's their choice, but it was not something I would encourage.

discdiscsnap · 16/02/2025 16:43

Ds is 9 and still gets one and tbf I get cheese burger, fries and drink which is only slightly bigger.
I think dd was 11 when she moved on to adult meals

samarrange · 16/02/2025 16:45

LondonFox · 16/02/2025 15:53

Happy Meal is 730 kcal.
You should not be hungry after that unless you eat once a day.

https://www.mcdonalds.com/kw/en-kw/meal/happy-meal-chickenburger.html

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That meal is from the US. Happy Meals in the UK apparently (it's a very long time since I bought one) now come with carrots rather than fries, and the most calorific one is 329 Kcal. https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/meal/cheeseburger-meal-happy-meal.html

discdiscsnap · 16/02/2025 16:46

Frankinator · 16/02/2025 14:00

I'd also have happily bought a medium meal for a three year old in preference to all the plasticy tat that comes with a happy meal. Im not quite sure what the issue is here?

They stopped the plastic tat a while ago it's a recyclable toy or a book now

HowAmITheCatsGranny · 16/02/2025 16:46

I think generally the oldest child in a family will eat a happy meal / kids meal for longer than the youngest as then the subsequent children see their siblings getting more choice / nicer food. I think it also depends what they’ve been doing and what else they’ve eaten in the day. As an adult I would still sometimes buy the happy meal if I only wanted a small portion (also, I like an ordinary cheeseburger and it’s only relatively recently you can get those as a regular meal).

Girasoli · 16/02/2025 16:50

7 or 8? Depends how hungry they are I guess.

DS1 (nearly 9, does a sport nearly every day) probably needs more calories than I do (late 30s, office job).

Nessastats · 16/02/2025 16:50

RabbitsEatPancakes · 16/02/2025 14:26

Who on earth is feeding a toddler a McDonald's? School age child sure but no-one is giving a 1 or 2yo that.

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I did on occasion. So shoot me.

purpleme12 · 16/02/2025 16:51

samarrange · 16/02/2025 16:45

That meal is from the US. Happy Meals in the UK apparently (it's a very long time since I bought one) now come with carrots rather than fries, and the most calorific one is 329 Kcal. https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/meal/cheeseburger-meal-happy-meal.html

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You choose what you want as the side.
Chips or carrots or something else, can't remember the other option

NiftyKoala · 16/02/2025 16:52

Nessastats · 16/02/2025 16:50

I did on occasion. So shoot me.

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I did on occasion too and have zero problem with it .

purpleme12 · 16/02/2025 16:54

You also can't get fizzy drinks anymore with a happy meal.

GrumpyWombat · 16/02/2025 16:54

My DS has just turned 8 and I’ve recently started buying him a hamburger to go with his chicken nugget happy meal if he’s really hungry

JohnTheRevelator · 16/02/2025 16:55

Be prepared for a pile on saying YABVU for even considering buying your child a McDonald's in the first place! 😂

Nessastats · 16/02/2025 16:58

purpleme12 · 16/02/2025 16:54

You also can't get fizzy drinks anymore with a happy meal.

You can - mine used to have lemonade with theirs.

DragonFly98 · 16/02/2025 16:58

High school here, I have a happy meal myself if it’s lunch time. They contain plenty of calories for a child under the age of 12.

Coconutter24 · 16/02/2025 16:59

RhubarbThumb · 16/02/2025 15:27

He would. But he wouldn't eat more than the kids meal anyway. So it would be a waste of food and money.

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If your DS wouldn’t eat more than a kids meal it seems a bit of an irrelevant question. Just continue to buy him what he would eat. Age doesn’t really matter I know some 6 year olds that eat more than 11 year olds

BeAquaGoose · 16/02/2025 16:59

I very rarely eat McDonald’s but if I do I have a happy meal because I’m calorie counting. There’s not much food in it at all. My younger siblings have both been having an adult portion since they were about 7 though. No weight problems there.

My sister is 12 and would laugh in my face if I suggested she have a happy meal.

MsVi · 16/02/2025 17:00

graceinspace999 · 16/02/2025 15:21

I didn’t realise how ‘normal’ it has become to eat shite.

If the child loses interest in the tat then that might be an opportunity to go somewhere that serves real food.

You always get that person…

graceinspace999 · 16/02/2025 17:01

Spudalot · 16/02/2025 15:24

Exactly. And why bother coming on a thread about happy meals and be surprised when people comment about eating happy meals.😆 Likewise if there was a thread about children who have never had one there would be plenty of people commenting that theirs haven’t…just don’t bother opening the thread if you don’t want to discuss it.

Edited
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It’s a forum and if you read my post you’ll see I offered a suggestion.

MuchTooTired · 16/02/2025 17:01

My DTs have been on adult meals since 5/6. I remember being quite shocked when they upgraded and never thought they’d finish it, but they ate the whole thing.

They're very active, not fat and I’m not worried.

Doggymummar · 16/02/2025 17:02

I'm 55 and a HAPPY MEAL is just the right size for me. I got a Sonic the hedgehog toy last time xx