to think McDonald's once per week is ok?

[NeeNawNora]

Two of the dc do an activity which doesn't finish until 6.45 on a school night so we usually have McDonald's. This consists of a chicken nugget happy meal and water and is term-time only, as well as being followed by walking our dogs. They eat very healthily the rest of the time with no chocolate/crisps/sweets and so on unless we go to the cinema, which is rare.

One of the dcs is borderline overweight and frommy previous marriage. ExH has said McDonalds should be banned from dcs diet, yet when he takes her for tea he takes her to an all you can eat Chinese or carvery, lets her eat as much as she likes, drink coke and have a big dessert. Aibu to think that's not a better alternative and that McDonald's once per week is ok?

McDonalds (and any other fast food) is a treat in our house, not a regular weekly meal.

Most things in moderation are fine. McDonald's doesn't make you fat, eating too much of anything makes you fat.

I think YANBU but I bet everyone here will say you are :)

YANBU. Yes it's not the best food on the world but everything in moderation is fine. What does your ex have to say when you bring up the meals he gives her? Maybe you could reach a compromise where you both only treat her to McDonald's or Chinese fortnightly or something.

I think it's more about how/why she came to be overweight, than whether McDonald's once per week is ok.

If (for example) she's eating too much food...whether that food is healthy or not, and not getting the correct amount of exercise to burn it off, that is what you need to concentrate on.

Not the subject of whether a Happy Meal is ok or not.

4 nuggets and half a handful of fries once per week would be fine for a child who is not overweight, as long as it's part of an otherwise healthy diet and exercise regime.

I don't think it's worse than other fast food options and I think they are fine as a treat once a week. However here on Mumsnet it would seem to be akin to giving your children crack.

Why is she borderline overweight? to much food overall? to little exercise? comfort eating?

Personally i wouldn't ban Mcdonalds but in our place its a very rare thing, like maybe once a year. (Did you not see the Jamie Oliver thing about chicken nuggets) Saying that I doubt she's overweight from a once a week McDonalds but it's the overall level of activity and healthy choices the rest of the week that's the concern - as you already know - so no YANBU.

My question would be, why do you think that McD is a treat? Surely that is a punishment?

McDonalds doesn't make you fat. No food makes you fat. You get fat by eating excess calories, regardless of how those calories are delivered. You can eat very healthily but still be overweight if you're taking in more calories than you need. Likewise you can eat nothing but junk food and be slim if you're not eating more than you need to.

I think McDonalds once a week is fine. My dad would always take my to McDonald's on a Friday after I finished school. It was a treat and I always looked forward to it.

I think for a child with a weight problem, mcdonalds once a week is a bit much. The chinese meal isn't great either, but does it really have to be one or the other? Some modifications could be made? Limit portion size, fruit for pudding. A meal out doesn't have to be full of fat, calories and a huge size. There's an alternative here that you need to find. A healthier choice from the menu? Something ready at home, waiting for them on the table. By the time you've gone out, ordered, been served... you've come home and had what was prepared earlier.

YANBU

Mcdonalds once a week is fine. In fact 2 or 3 times a week is probably fine too. As long as you get a decent mix of food in your diet and a decent amount of exercise.

You do what is right for you and don't listen to others.

Well - how often does XH take her out for this slap up tea?

If it's once a week, plus your once a week McD then that's 2 out of every 7 days an unhealthy evening meal.

My question would be, why do you think that McD is a treat? Surely that is a punishment?

Why do we have to have that ^^ shit on every bloody fast food thread?

It's stupid and all it does is distract from the subject the OP wants to discuss.

If you can't get your head around the idea that people have very different tastes in food, there's no hope really.

If everything else is pretty healthy! I'd say its fine.

I think it's fine as long as their diet is healthy the rest of the time. To be honest, McDonald's have improved the standard of their food a lot. They don't put salt on chips (or you can ask for chips without salt) all of their meat is from British farms etc, although still very fatty.

It's too much. Sorry. Especially if she's overweight.

i seriously doubt one mcdonald's a week will harm her... many dieters have a 'cheat day' once a week and a weekly 'binge' isn't what makes you gain weight, it's eating too much, too often.

Once a month. Fine. Once a week? A bit too regular I think.

yabu in my opinion but it's up to you. I don't think it's a treat either. It's not so much about getting fat as it having no nutritional value. But it's a free country.

How often does your DD go out for a meal with your ex? If she's having McDonalds and a chinese/cavery once a week, then the two combined are too much, especially if she's overweight.

McDonalds plus an All You Can Eat type meal every week is a lot of crappy food IMO.

I eat burger type fast food maybe once a year and have never been to one of those buffet type restaurants. Maybe get an Indian delivered 4 times a year max.

I accept I'm pretty unusual but that kind of food just doesn't appeal to me at all.

personally for me it was avoiding my kids seeing food as a treat. i tried to give stickers / pens / badges / small cars and stuff as reward / treats and not sweets and food. we did go out for treats that sometimes involved food so guess i was never too sucessful at it but really food and sweets should never be a reward / treat.

I think a few chicken nuggets and a fruitbag won't make your DD any more over weight - but just to make a point to the ex I would avoid going to MacDonalds on a regular basis, and ask him to stop with the fizzy drinks, etc.

As already said, it's not McDonalds that makes you fat...

I'd say once a week is way too much but my eldest is in her first year of school, how old is your DC? I'd also say the carvery/Chinese shouldn't be regular, mainly because of the big desert. How often does xh take her for this?