How often do you eat at McDonalds?

[TumblingTower]

Just interested. I think DH visits too often with the kids, he would take them even more if it wasn’t for me asking him not to.

For context he takes them once a fortnight, he would take them once or twice in a week if it wasn’t for me putting my foot down.

It annoys me as I do 90% of the parenting (he works away often) and I feel I can’t give them a lazy tea as they’re already having enough crap.

I know I’ll be criticised for that and not too interested - just wonder what other people do?

A salad and grilled chicken is a salad and grilled chicken regardless of the kitchen.

People eat out because its convenient. The alternative is probably a shop bought sandwich

MCD’s maybe 1-2 times every couple of months for us…if that to be honest.

We rarely get take out but I’m more likely to get them Nandos or a Chinese.

Thats not to say they don’t eat chicken nuggets more often than I’d like though! Both eat a hot meal at school/nursery so sometimes ask for nuggets and waffles as they’re not very hungry.

See I think that’s the “ treat” aspect - the convenience.
A jacket potato in the microwave is less processed, more nutritious and probably just as quick as going through the drive through. It’s just a bit dull though.

I watch the Panorama programme on ultra processed food last night. 65% of the U.K. diet is UPF. The twin experiment with them eating the same calories and nutritional value but one being ultra processed and one not was pretty conclusive.

So yes a salad is salad anywhere. Chicken less so. Should just be meat.
Grilled chicken from the MacDonalds website ;
Grilled Chicken Ingredient's : Chicken Breast Meat, Potato Starch, Natural Flavourings, Salt, Brown Sugar.
Produced with 106g of raw chicken for 100g of finished product.
I’d say that was UPF.

McDonalds is processed food shocker ! Nobody I mean not 1 person that eats fast food thinks they are eating "fresh food" and wishes they were eating a baked potato.

I haven't ever thought about it but, i would say maybe once every 3 weeks but, sometimes more, sometimes less.

Mostly we would use McDonalds for a coffee/breakfast drive through.

Why does your H want to take the kids to McDonalds so often? Does this mean that you all have to eat the McDonalds or does he have to cook for you both later or do you all have the McDonalds?

Honestly, probably too often. Maybe 2-3 times a month, I really love the Mcplant. I’m not overweight or anything so it’s part of a balanced diet and I exercise a lot so I feel it’s justified .

No I cook for us both later - I can’t eat it (food allergy) DH choses not to.

Nailed it 👌🏻

@Mrsjayy literally directly quoting someone who said salad and grilled chicken is a salad and grilled chicken. So that’s one person.

When you say no one wants a baked potato I think that depends really. I’ve seen queues for the jacket potato van at shows. Nice bit of coleslaw and cheese - yummy. They aren’t vastly different from the filled skins that are really popular It’s the “ treat “thing again if you can’t buy them out and about in high street fast food places they can’t compete.

Never! Must be 15-20 years ago. It doesn’t occur to me to go in. I used to like the food when I ate there years ago but I think my tastes have changed a bit and there are other places I’d rather go for either a full on takeaway (curry etc) or a sandwich shop if I need lunch.

I think Maccy ds is so popular because it feels for many like a cheap but affordable 'treat' or quick grab option - particularly if you have kids. Many People have got into a very USA habit of liking to not eat all meals at home. I once read that only 30% of meals in USA are 'at home' - I don't know what demographic was included or how accurate it is, but I'm guessing it means lots of Taco Bell, Maccy Ds etc

Personally I don't use it because I have to eat gluten free , but before I did I used to have a sausage and egg McMuffin with hash brown once or twice a week.

@Crikeyalmighty for me it's definitely the "quick grab option" usually a Saturday lunch when we are out n about.
It's not wildly expensive, fairly quick and you know the kids will eat it.

But I can see why others use it as a treat. The biggest reason kids want to eat in it is the free toy.

@Deftandglory Grilled Chicken Ingredient's : Chicken Breast Meat, Potato Starch, Natural Flavourings, Salt, Brown Sugar.
Produced with 106g of raw chicken for 100g of finished product.
I’d say that was UPF.

You think adding flavouring & salt is ultra processed?

Do you only eat plain unseasoned chicken?

All this thread has done is make me crave a mcspicy with fries and a vanilla milkshake. With some cheesy bites on the side.

I don't really understand the handwringing about using the word "treat" for certain foods, not all food is simply sustenance.

Me too. Though I’m contemplating a greasy ‘bab as well. With garlic sauce.

Thinking about it, why aren’t kebab shops, or fish and chip shops, looked down on by ‘healthy eaters’ in the same way that Maccies and chicken shops are?

I reckon it’s the big business thing: McDs, Burger King and KFC are big chains/franchises and have their origins in America. Must be bad then!

I go a lot less now they've stopped doing the Big Breakfast, breakfast wrap and bagels with omelettes in as I don't like whole egg. My pre covid guilty pleasure used to be McDonalds breakfast on the way to work while reading the free Daily Mail you could find in there.

I now go maybe once or twice a month for coffee and an apple pie and maybe about once a quarter for a fish fillet meal (I don't like any burgers from anywhere but quite like a filet o fish).

I don't think it's any worse than any other fast food, nutritionally it's similar to a sandwich meal deal with crisps from a supermarket but you never see hundreds of posts about people never eating that sort of food due to it being nasty unhealthy UPF.

I've never had any of McDonalds breakfast foods. I feel this is something I need to rectify.

@Sugarfree23 indeed- and my son who is 25 still has it around once a week. Thing is as part of a balanced diet it's really no big deal. It's if you eat sod all else it becomes an issue.

They stopped doing the breakfast wrap which was IMO the best breakfast option.
The hash browns though are divine.

Never. It’s not somewhere I ever go but offered to take the kids and they said ‘but it’s not real food’. Apparently that’s what they were told in primary school healthy eating topic!

There would be no potato starch, sugar or natural flavourings ( whatever they might be) added.
I have no idea if those things are added to the chicken itself ( making it processed) or just part of the external cooking process.

Why are you trying to police others food choices?

Show him where the meat comes from! It’s disgusting. I wouldn’t feed it to a dog.

Because regular hand washing is much more hygienic than wearing gloves. I can’t speak for all McDonald’s but certainly at the one DS managed, regular handwashing was mandatory.