To take DD 5 to McDonald's every other weekend?

[quincyquince]

She's gluten free, so has a portion of small chips and either a small mcflurry or orange juice or sauce with the chips.

We go after swimming.

This is ok, right? My friend thinks it's awful that she goes twice a month. But it's not like she's having the processed bread and cheese and stuff all the time?

Why would anyone feel guilty? Nice little passive aggressive dig there.

Yes but most chip shops aren't gluten free!!

Just to back this up. Having worked for McDonald’s, as I am sure lots of people have.

They really are just potatoes. They spent ages finding the right potatoes and testing them to get them super light and fluffy.

Cutting them thin means they can cook at the right temperature to make sure they are also light and fluffy. McDonalds spends a lot getting things right.

I object to food being a 'treat', food is food. It's healthy, or perhaps should be in your diet less frequently. A treat after exercise seems a bit perverse to me, but I get the desire to spend special time together.

Personally I love a McD's but I might get one once or twice a year maybe as we have a family tradition, McD's on the way back from holiday. I'

I think it's what you are creating as a 'norm'. Fast food that frequently to me is too often and therefore that's why I wouldn't do it, but I accept I'm in the minority.

Food is so emotive and as a society we really don't know how to deal with it.

You can check with your local McDonald’s, but in my experience McDonald’s in the UK structure their production lines to put the buns on last. So it should be Coeliac safe (as much as anything outside of your own kitchen can be) as the bread doesn’t become involved until the last minute.

So you can order the burger without a bun, but double check the sauces I can’t remember about the Big Mac sauce. Although, shock horror if she does dare to eat a burger obvs!!

Also… hash browns are gluten free and the Coeliac McDonald’s breakfast of champions (sausage and egg and 2 hash browns instead of the bun!!) should be experienced when you are a hungover adult for sure!!

Why does someone keep suggesting cake when she wants gluten free? Last I checked cake was mostly flour. Ignore (not really) friend OP

Is there ? I'd take the mortgage out the onions through the burgers were amazing!

Would other people's 5 year olds eat smoked salmon, quinoa, curry after swimming?? (honestly asking as mine usually have a cereal bar, chocolate rice cakes or scotch pancakes 🙈)

I like fast food sometimes but use the local chippies and avoid McDonalds because of how the business is run -- my parents encouraged me to think about this and went out for family treats
https://www.hazards.org/insecure/mcburned.htm

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c337m3v3mgzo

The OP asked for opinions.

I don't think you should be going to a company that does little to stop young female workers being harassed by male members of staff. That's before you consider the food they provide.

Yes, a treat is a personal thing. That’s why I don’t agree when parents say to their kids ‘let’s go to Macdonald’s for a treat’ before they’ve even taken them for the first time. Take them to McDonalds if you wish. Let them decide for themselves if that was a treat. I just don’t like the kind of brainwashing (too strong a word I know) that McDonald’s is a treat. I don’t think it is. It’s junk food, which can be quick, convenient and temporarily tasty, if it’s hot, although it’ll sit heavy in your tummy. I reckon many 5 yr olds would prefer some luscious strawberries for example. But we don’t tell them that’s a treat. I’m rambling. My point is - I don’t agree with the automatic association of mcds = treat

Of course it’s fine, no food is bad if it’s all balanced. People need to get out of this ridiculous mentality of demonising food and projecting their issues onto others.

What if the strawberries are not luscious?

Personally wouldn't want to help support a business like McDonald's and don't want my kids associating happy memories with the place and it's food. We do go to our local cafffff after swimming-- for a fry-up (the kids) and chips and salad (me) and we love it! We are helping them build patterns and associations, so I try to be mindful of their future choices.

Exactly
I don’t like steak so it wouldn’t be much of a treat for me
i might have a Starbucks as a treat or mango… depends how I feel on the day

I don't find them 'luscious' until closer to summer, my DD certainly moans about the strawberries over the last few months. I say wait a bit til the British ones are out 😂

So you’re giving them an association with processed meat instead on a fry up? Rather than processed meat on a burger

Exactly. Food is food.

You lot sound like old-fashioned spies 😅

Tell your friend to bog off - none of her business what you feed your kid.

And FFS - you are going twice a month - not twice a day - it’s nothing in the grand scheme of things - your kid likes it after swimming do it’s a treat for her. It’s a McDonald’s - not blooming crack cocaine you’re giving her.

some people really do overreact to things and you have to ignore that batshittery.,

yes - healthy eating is important but that doesn’t
mean that every single meal has to be a perfectly balanced nutritional, organic masterpiece.

it’s about balance over the week and I’m sure the rest of the week she’s having fruit and veg and lean protein etc etc - it all balances out.

tell your friend to take a hike and please don’t worry about feeding your kid the occasional Mc Donald’s - it really is not going to do any harm in the great scheme of things and probably helps them to understand that some foods are daily events (fruit and veg) and some are eaten less frequently and are not staples but occasional treats.

I do get what you're saying in a way but...

If a parent merely labelling something as a treat was all it took to make the child agree, all kids would be addicted to vegetables and other healthy foods.

"Here Chloe, I've treated you to a bowl of peas and carrots". "Oh wow mummy thank you!"

If only! 🤣🤣

Ignore your friend! I took mine for a happy meal twice this week after not having been for months. We had a lovely time.

I don’t like Mc Donalds but don’t denny the kids if they sometimes want to buy food there.

I just don’t make it a recurring thing; so many other choices out there but I guess is cheap.

I ate plenty of not healthy stuff growing up; you have to go through each stage in your life.

Depends how it’s sold to your DC.
If it’s a ‘treat’, then I think it’s wrong. Kids long for treats, and you’re setting up an unhealthy mindset with McDonalds.
If it’s a ‘needs must’, then you barely getaway with it (for me - JUST an opinion).

McDonalds is NOT a treat. It’s awful - salt, sugar, all things bad. Don’t make this an aspirational thing for your kids.

I would not make it recurring. I do think habits are created early in life.

By all means take it sometimes but offer other choices, alternatives other times.

my daughter has a friend that loves Mac Donalds and have very bad eating habits, quite fussy one.