To expect my nanny NOT to feed my two year old a McDonalds Happy Meal?

[coolbeans]

I know it's not the end of the world and he is nearly three but I don't think it's unreasonable to expect her to ASK me, at least, before takes him out and stuffs him full of chicken nuggets and chips for lunch.

I'm not against McD's as such, but he's still really little and there's no need to take him there yet - it's not a bloody treat - as she seems to think.

I think that's what has annoyed me most. It's just food, I don't want him associating it with being a "treat" outing.

I have to say that I used to spend a lot of time in France being distantly part French and a bit of a Francophile, but got fed up with the food, because the veg were always out of tins and the basics weren't actually that well cooked compared to what you would get in a French bistro over here.

And it's little things, like when you order a nice glass of champagne, and it comes in a wine glass, and is very unexciting cheap stuff compared to what you would get for the same price here, where it's nicely poured and better quality, with olives and almonds as a sort of amuse-bouche.

In the end I ended up eating North African food when I could because that was more interesting.

However do like the principle of taking dogs, children and grandparents out with you when you eat and everyone being sociable.

Fond memories of the hamburgers at the boarding school I stayed at on the French south coast. Only hamburgers I've ever enjoyed. His frites were good too.

the club sandwich women sound American to me

If your gardienne a moron?

No, the club sandwich women were definitely British though we did wonder for a while.

She's a gardienne... impoverished and with no proper kitchen and she can't read very well...

Paris food is stupidly expensive that I imagine people eat at MacD's to save money. When I went with ds2 we barely ate cos we couldn't afford any of the cafes and restaurants.
Back home we don't eat out.

You are absolutely right that people eat MD because it's cheap. But surely that is also true in the UK?

griend went out with a french bloke and ate at his parents house in Paris. Every single course of the meal was meat. She's a veggie. They didn't have any vegetables!

but we don't have a cafe culture here and eating out isn't so common.

Don't you think so? I think the British eat out a lot these days.

maybe in London. I don't eat out and don't know anyone who does (not as a family)

You use someone who is "impoverished and can't read very well" to look after your children?

How exploitative!

Chocolatedot, I never go to Giraffe either. Never even heard of it till that one got bombed by some nutter in Exeter.
We only go to non-chain restaurants, and we don't eat out often.

never heard of Giraffe. What is it?

1. I never ate at Pret and yes, I know McD's own them too. I went in once, but too much mayo. Blech. I also don't eat at any of the chains that present as 'upmarket'.

1. WTF is Nando?

1. Food in France is HUGELY better than here, but not if you just go down to any old cafe (and God knows what would happen if you did that in London - e.coli, probably). As for not being innovative outside Paris, doubtless if I gave a list that would be snooty, but do the names Bras and Roellinger ring any bells?

Eating cheaply in Paris is easy. Go get a good baguette. Again, this takes some investigating, but it's relatively simple. Ask for a baguette a l'ancienne or tradition.

What I do see all the time in France is misery English families ordering huge quantities from diabolical tourist menus and then complaining.

Baguette???!!! When Anna has enlightened us about the dangers of eating bread???

thats what we did. Bought a baguette and ate it like that but its not fun eating out in the cold and rain. Did enjoy the chocolate waffle things - gauffres.
Can't see me going to Paris again. Its appalling for wheelchairs.

arse. forgot bageuttes are poison and 'not a proper lunch' darn

Nando's is the nicest food ever YUM and you can get salad there and sweet potato mash yum.

do the french still smoke like mad? i read the other day that most of them totally ignore the ban

OI JaneLumley I eat in the cafe across the road I aint got no Ecolli stuck up cow I is from Souuuuuuuuuufff Londen an are grub is top banana's thanks.

Anyways ya don't know what your eating in france they eat some weird freaky food so I stick to a good ole English Fry up from the cafe across the road, Nando's for lunch and a Big mac for dinner

Have not read the whole thread but as far as I can see OP you have not specifically told your nanny what is and isn't acceptable on the food front? If this is the case YABU.

It's just a different way of eating, isn't it?

In both UK and France, what is considered a proper meal is balanced.

Eg France: starter probably with raw veg, main course meat or fish with carbs in some form, salad, then cheese

UK: carbs protein and veg on the same plate

I MUST stop reading this thread - I keep thinking of that Catherine Tate sketch where the woman has to break the news to her dcs that daddy hasn't been able to get any good brie for the school picnic ...

LOL DOAGC

How on earth did you find a baguette needmorecoffee? I hear that there is no bread in France as French folk shun it as work of the devil.