Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that babies should not eat macdonalds?

277 replies

pinkfizzle · 28/05/2010 23:12

Ok I went shopping and popped into MacDonalds on the way home for a drink and a filet of fish, while there I got out a high chair and fed my baby some solids (that I had bought with me).

Next table across I see a baby who at a guess looked about 8-9 months old in a high chair - and see that she is being fed french fries, lemonade and chicken nuggets?? I was very shocked at this - at one point I heard the parents say come on now, finish your lemonade as they fed it cup like to her?

.. and yes I have decided not to go anymore as I obviously am not setting my child a good example.

.. out of interest those of you who have children, what was the youngest age that your children had french fries??
.. is it common practice??

OP posts:
Original poster
pinkfizzle · 28/05/2010 23:13

apologies for shocking grammar .. keyboard issues.

OP posts:
funnysinthegarden · 28/05/2010 23:16

my DS eats nothing BUT chicken nuggets and fries. He also has lemonade every night before bed, tis one of his 5 a day. YABU

LordVolAuVent · 28/05/2010 23:20

If they'd been feeding the baby a fillet o fish, would you have approved?

luciemule · 28/05/2010 23:20

I remember allowing our dd to have nuggets and fries when we lived in Germany and she was 2.5. She was sick on the way home in the car. The fat content was way too high for her little tummy and she didn't really eat them until she was 4. She doesn't like their burgers but does have a happy meal every now and again if we're at the cinema or something.
Didn't have fizzy drinks until probably 5 and never Coke, even now she's 8. She occasionally has lemonade as a treat if I buy a bottle.

funnysinthegarden · 28/05/2010 23:21

when I worked in Mac D's I used 'tweet Fillet o Fish every day. YABU

RockSteady · 28/05/2010 23:21

I wouldn't get McDonalds for a baby but healthwise I suppose its not too bad if its just an occasional treat. But like i said, I wouldn't and definately wouldn't give a baby lemonade!

Original poster
pinkfizzle · 28/05/2010 23:22

LordVolAuVent - surely a baby should not eat a fish burger either, as I have said I do not feel great myself about going there and the whole experience has put me off MacDonalds.

OP posts:
luciemule · 28/05/2010 23:24

Saying that, you don't know the circumstances of the parents; perhaps they had been travelling for ages, been stuck in a traffic jam and not been able to feed the baby for example. Nuggets are 100% chicken breast and yes, the coating isn't that healthy but as a one off, wouldn't do much harm other than make the baby sick due to fat content etc. Not good that the fries are covered in salt unless you ask for no salt though. Far more of a concern than the lemonade or nuggets imo.

LordVolAuVent · 28/05/2010 23:26

Just wondered why you mentioned your choice of fillet o fish?

Not MacDonalds fault surely? Don't let it put you off - chicken nuggets = protein, fries = carbohydrates for energy, lemonade = fruit. Not so bad.

funkychunkymunky · 28/05/2010 23:27

Sadly, it's all too common. Whilst I was pregnant with DD I craved the fries so I used to go in every day often. There would always be little babies eating fries and nuggets.

I can't face the idea of a MuckyDs now and didn't like them before. DD certainly won't be having any for a very long time and will certainly not be having fizzy drinks. They are unnecessary.

Original poster
pinkfizzle · 28/05/2010 23:27

I was just mentioning what I had to eat.

OP posts:
MiladyDeWinterOfDiscontent · 28/05/2010 23:27

at lemonade being one of the five a day.

funnysinthegarden · 28/05/2010 23:29

I suspect that PF felt slightly superior what with eating FOF and feeding her childer some home bought solids.

BTW I never go to MacD's what with having worked there and all, tis filth AND they sacked me.......

Mouseface · 28/05/2010 23:29

Wasn't this a 'subject' on the Jeremy Kyle show this week?????

"my ex is an unfit mother, she feeds our 6 month old junk food"????

No?

It's not the best thing to feed a baby, high salt and fat content, but MacD's claim to be better than they used to in terms of reduced salt, saturated fats. Using pure chicken breast etc.

It could be worse, they could've fed it sprouts!!!! Eew!!

LordVolAuVent · 28/05/2010 23:31

That's what I suspected, funnyis..., hence why I asked. But maybe she was just "mentioning", I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt

GOODASGOLD · 28/05/2010 23:31

Not everyday.

But apart from the high salt content the food is probably more suitable for a growing, active baby than it is for a grown up.

I think now that the milk is organic and the eggs free range. Could be worse.

There are always articles saying that pret sandwiches are more unhealthy. But I love the pret service and tasty high fat high salt food. If I bought a baby a sandwich from pret would you think that was wrong?

I might, but not everyday.

Agree about the soft drinks more than the food.

Mouseface · 28/05/2010 23:31

Milady - chink with me!! Enjoying a vody with one of my five-a-day too!! Ah, lemon.

Ronaldinhio · 28/05/2010 23:31

if the child was 8-9 mths shurley it was old enough to be weaned
even by mn standards

Original poster
pinkfizzle · 28/05/2010 23:31

No I can assure you that I certainly did not feel superior at all funny. I ate junk food while there, I was shocked at a baby being fed foods with so much salt on them.

OP posts:
YanknCock · 28/05/2010 23:31

McDonalds puts far too much salt on their fries, so I wouldn't let DS have them. However, he's been eating oven chips since he was 6 months and started BLW. I try to watch his salt intake so he doesn't get more than 1 gram total a day.

We were travelling today, stopped at a pub, and DS (9 months) had chicken strips, chips and peas off the children's menu. He's probably had too much salt today, but this isn't something we'd do every day.

funnysinthegarden · 28/05/2010 23:32

Mouseface, I can't believe you watch JK. You would never find me watching repeat after repeat on ITV2 of an afternoon

BoysAreLikeDogs · 28/05/2010 23:32

4

UnseenAcademicalMum · 28/05/2010 23:33

My 5 yo ds1 still does not drink fizzy drinks. However, I think YABU. When ds1 was 8-9 months he had only organically grown fruit, veg and occasional bits of meat. He didn't even taste chocolate till he was probably 4. However, we have such a trouble getting ds2 to take an interest in any food and he has such a hard time putting on weight, if giving him a macdonalds every now and then would help, sod it, I'd do it (I've never tried btw, we don't take him out for meals due to judgemental people staring at him).

You estimate the baby's age at 8-9 months, however, ds2 is now exactly 2 years old, but probably the size of the average 9-10 month old. People often assume he is younger than he is.

Please don't judge others on what they feed their children, you don't know anything about them or their background and why they might be trying to feed their child cr*p like a macdonalds.

Original poster
pinkfizzle · 28/05/2010 23:33

Also why would one feel superior with - it is cheap and easy for me to cook some carrots. It got me thinking as I have not even seen babies that young eating fries??

OP posts:
LordVolAuVent · 28/05/2010 23:34

pinkfizzle, is it just because it was MacDonalds? Or if you saw a weaned baby eating chix nuggets and chips in another restaurant (a v common kids menu choice) would you judge so?

BTW, nothing wrong with being judgey. I'm v judgey and superior myself.