To think that babies should not eat macdonalds?

[pinkfizzle]

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??

What exactly is in a Mcdonalds beef burger then onedge? And what type of beef is it, is it organic, free range, raised on the land of a destroyed rainforest perhaps?

Well that's a lie actually about the ingredients, because all meat has preservatives in it. How else do you reckon it lasts so long from being slaughtered to getting onto the supermarket shelf and then still having a week of shelf life? There are other things that they could add in to the burger other than additivies and flavour enhancers and you need to remember they can be very clever with how they word things in order to make it legal but not neccessarily morally correct. The other thing is what cut of beef are we talking here? Eyes, toes? You are also just talking about the beef, go check the ingredients in the bun, then check the ingredients in the McChicken sandwhich- lots of chemicals. And yes organic food is clearly better for nutrition than stuff with pesticidies. That's like saying vaccines with formaldehyde are safer than ones without.

mrsbean78, lemonade for babies with upset stomachs is quite a well known, old-fashioned approach. The theory is that is keeps their sugar levels up whilst being more likely to not be vomited back up again because lemonade has a low pH (about 2-3) and is therefore easily tolerated by the stomach (also acidic). You are supposed to ensure the lemonade is flat first and it is only supposed to be a temporary thing to ensure their liquids/sugar levels are kept up. I don't therefore understand your "temporarily" in inverted commas.

I should just add a disclaimer to my comment above- I'm not saying I agree with giving a baby lemonade for gastroenteritis (esp. not a breastfed one), I'm just saying it's a well-known approach.

Yeah, and that disclaimer makes all the difference. Especially where you are dealing with a 4 month old baby. And, well, really, considering this was in Ireland and I had to pay 60 EUR for this old wives tale, I don't think 'old fashioned' or 'well known' approaches are okay, really.

The "temporarily" was included as I was told to stop breastmilk and give him lemonade as his drink instead "for a few days", despite the fact that, actually, he wasn't ill (I was) and this would most likely result in early weaning from breastmilk. When I said no, the doctor actually said that if I wanted to 'be a martyr to breastfeeding' that was fine, but he couldn't suggest anything else.

Actually, Macdonalds saved us once.Really.

We'd broken down spectacularly in France on the first day of our holiday and were sitting on a patch of grass on a grim ring road somewhere in North West France waiting for a replacement car to arrive-we'd been told it would be hours, HOURS (days maybe lol)-this being rural France on a Saturday lunchtime , and once it arrived we still had a journey of many hours to do. Twas a dark time.

2 adults. 4 children (one of them 2), no food or water.

Then across the road, shimmering in the distance, we spotted it. That big yellow M. Wonderful. They saved us!! All we could eat was chips, ice cream and Mcsalad, us being Mcveggies, but it had food, a PLAY AREA, toilets ...bliss. I was so grateful that day that although we've never been since MacDs now hold a special place in my heart so for that reason alone YABU!!!!

Don't forget your earrings

Ok long post;

I'm with the Op on this. (MY OPINION)
I dont think it is 'right' to have young kids in McDonalds, or eating any fast food for that matter.
In saying that though my DD used to want to go into such places when we walked past because she saw the advert for the fries on the window, I hated going there and havent for a v,v.long time.
But I neednt worry now anyhow, she doesnt even like their food!
She grew up on brocolli, carrots and potatoes, she now eats steak (all home cooked) and many other foods including olives and many fruits. I'm fortunate enough not to have a fussy eater but I think that's because I put healthy foods in front of her since she was weaned.

It actually reminds me of something that happened to me, I was in a cafe and my DD was about 2 or less and some annoying waiter came over and without my permission gave her a chocolate 'flake' even though I did say "That's not a good idea", I.e, Don't give MY baby chocolate you moron!
I allowed her to take a few 'bites' and threw the choc in the bin and never went back to that cafe again!

It's all down to personal preference, some people may not see an issue, some will.

Has anyone else (can't be bothered reading sorry) in the last ten pages that's it's quiet impressive that a 8/9 month old is drinking out of a cup?

Fyimate - i think you are very fortunate that your DD is not fussy. There are many parents who cook their children homecooked healthy food, have only ever done and their children are dreadfully fussy. I think in the end it really does come down to luck.

BTW, i used to think that the reason DD slept well was because of something we did Oh how i laugh at that now, seeing how some people who have done exactly the same have children who do not sleep. It is purely good fortune

I also assume it's because she's half Portuguese
They are very healthy eaters and are not at all fussy, love their fruit too!

But I guess it does come down to luck.

Just read my post and it sounds like i laugh at other people not what i meant! I meant i laugh at how we were (perhaps still in shock)

I got you in the first post

And I meant *I assumed, not assume. :P

how could anyone tell that this baby had lemonade? The cups aren't seethrough and can a baby that young use a straw?

"MacDonalds isn't that cheap anyway. It's simply percieved as such because many less educated (and unfortunately this often means on a lower income) eat there. It's snobbery.."

If my train has been cancelled nad I can't get home and am hungry McDonald's is literally the cheapest place for me to get something to eat. And yes, it would be cheaper to cook at home (which I do when I'm at home) but kids get taken there because a meal out is a treat, and not everyone can afford (or even has a local) Pizza Express.

"lots of chemicals"

EVERYTHING is made up of chemicals. A live chicken is made out of chemicals.

Also, I work in advertising regulation, we clear the claims McDs are allowed to use in ads. I don;'t know what their own website/literature says but I can tell you for sure that if they're advertising that they use breast meat in their nuggets and only beef in their burgers then one of my colleagues has been sent the recipe lists, samples, necessary data and cooking methods to prove it. I'm not an advocate for McDonald's and I'm not saying that everything they do may be perfect, but these things don't go unchecked.

(I did get cooking methods and ingredient lists for one ready-made product once that seriously put me off consuming it in the future. And I'd quite liked it up until then.)

YABU to feed your baby "solids". Sounds vile. I gave mine food.

I digress. The salt levels are pretty horrendous and that is why I don't often take DS to Macdonalds. That and the fact he isn't that keen on them. He is 9 btw. As for babies, I imagine all that salt would also make them vomit. yuck.

I know full well that there are plenty of things that I have done once or twice that people might get all judgey and superior about if they witnessed it, so I try not to be all judgey and superior when I see other parents doing similarly less than perfect things.

mippy Pizza Express is little better (if better at all) than McDonalds. At leaset in McDonalds you're getting cheap crap.

my dd is 16 months and has been in mcd's maybe 4 times since she was 1(she was weaned at 6 months btw) and has fish fingers and fries without salt....we only go in cos i'm craving fillet o' fish atm lol

Its just fucking food, get a fucking grip you ill-informed judgemental twats. FFS.

(recalls ds3 only yesterday chomping on ikea meatballs and fries @ 8.5 months)

If you ask nicely you can get the chips without salt on (but obviously have to wait until they get the next lot out of the deep fat fryer).

Chips are just fried potatoes. Nothing wrong with giving carbs and fat to a growing little human who needs loads of calories, if it's not the only thing they get.

Buddlwja - what is impressive about drinking out of a cup? My daughter started from 5 Months. Obviously needing a little help with holding it, but otherwise without difficulties.

Yeah, but Pizza Express is 'nicer' than Pizzas4U and so it's okay to let their wares pass the lips of babes.