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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:
sanfairyann · 28/05/2010 23:35

ah brings back memories. dd's first food as fed to her by her dad - chips - start as you mean to go on I say. needless to say, dd is our third. ds1 only ate pureed organic veg til ds2 came along

funnysinthegarden · 28/05/2010 23:35

Hmmmm, not enough irony in the Op's question for me not to believe that she didn't feel a teeny tiny bit superior

LordVolAuVent · 28/05/2010 23:36

My DS ate fries at 6 months, he bloody loved them. He's still alive and relatively healthy.

LordVolAuVent · 28/05/2010 23:37

She would be happier if she admitted her superiority.

tethersend · 28/05/2010 23:37

It depends.

Did the baby light up afterwards?

ticktockclock · 28/05/2010 23:38

We ran around today, shopping, bank, errands, etc. My LO (2.9yrs) kept telling me she was hungry, so we popped into Mac D's. Quick, close and easy. She ate a kids fish meal with an orange juice. The fish is no worse than a box of fish fingers that you buy at the supermarket and cook in the oven and I have no probs with an OJ either. I ate her fries for my lunch (she doesn't like them).

Don't think it is a big deal. It is not a regular thing and she eats healthy home cooked meals most of the time.

funnysinthegarden · 28/05/2010 23:39

DS1 won't eat chips, try as I might to shove them down his gullet. Spoiled brat. When I was a childer, chips were a treat. Now its all, Mummy, PLEASE let me have some more home made humous....

funnysinthegarden · 28/05/2010 23:41

Lord V, she would, she really would. I just hope the home made food her baby was eating was organic

mumtofour · 28/05/2010 23:42

We all make our own choices as to what we feel is healthly and acceptable to feed our kids. My kids didn't eat McDonalds till about 2 and a half and i wouldn't have ever taken at the young baby age you saw.

LordVolAuVent · 28/05/2010 23:42

That's the problem with kids today, funnys, they're ungrateful. DS's favourite food is cous cous. I long for MaccyD's to introduce a McCous McCous

Original poster
pinkfizzle · 28/05/2010 23:43

I suppose it is just MacDonalds - because you can see the amount of salt that they put on fries, and I was wondering what age you can really add salt to a babies diet. I have got no experience of other restaurants as I have not seen such a young baby eat fries before. I am aware that some people will make fries without added salt, and yes perhaps they did ask for the fries without salt.

I realise that I guesstimated the babies age so it could have been an older baby.

It has got me thinking about how MacDonalds market to parents and children with the toys and meal deals. I am not judging the parents - I was just a bit shocked as the baby seemed so young.

OP posts:
piprabbit · 28/05/2010 23:47

DS gets the occassional happy meal.

He delights in the plastic tat toy.
He wolfs down the contents of the fruit bag.
He nibbles on a nugget or two, but rarely finishes them.
He enjoys the juice.

Is it really so bad?

GOODASGOLD · 28/05/2010 23:48

Agree with Lordvolauvent. I think it's because it was McDonalds rather than due to the nutritonal content of the food.

Also like some others: My dd1 was brought up on steamed organic veg, my d2 and ds1 have what we have.

funnysinthegarden · 28/05/2010 23:48

loving McCous McCous

LordVolAuVent · 28/05/2010 23:50

As a serious response, OP, if a baby was to be fed MacDonalds for every meal, then of course this would be unhealthy and unasseptable. They shouldn't have any added salt before 1, ideally.

However, IMHO, a one off won't kill or even harm and we don't know which this was, so I wouldn't waste my time being shocked/worried or boycott MacDonald personally.

I've always fed DS off my plate as well as his own (home-made, organic obv ) baby food so he has tried some "unsuitable" stuff earlier than he should. He did have chips at 6 months and still has them occasionally if we're eating out (he's 15m now). I've never taken him in MacDonald's but that's because I'm a raging snob who rarely goes because of the high peasant element to be found within . If I did take him, I'd have no qualms about giving him a bit of quarter pounder with cheese and fries meal.

Original poster
pinkfizzle · 28/05/2010 23:50

I was shocked at a young baby having fries because of the salt content - I thought it was very important to limit the salt content of meals.

I suppose what the general viewpoint for posters on here is that a MacDonalds meal is ok and unlikely to do any harm.

OP posts:
funnysinthegarden · 28/05/2010 23:50

DS1 would DIE I tell thee rather than eat fruit, he has never knowingly eaten ANY fruit or vegetables

CoinOperatedGirl · 28/05/2010 23:51

I always remember a poster on here saying that she once fed her dc a McDonalds but sucked the salt off the fries first . I gave ds (6 months) half of my bun from a burger in bk the other day, was looking around trying to spot potential judgers who had maybe assumed I had bought him a meal.

What can you do in the face of an accusing glare from a 6 month old baby, he doesn't tolerate others having food well, lol.

LordVolAuVent · 28/05/2010 23:52

LOL tethersend, at first read it as light up, like a neon sign or something maybe as a response to the e numbers or something??? Now realise you mean a fag!! Hope baby in question didn't, it's illegal to smoke in public spaces you know.

Mouseface · 28/05/2010 23:55

funnysinthegarden!!!

I was flicking, waiting for Everything's Rosie and caught the opening statement!!

And, if I'm honest, love to see how the other half lives!!!

LordVolAuVent · 28/05/2010 23:56

CoinOperatedGirl, are you seriously saying that you gave your 6mo bread??? Someone call SS

mummysaurus · 28/05/2010 23:57

you can ask Maccy d's not to put salt on the fries.

can't see the harm in it every now and again for nuggets and chips. Every restaurant/pub does the same sort of food for kids - just costs more and you get plates

tho weirdly I disapprove of the lemonade more - think it's was growing up fizzy drinks were not allowed

LordVolAuVent · 28/05/2010 23:58

Why did they sack you, funnys?

Shame, if you still worked there, you could introduce McCous McCous and that would get you 5 star status, I'm pretty sure

scottishmummy · 29/05/2010 00:00

haha at holier the yew op,carting virtous slops into mcD because of course she'd never feed her baby that stuff.as she stuffs a fillet in her yap.so familiar with maddonalds then?

you know what,need must.when oot n aboot

aye been mcd's.they loved they toys.ignored the fries
greggs we all love.wont hear a bad word about greggs

Original poster
pinkfizzle · 29/05/2010 00:00

Yes Mummysauras that was what I was wondering - it is really the salt content for young babies. And not I did not give any accusing looks.

OP posts:
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