McDonalds

[beatie]

Not that I ever go there but I just found this in yesterdays Guardian ....

"You know the new-style healthy Happy Meals - the ones that were going to woo the Jamie Oliver-loving middle classes back into McDonald's? Well, it transpires that to keep the carrot sticks crunchy, they will have been sprayed with hydrogen peroxide (once deployed as rocket fuel, now more commonly used for hair-bleaching products). And fruit portions will have been bathed in citric acid to prevent browning. Is any of this a surprise? Is this actually more harmful for health than dipping things in mayonnaise or tomato ketchup? Who knows? But McDonald's has responded with the promise that all carrots on sale in their restaurants will have been harvested no more than three days earlier. So that's all right, then. "

It's so nice what they're allowed to do with food. I wonder if the ready chopped veg you buy in Supermarkets has been treated with the same delightful er, ingredients!

I use to work for one of Europe's largest H2O2 (yes Hydrogen peroxide) manufacturer..... it has many applications and some nasty ones too !

pupuce, i used to work for europe's largest manufacturer of cling film o the glamour

hmmm... so I was above you in the chain LOL
We produced the polymers !!!

I did look at the H202 link Snugs posted. Thanks.

Hope in 10 years time McDonalds will just be a bad memory

Or a health food chain like Taco Bell in that movie with Stallone and Snipes, can't remember the name of it now... was it Demolition Man?

Sorrel.... as long as people think that it is a treat to feed unhealthy food... I doubt it !

I am standing by what I said in that to feed my kiddies unhealthy stuff occasionally is a treat....I have cream cakes occasionally, and even wine, and both are considered unhealthy too, but they are exactly that...a treat. Sweets are unhealthy...treat too!!!! (full of hidious additives aswell!)

See your point velcrobott but it is a bit of a dilemma. What is a treat for your children?

I do think there is a tendency for parents to say oh well its only as a treat but the treat could be quite regular. eg with my DS and party food/party bags but some months he's at a party every week! Or two a weekend.

Wait, so first of all MacDonalds is evil for being unhealthy, and now because they have tried to listen to public opinion and are promoting some healthy stuff too (admittedly some of it isn't healthy, but the fruit bags etc are), and you won't go in BECAUSE of that????

My DD does have Macdonalds, yes, as a treat. Just like I have pizza as a treat on the nights where I'm too wiped out.

Do you not remember being a child? Do you not remember how good stuff like that tasted compared to "normal" meals? How good sweeties from a party bag tasted compared to the fruit normally on offer. Luckily my DD doesn't have much of a sweet tooth and still tends to pick the fruit over partybag, but that will change I'm sure.

I'm sure the children of the future will all be eating broccoli day and night, and being very excited by the oranges in their party bags, but I want my child to grow up learning that all things are in moderation, and that a little of something bad isn't always such a terrible thing.

Agree with Pinotgrigio.

My kiddies love having a roast dinner, and love all the veggies options..(ie...baby sweetcorn, mange tout, cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, peas, carrots etc), they also love stir frys with all the different veg - so I know that they like the healthy stuff, but they also like macdonalds (just like I like my cream cakes), and a monthly, or even weekly treat isn't going to hurt them!

Actually my DS is going to be the one that gets picked on at school (see oliveoil's post) because he does not know what McDs is and has never been. This is mainly DH's idea. But I am in agreement with Pamina really - I am big against marketing to children so don't buy yoghurts with kid's characters on, that kind of thing. Although do allow the odd packet of milky way stars (presumably marketed at children?).

When my three are with exh, they have had up to 6 mcDonald's in one weekend

Ahhh...now there is a thread question...

What do you admit to buying that is marketed at kiddies.

Myself, while admitting to allowing my children the treat of macdonalds, will absolutely refuse to buy them all the yoghurts/tinned pasta/cereals etc that are specifically aimed at them. Mainly because it costs double the price of the regular yoghurts, but also on principle.
Makes a hypocrite of me then really tho doesn't it??

Well my kids love McDonalds. I am going to admit it, they have it once every couple of weeks (not nuggets though) and yes they are totally sold by the toy too

IMHO there is nothing wrong with the odd bit of junk food, I am not saying every day or whatever, but shock horror my kids eat sweets, McDonalds, pizza Hut, etc etc My vauge 'rule' is that I don't have burgers/nuggests/chips in the house (although dh keeps buying chips - oven ones though) so if they eat junk food it tends to be out. I think the more 'healthy' options are a GOOD IDEA I don't care HOW my kids get fruit into them, if they think carrot sticks are a treat at McDonalds then fine by me. TBH they cannot win, if they have unhealthy food, we complian, if they try to have healthier options we all think it is a cynical marketing ploy to sell more McDonalds. Yes it is a cynical marketing ploy to sell more McDonalds, BUT SO WHAT. They are a big corporation who do do some good.

How many of you know about Ronald McDonald Childrens Charities?? How many of you have seen those little collection boxes at the tills. How many of you know that McDonalds HELP parents of sick and dying children by providing them with a home from home within a hospital where you can stay while your child is in hhospital. These are funded by McDonalds. I stayed for 7 weeks when dd1 was in hospital when she was born premature. Without McDonalds I would have been sleeping on my brothers floor or being 2 hrs away from my child. McDonalds paid for that house, as they pay for loads of houses around the country who keep families together and support them in times of need.

Is McDonalds all that bad? Just becasue they give us a choice of food we can give our children?

In a Guardian or Observer food article recently the fimbles fromage frais at M&S had the lowest sugar of any fruit yoghurt or fromage frais! Including Yeo Valley

psychomum - agree with your attitude, though I sort of have to go for 'kids' yoghurts and the like... dd won't eat a full large pot, so quite a waste. Tinned pastas... with the kids one at least there's no additional rubbish in them, well according to the labels anyhow and cereals... don't bother, dd doesn't eat them anyway.

Though I usually only buy what's on special offer ;)

Also if I could find those chocolate cake like milk squares that have the 'Incredibles' on as a non-brand I'd grab them, but so far no luck so happily supporting the 'marketing snare' as it's at least something dd eats . I won't go into targetd marketing and advertising on TV... suffice to say dd never liked those Kinder Hippos... now she wants them!

DD is definitely a 'toy victim' re McD as when we order her happy meal her first question is 'where's the toy'... we look at it as an investment... a couple of years down the line when dd has forgotten about the toys we'll sell them off on ebay!

LOL MrsbigD......I could reap a fortune on ebay

Just realised I lied on the 'absolutely refuse to buy' bit......my kiddies have had tweenies cakes before, and the chocolate bars with Bob the Builder on and Fimbles!

you better believe it... ebay actually have a subsection for cereal toys & McDonald toys!!!

I am really shocked. Feel all naive(sp?) now, never realised macdonalds toys and cereal toys provoked such interest!

there's a market for almost anything!
with McD toys it's that some of them don't get released in certain countries so there's the market