Tell McDonald’s what’s important to you when eating out with your family - £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED!

[EmmaMumsnet]

Whilst eating out with the family can provide a much-needed treat and opportunity to reconnect, it can also entail much compromise in order to ensure that all members are satisfied with the outing. McDonald’s UK is keen to find out what is running through your mind when it comes to making that often tricky dining decision whilst keeping smiles on everyone’s faces.

Here what McDonald’s has to say: “We’re looking at new options for our Happy Meal and invited Mumsnet behind the scenes as we started the food development journey! Our restaurants have changed, options like kiosk ordering and table service make it easier for families to enjoy our food but we want to know what you look for when eating out as a family.”

Whether you are celebrating a special occasion, visiting your favourite family restaurant or simply popping into a local take away, we want to know on what basis you make such decisions. Is it the provision of colouring sheets for the kids, or haute cuisine for the more mature members of the family? Maybe you find it difficult to identify a restaurant with menus capable of pleasing all parties and resort to visiting several locations? Is making sure your children’s meals are well balanced or that the location is family friendly important to you?

Whatever your main considerations are when choosing somewhere to eat out with your family, please share them below and you will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a £300 voucher of your choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

There's never low carb options apart from a very sad salad

It’s allergy friendly and really clear labelling for us 🙂

flexibility. I don't really agree with children menus, as they all seem to be chicken nuggets and chips, BUT, I would appreciate being able order smaller portions of main courses for children instead.

Quick, reasonably priced, hot food

A couple of ideas from abroad. TV's in the "cell" or area where you and the family sit. How about a colour in table cloth, provided to you when the cultery etc and a stack of crayons. Even the most poo faced mum and dad can reach into their inner child and colour in and get the conversation going. HTH

When eating out with the family I look for places that include: space for kids to play, healthy choices on the menu and prices.

Good service, menus for kids that are appealing to look at and not too babyish, meals that everyone likes.

My main considerations are, price, quality choice of menu, a nice atmosphere to dine in, and clean tables and cutlery. When we visit McDonalds we find all this, along with quick service, if we eat in, and the happy meal means that a toy makes the journey home quiet and there is another addition to the toy box.

I think what "families" want varies wildly depending on the age of their children: babies have different needs from toddlers / preschoolers, who again have different needs from older children. My younger children (eldest is an older teen) don't want gimmicky kids stuff like colouring and balloons, but they do want a decent "kids menu" with lots of variety for them to pick from. They do like the standard children's fodder such as goujons, burgers etc, but they sometimes like to have pasta or fajitas for example. Most restaurants tend to think that kids don't like anything spicy so the options like that are usually very bland.

I think it's important that we all get a chance to have a good wee natter

Cleanliness is key, so many fast food outlets have dirty tables and food all over the floor! Otherwise it's nice to have colouring pens etc. And free glasses of tap water.

If the kids are well fed and happy, then parents can relax!
I prefer finding places with a decent range of healthy food for kids- so much seems to be fizzy or sugary drinks and chips with everything, or processed-beyond-belief nuggets or unidentifiable shapes.
If you need highchairs, having dirty, sticky, crumb laden ones is really off-putting...

Affordable family dining, it's amazing how costs can mount up...

Oh, family toilets/facilities please!

Also bonus points for restaurants that provide things for kids to do whilst waiting for food- not thinking flimsy crap plastic toys, but colouring in sheets etc can really make a difference in passing the time and whinging bored children!

Healthy food options, clean tables and toilets are probably my main ones now!

I look for a clean place to eat, great customer service, something for the kids to do so they don't get bored and a really yummy meal.

Somewhere you can relax without getting filthy looks, making the most of time together, try to enjoy it

I like somewhere family friendly with plenty of room for a pram and plenty of high chairs preferably with a tray. Healthy children’s options and a clean eating area. quite often chain cafes or fast food outlets have lots of dirty empty tables even when there are staff free to clean them

a relatively peaceful environment, away from the street.

Healthy fresh kids options. If I'm going to McDonald's I know what we are eating: fast food, special treat.
But if I've chosen a 'mixed menu' restaurant I would love to be able to order a smaller portion of an adult meal. I'm not expecting everything to be available but a bit of meat, veg, gravy and potatoes or pasta and veg would have been a life saver.

Healthy children's menu. Non-fried options.

And quality of food, for all of us.

Good surroundings which are clean and comfortable, with clean toilets.

I really like the McD's happy meal option to substitute fruit for fries, and the choice of milk or water.
But, can we have non burger/nugget options please? Chargrilled chicken or cheese wraps maybe. With a portion of salad veg.

Quick service and healthy food

family friendly, i have children aged from 4 to 19 so its important to have something that caters for a wide variety of ages and the actual place we go to if family friendly. Healthier options would be nice too , my little girl loves apples, raisins , grapes so fruit bags go down well.

Having fussy fruit and vegetable eaters it would be having more options with the fruit/ vegetable bags on offer with happy meals, rather than just carrot sticks it fruit if the day/ month. Both my children love cucumber do this would be a big hit for our family.
Thanks

Clean surroundings, freshly cooked food, a good atmosphere and enough space between us and the next table to feel comfortable.

Mostly at fast food restaurants I’d like to see a significant reduction in paper and plastic waste.

When eating out with the family I appreciate fast service, a varied and interesting menu and clean facilities and toikets (mcds usually are!)

A little play area and maybe halal options