This Makes Me Cringe...

[lockedhearts]

I think this parent is being ridiculous and immature. We did eat some fast food when we were kids, but it was a treat.
First the nearest FF place was over 30 miles away. Second, parents did not allow us to eat whatever we wanted/demanded

A friend of mine's youngest was so raised on McD's in fact, if you put that kid in a car seat she immediately said "fry fry" ( her word for McD's)

If I eat FF now, I try to make healthier choices, but I do enjoy a good burger and fries now and then........

 

[KristyHall]

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Well I live in the liberalloveland of CA and every place has fruit and salads. But you do have the CHOICE to have the worst stuff.

i'm glad. for years when i was always on the go i hated that the fast food places only had fried food. when they started offering decent food in a to go package i was thrilled.

i absolutely love chick filet because they offer all sorts of options that are better than most fast food places

 

[KristyHall]

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I ate it! or if i hated it I would give it to the animals.

I was a fruit fanatic as a kid. still am.

* is eating a bowl of steamed veggies for breakfast and loving it*

 

[Gardengirl 2011]

With obesity rates as skyhigh as they are and childhood diabetes where it is, you'd think she'd think differently. It's all a choice. Hopefully her kids will somehow grow up to be healthier eaters. I don't get the mindset of "boycotting" the fast food chains for offering healthier choices.

 

[Dunkopf]

Sadly they are trying to legislate that McDonalds and such can't put toys in happy meals. That's probably why that particular franchise was offering the meal they did.

I think they should eliminate the fries instead of the toy. Just replace the fries with a healthy alternative like apples or a yogurt parfait. The reason America is fat and getting fatter is because of the government subsidies given to growers of the ingredients used in processed foods. It makes it easier and cheaper to eat crappy food. Of course if they dump the subsidies then ingredients that are used to make the crap food which can also be used to produce healthy food will go up in price and raise the whole food chain cost. It's a vicious cycle.

Meanwhile I'm glad that places like McDonalds are doing a lot more to provide healthy alternatives. If they would dump the fried french fries it wouldn't be that unhealthy to eat. The basic hamburger isn't that bad for you if you only eat the top or bottom of the bun. Don't eat any of the fried stuff and stay away from the sugar sodas.

 

[KristyHall]

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Believe it or not but McDonald's yogurt parfait is not healthy at all. It is loaded with sugar. A lot of "healthy" yogurts sold are loaded with so much sugar that it offsets any good the yogurt might have.

 

[mamagardener]

I think they are going too far. They all have been criticized for unhealthy practices, so now they are getting rid of the toys because people say it is causing children to want the meals just so they can have a toy. As far as I am concerned I am the mother and if I want to give my kids a meal that has a toy, it is my choice. We pretty much eat healthy in this family, but if we want french fries that is our choice.
We eat a lot of chicken, fish, veggies, and fruit. But sometimes you are just in the mood for fries. If I wanted to feed my kids apples and burgers, I would just stay home. To us french fries are something we buy out, because I do not cook them at home. Same thing as going out for ice cream, I don't keep it in the house, so occasionally we will go out for some. Moderation is the key.

 

[KristyHall]

I read a lot of books about food and culture. There is one I am reading right now called "The politics of food." It is an interesting read. The problem is the parents are often raised and bombarded with false information about what is healthy.

Just as the author of " The omnivore's delima" stated, we have a national eating disorder. We go through food fads, and extremes, and it is only adding to the confusion of what is healthy.

The thing about choosing good food is both simple and complex. Yes bananas are good for you but eat them all the time they become bad for you. Same goes for other "healthy foods"

Ideally children shouldn't eat fast food or fruit loops or other processed food. (no one should really) But it is largely impractical to avoid it all the time. I eat processed foods only because I am crazy busy on top of having some physical issues that makes constantly processing fresh foods near impossible. However I do try to eat fresh fruits and veggie sand whole grains more often than not.

I would more likely go to a fast food place that offers healthy alternatives for kids. I applaud BK. They aren't perfect but at least they are getting better.

 

[KristyHall]

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the problem is, the average american is very very easily swayed but media, commercials, and marketing. It is easier to believe that sugar cereals are healthy like the commercials apply, because it has added vitamins. If marketing makes McDonalds look like a safe and happy place for kids, a large portion of american will go there... a lot, and children will grow up thinking this food is the norm. Many of these places like McDonalds are rather predatory. They don't care about your health, they care about the dollar. They make the food addictive and lure patrons in with bright colors, toys, and flavor enhanced fatty foods.

yes you are the parent, and you may be one of the parents who actually think for themselves, (Well from your earlier posts I do think you are a parent who thinks for themselves) but unfortunately many Americans think that these places won't do anything to harm them or their children. When a culture normalizes this sort of thing, especially from childhood on, then they don't question eating the food, and buying the toys and going to those places over and over again.

 

[chickened]

My kids loved the toys they always tried to eat them or at least I was telling them to not put them in their mouth

I do remember when they put salad bars in Wendy's and they got sued for using sulfides (i think) a wilting prohibitor or something. They provide a healthy alternative but then smother it with a preservative for shelf life.
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