Random life stuff: Today Jobina and I got home and both decided that we should just go out for dinner (no one felt like making anything). So we had to make a decision; where to eat? Jobina and I thought that we'd rather go somewhere fast - maybe Subway? The kids choice: McDonald's. It's almost always McDonald's for them. Sigh, curse you McDonald's with your billions spent on laser-like marketing to kids! As a compromise I told them that we'd go to McDonald's but that this would be the last time for a long time. Slowly, we've been trying to wean them off their taste for it, but alas, it is usually still their first choice. Maybe I should get them to watch "Supersize Me."
Anyway, against my better judgment we went. I can see why kids like it so much; playland and Happy Meals - what other fast food place can compete? Seriously, McDonald's knows how to attract kids. If Subway only had playland, think how life might change! Instead, we ended up at the golden arches, thinking about how yucky we'd feel inside after our visit.
The kids had no problems there but for Jobina and I it's daunting. We are still getting off our meatless diet and leery of the effects of eating meat. Afterwords (as usual) I felt gross after eating there but at least my stomach wasn't in pain. It didn't help that I found some "McGristle" in my McChicken burger! It's remarkable though, you really do feel different eating meat (not in good ways) when you haven't in a while. I'm not sure if we are still just experiencing the "halo effect" from going meatless for a month, but meat is certainly rarely craved now. We are eating a lot more vegetables. And I think I feel quite a bit better on days when I keep the meat to a minimum (or don't eat any at all).
Well, the kids liked going there at least. One of them even thanked God for us going in their evening prayers. I guess that's something!
Last time we were at McD's in Lethbridge they had to close the play structure because there was poop up there!!! Happy thought?
ReplyDeleteHey Mark,
ReplyDeleteI hear ya. Couple of thoughts of my own.
- The thought of McDonalds doesn't only gross out the meatless for a month people, but also us Howe's who have been trying to swear off processed food. But like your family, our kids would jump at the opportunity to go ;)
- Its it great that your kids view McDonalds as a treat? Not a right, not expected but a treat. That is the way it should be.
Keith
When we went to McDonald's for Rowan's birthday party, we ended up with food poisoning and the playland was disgusting. When I talked to the health inspector, he said that he wished all restaurants would simply bann playlands because they're so dirty and it's simply impossible to keep them properly cleaned with the amount of staff most restaurants are financially able to have. The kids still ask to go, but now we just get drive through, if we go at all.
ReplyDeleteHey Michele, that is absolutely disgusting! Thanks for added ammunition in my battle against McDonalds. I'm guessing though that my children won't care about something as trivial as food poisoning and fecal matter - it will take more then that to overwhelm their desire for the Golden Arches!
ReplyDeleteKeith: Swearing off of processed food, eh? How's that going? Are you totally abstaining?
I wouldn't say totally. We are just trying to eat prepared meals (I say we as in the royal we, Lee is more 95% of the time and I sit at 5% ;)
ReplyDeleteSo far it is working out for us, we eat better and save money. Can't go wrong with that ;)
As for the play structure thing, I agree about the lack of cleanliness. But really.. public pools, out door play structures, hotel rooms, public washrooms, day cares ;)
I'm sure we can find someone with a story.
Me personally, I'm jealous because when I was growing up all we had was the McD's merry-go-round and the hamburglar sit down spring thingy. I would have loved to have those big playstructures (and yes even the ball pit) when I was younger.... lol
When I'm hungry, and only a footlong chicken breast on honey oat will do, I know I end up higher in calories, sodium, and fat than I would with a big mac. Granted its a little more food, but a 6" doesn't cut it for me. If you don't believe me, Subway has (or used to have) a great nutritional calculator that would add on cheese, mayo, dressings, etc etc.
ReplyDeleteAnd whats with these people who say they don't order cheese and mayo on their sub? :)
Also love the people who condescendingly look at me for giving my daughter a sip of pop when we're at costco or subway, and then proceed to give their child the much safer iced tea. (read the label sometime...)
Lets face it, fast food is bad for you. There may be some choices that are 'less bad' for you, but at the end of the day, processed, premade foods just don't have the nutritional value as what was widely available 50yrs ago. And just remember that you buy all of your groceries (unless at the local farmer's market or $$organic$$ food store) from essentially the same place that all the fast food places get their meat, produce and bread from.
Mark, I think generally the lousy feeling in your gut you get from eating at McDs is from the high fat and sodium content of the sauces used, and not the so-called 'meat'. And the chicken being deep fried doesn't help either. Not a lot of meat in these burgers though, unless you get the double quarter pounder...
I recall about 10 years ago when people were starting to get on the 'unprocessed food bandwagon', that most people I asked 'What don't you eat that's processed?' could only respond with a 'well I don't eat processed cheese' response. Meanwhile, about 60-80% of what we eat is processed in one way or another. Canned foods have biphenol A, dried foods have sulfites, milk has a form of vitamin D (aka rat poison), and many other preservatives that are so pervasive in their use, we don't even know about it because every company has a different name for that chemical.
Personally, I'm not even really trying anymore as its almost a lost cause, unless I win the lottery and have the time and resources to start growing all of my own food.
And on that note, my last parting thought is:
Vegetarians throughout history:
Pythagoras
Plato
Plutarch
St. Frances of Assisi
Leonardo da Vinci
Martin Luther
Sir Isaac Newton
Voltaire
John Wesley
Benjamin Franklin
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Hans Christian Andersen
Charlotte Bronte
Henry David Thoreau
Susan B. Anthony
Leo Tolstoy
Vincent Van Gogh
George Bernard Shaw
Henry Ford
Mahatma Gandhi
Albert Schweitzer
Albert Einstein
H.G. Wells
and...
Adolf Hitler
:)
and i guess if you think about it, 100% of what we eat is processed, unless we grow it and pick it ourselves, my 60-80% number may be way off.
ReplyDeleteI hate McD's - Michael and I rarely go there when it is our choice about where to go. I craved it a couple of time in my pregnancy with the girls, butexcept for those time, I think it'd had been 3 years since the time before that and it was in Sydney, AUS and there wasn't much options for fast food (and I was pregnant then too. A pattern maybe?) Rhys doesn't know what McDonald's is - his favorite is cheeseburgers at A&W. No playland, but good burgers! We will take him to Burger King if we want a playplace now and again (hasn't happened since the girls were born). I rather like it this way. Soon enough he'll be told all about it by friends, though and peer pressure to succumb to the call of McD's will begin.
ReplyDeleteA&W Cheeseburger
ReplyDeleteRegular Fries
Regular Root Beer
Serving Size: 822g
Calories: 995
Sugar: 88g
Carbs: 171g
Protein: 23g
Fat: 29g
Cholesterol: 40mg
Sodium: 1700mg
McDs Cheeseburger
Regular Fries
Medium Coke
Serving Size: 723g
Calories: 870
Sugar: 63g
Carbs: 136g
Protein: 19g
Fat: 29g
Cholesterol: 35mg
Sodium: 1030mg
Based on the nutritional info available, McDs is the 'less bad' of these 2 choices.