Fast Food Question

B

Boybert

Cathlete
Those of you with kids, etc, do you ever let them have fast food or what you consider junk? I'm a part of a mom's board, and this one girl flipped and called the rest of us lazy and horrible parents for feeding our kids (once in a while mind you) anything from McD's or the like. She said we may as well be giving them a salt lick. In my defense, I only let Aiden have a salt lick after he's finished his meal. Ahem.


I admit it, every once in a while Aiden goes gaga for McD's fries so he gets it as a treat. Sometimes he shares a milkshake with us. I'm still in the "everything in moderation" camp, even with fast food. If you just hate it or your system doesn't agree with it, that's another thing (you're a freak, but whatever...pphhhbt).

So, tell me folks.



Debbie



I'm not gaining weight. I'm retaining food.
 
Hey, Debbie. Sometimes IIIIIIIII go gaga for McD's fries! LOL. I highly agree with 'allowing' the kids something like this now and then. Why not???? It's yummy, isn't it? You can't be perfect all the time. I'm in the same camp: EVERYTHING IN MODERATION! You gotta live life, right?

Gayle
 
Welllll, yes, my kids eat fast food on occassion. I am in the same camp, but how do you define moderation? I am rethinking my defintion after attending a presentation the other night. The presenter had a fast food burger... 3 months old with no signs of life... no odor... no fuzzy critters on it... so it must be 100% perservatives rather than beef. ;-) The buns weren't even moldy. :eek: The fries were just potatoe sticks.

This probably won't stop me from eating it though. I need preservation. :)
 
It's a tough one! My DH takes the boys to McD more than I like. I try to limit it as much as I can. But on the other hand, if I get too strict and don't allow it at all, it will get even more interesting for them. And I don't want my kids to feel like "outsiders" or made fun of either

I watched "Supersize Me" with my 11-year-old the other day. I think he lost his appetit for McDonalds after that}( - hope it will last :)

I am with you on the "everything in moderation". On the other hand, just thinking about what goes into that food - YUCK!! Doesn't mean that I don't have a craving for it every once in a while. Afterwards I pay for it, I get stomach cramps (it rarely fails).

Not easy to feed your kids a healthy diet nowadays, the school lunch is lousy, not much difference to McDonald's IMO. I just try and limit fast food and I make an effort to have them eat clean most of the time (about 80 %) and then it is not such a big deal.

Carola
 
Oh, one of those uppity suburban moms club types. I have a good friend who is in moms club and has had occasion experiences of that nature (like you she's one of the cool unpretentious moms). She probably lets her kids watch tons of TV. Go to her house, see how many books there are around the house (those not covered in dust), not whether or not she has TiVo and fourteen tvs inthe house and I bet you will find some ammo against the dang diggity beeeeey-otch! Mind pollution!
 
Wow, that's some harsh words for a stranger but hey, our imperfections and quirks make us who we are and to know us is to love us. Before I had given it much thought I didn't have a big problem with any McWhatever but by the time my kids were 9, 7 and 4 I stopped taking them to any fast food. The whole corpo'rape'tion thing doesn't sit well with me. Rotten Ronnie should have dollar signs for eyes and even though I do eat some meat the way cattle are treated from the get go to the slaughter house horrifies me. I'm not perfect by ANY means but it's a choice I made many years ago and I am more than comfortable with. The homogonization of eating and purchasing is something I rebel against, it just works for me. I don't give a rat's hiney what anyone else does but I'm pleased to see my Girls choosing to buy from local business and patronizing small restaurants to keep our local mico economy going. Little things eventually add up. JMHO.

Take Care
Laurie
 
When I take my kids to fast food restaurants, I teach them to make good choices. They aren't allowed to drink soda, so have water or milk. The rest is up to them. My DD will often get chicken nuggets, but not fries. My DS loves salads and will skip fries, etc, but get a burger. I don't want them to grow up craving restricted foods and feel as though they are missing out on an experience. I figure that once a week or so, some extra fat, sodium, and preservatives won't hurt them. It is also great that most restaurants offer healthy sides like baked potatoes, salads, and even Subway is offering apple slices now.
 
My Ds,6, used to like the nugs from fast food places but at home I secretly started buying the veggie chicken nugs. He now likes only those. BTW, he has no clue they are veggie. I used to could not get him to eat healthy. He would just not eat, so I was at a loss. I slowly just started replacing everything with vegetarian stuff. He has no clue he is almost entirely vegetarian now. I sneak veggies in stuff. Anyway, guess I went a bit OT! I don't really see a problem with indulging now and then. Hey, I do it myself.
LD
 
Hmmmm....I would have to punch that girl. I just hate "holier than thou" people telling you what's right and what's not for YOUR kids.

I let my daughter have McD's once a week or two. But she doesn't really even care for the fries. She gets a cheeseburger with the apples and chocolate milk. She doesn't even eat the caramel that comes with the apples.

You know, when you're BUSY living your life - cooking dinner is not always possible.
 
Debbie you are too funny! Personally I do not eat fast food. I don't have kids so I can't say that I would or wouldn't let them eat it, although I'd prefer not to let them have it (I can only imagine what will-power it would take though as kids have a way of begging that I can't seem to resist!). Anywho it really isn't up to anyone but you and their father to make those decisions. I once lost a good online friend because I opened my big mouth about her never teaching her children how to swim, I thought it was setting them up for danger...what if they fell into a pool, lake, etc.? I learned then that you have to let people do what they want to do with their kids, unless they are seriously doing something to harm their children. Eating fast food or not knowing how to swim isn't one of those cases.
 
Totally theoretical here, cuz I have no kids: I would try to never introduce it to them in the first place. I haven't gone near a McD's or whatever in at least 30 years, so they would never come in contact with it when with me. However, if they had friends who were eating that stuff, and they wanted it, I would rather have them eat it once in awhile then feel deprived. Deprivation just doesn't work, imo.

ETA: Like Kara said, if you teach them to make healthy choices, they can go pretty much anywhere and do well. I can't even stand the smell of McD's french fries. My brothers hate that stuff too. My Mom was a total success in her healthy eating campaign when we were kids!
 
LD - my kids love the veggie chicken nuggets and also the corn dogs.

My kids don't eat fast food only because they haven't grown up with it. I don't like it, so we never eat at fast food restaurants unless we're on vacation. But, my kids eat waaaay too much sugar and I feel like it's just a losing battle to get them to cut back.

Erica
 
My son is almost 2 and his only experience with McDonalds or Burger King, etc is from his dad when he'll bring home a quick meal after a late night of bowling, work or whatever. He's only ever eaten the fries as he's not a big fan of red meat at this point. I am not refusing to take him but I don't go for myself so I don't think of it. He doesn't ask for it so I don't feel bad not bringing him. One day I will though. Don't get me wrong...I will feed my kid fries and hotdogs and a bunch of other unhealthy foods from any restaraunt who's door I darken...it just doesn't happen to be McD's or the like...More like Applebees, Bennigans, etc.

When he's home I try to fill him up on lots of fruits and veggies. He actually LOVES them! I'm so happy!:) He's got one heck of an appetite and it shows so I am glad he eats alot of healthy foods and not just the cr@p. He DOES get dessert every day (cookies, donuts, etc) so long as he eats well. :9
 
I don't like my kids eating fast food but I agree with everybody on eating in mooderation! They'll eat it like once a week(usually with my DM)I grew up in a "fast food Family"where eating it was more than twice a week,and I also agree that teaching out children wise choices make all the difference! In the end,I think my kids want Mcd's and burgerking to not eat,but to play at the playground;-)!
 
>Totally theoretical here, cuz I have no kids: I would try to
>never introduce it to them in the first place. I haven't gone
>near a McD's or whatever in at least 30 years, so they would
>never come in contact with it when with me. However, if they
>had friends who were eating that stuff, and they wanted it, I
>would rather have them eat it once in awhile then feel
>deprived. Deprivation just doesn't work, imo.

I'll just cut-and-paste your answer, Nancy, because mine would be the same.
 
To be completely honest, I never really gave it much thought before December. That's when I started to get serious about my eating. The kids only ate there occasionally, but when I stopped eating fast food, (which I didn't do much anyways), the kids haven't eaten there either. I know that Grandma takes them every now and again. I think as long as it is not a habit and just an occasional treat it is OK.

Soon enough they will be making their own decisions and I hope they make the right ones. Right now they prefer subway (turkey subs on wheat) over any other fast food joint - so we must be doing something right. I think to "forbid it" completely just takes away their own personal power which might make them more apt to make bad decisions later. In MY experience with MY kids, it seemed to make more sense to talk to them about what are good choices and what are bad choices and let them do the deciding. Just like the rest of us, they will make bad choices every now and then. But, I continue to be pleasantly surprised at how well they do. :) Of coarse, positive role modeling is important too IMHO.

Angie
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top