McDonalds Issue

k2d4p
k2d4p Posts: 441 Member
in Food and Nutrition
As a rule in my household, we do not eat at McDonalds. For many reasons, but it is our choice. We do not openly push our idea of the place on others. I haven't eaten there in over a year and I think my older son has eaten there less than 5 times in his life time. (he will be 4 in a couple weeks) My younger son has never eaten there and since he is almost 16 months old, I am sure he doesn't even know the difference. I have been very open with my older son about the foods there and told him that they are not good for him. I tell him we do not eat there because it is not healthy. I do not break it down much farther than that as he is only 3.

I say all of that to ask opinions on what happened to us yesterday.

We were at an appointment and we were discussing our older son's eating habits. I tell the nurse that we eat very healthy. She made a joke about going to McDonalds. My son says, "Ewwww, thats yucky!" I laugh and tell her that we don't eat there and that I have explained to him that it is not a good place to eat. She says that she takes her kids there as a treat sometimes and says it is ok occasionly. I told her that we pretty much choose not to eat there at all and I don't really see it as a treat as most foods there are really unhealthy. She gives me a stink eye look and we kind of moved on and didn't mention it again.

What do you guys think about it. I didn't preach to her. I didn't bring it up. She just made me feel l was doing something wrong. I don't care if she eats there with her kids of if anyone does for that matter. I choose not to eat there and I don't take my kids there. For now, it is up to me (and my husband) what they eat. If they go there when they are older, it is up to them.

I don't know. I just left there with a really bad taste in my mouth. (pun intended) Would you all have said or done anything different?
«134

Replies

  • fatboypup
    fatboypup Posts: 1,873 Member
    I believe to each his own and everything in moderation
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    You defended your position, as it is ok for you to do!

    No reason the nurse should have kept going on. She simply should have heard that you guys avoid it, and moved to another topic. She had to bring up that she brings her kids there as a treat (probably eats there often, and just wanted to make it sound like a 'treat') then likely felt bad that you can avoid it and she can't.

    That is my guess. I think you did just fine :)
  • 1a1a
    1a1a Posts: 761 Member
    Sounds like she was jealous to me. She knows it's bad for her and her family too but she hasn't found the resolve to stay away.

    If this helps validate your choices, my mum (who doesn't like mcdonalds anyway being vegetarian and all) also instilled a no maccas policy and I too never ate it as a child (then I got a job there as a teenager but that's another story).

    And, you're dead right, it's not food, not even treat food, it shouldn't be labeled as such.
  • theresabell67
    theresabell67 Posts: 97 Member
    Stand your ground!!!
  • Nerdy_Rose
    Nerdy_Rose Posts: 1,277 Member
    I think people are always going to judge. Especially when it comes to what you do with your kids. Don't worry about it.

    I never ate fast food or set foot into a Wal-Mart until I was a teenager and I turned out awesome. Keep it up.
  • SimplyDeLish
    SimplyDeLish Posts: 539
    You were nicer than I would have been...she should have dropped the subject after you told her you didn't eat there. She was totally out of line saying she takes her kids there in front of your son.

    Kuddos to you for building strong eating habits when your kids are young!
  • Bridge_CG
    Bridge_CG Posts: 429 Member
    There's just a difference in opinions. You have yours, and she has hers... She shouldn't have given you the stink eye, that's just a childish move.. But.. I'm sorry that you had that experience and I'm glad that you don't let you children eat there- it's gross place. haha.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    Well since you asked.. If I was her I would have been taken aback by your statement that it's not a healthy place to eat AFTER she already told you she takes her kids there as an occasional treat. That does sound a bit preachy to me - since she already mentioned she takes her kids there, you specifically saying it's not healthy sounds like you're criticizing her choices. I'm not coming down on you, just letting you know how it could be interpreted, even if you didn't mean it to.
  • lor007
    lor007 Posts: 884 Member
    I catch a lot of crap from random people when I mention my daughter doesn't eat fast food. She can't because it is unsafe for her due to food allergies. People treat me like I am spoiling her childhood by not letting her have a damn happy meal when foods fried in or having came in contact with vegetable oil can make her very sick. It is ridiculous.

    What I'm saying is I get where you are coming from. Sorry that happened to you.
  • keenslk
    keenslk Posts: 126
    People are judgemental and it is often when they are jealous! Be proud you dont eat there it is CRAP food! good on you :)
  • xtinalovexo
    xtinalovexo Posts: 1,376 Member
    i say we tie her down and shove 50 quarter pounders with cheese down her throat and see if she still likes it after that! with EXTRA pickles!

    my kids pediatrician did the same thing, he tried to persuade me why it was okay to feed her mcdonalds, because he did. when i declined he acted like i was a retard. i just shrug them off and pity them for their lack of knowledge... smh.
  • cloneme_losehalf
    cloneme_losehalf Posts: 356 Member
    You handled it better than I would have!!!! Both sides have a right to his or her own opinion, but in that type of professional setting the nurse should have kept her trap shut after hearing where you stand!!!!!
  • kellyscomeback
    kellyscomeback Posts: 1,369 Member
    I think it went well, maybe she uses it as a treat for her kids and found that part offensive. And if that's the case, so be it. McDonalds and other fast food restaurants being unhealthy isn't breaking news.
  • cownancy
    cownancy Posts: 291
    To be honest, it sounds like you said your piece and her eye back to you was her response....I think she has as much a right to think whatever she thinks as you had to say yours.....I agree with the other poster, to each his own and everything in moderation. It does sound you might have been criticizing her a bit, but you had the right to say what you did and she had the right to give you the "stink eye". At least she didn't say anything back...she showed restraint.
  • tashimag
    tashimag Posts: 1
    You were absolutely right in this situation and the nurse should not have put her two cents in. Honestly, I loveddd McDonalds, but no one should be eating it in moderation or not. You stuck to your guns and you should be proud!
  • k2d4p
    k2d4p Posts: 441 Member
    Well since you asked.. If I was her I would have been taken aback by your statement that it's not a healthy place to eat AFTER she already told you she takes her kids there as an occasional treat. That does sound a bit preachy to me - since she already mentioned she takes her kids there, you specifically saying it's not healthy sounds like you're criticizing her choices. I'm not coming down on you, just letting you know how it could be interpreted, even if you didn't mean it to.

    Good point. I really was not trying to come down on her. I didn't like her tone when she said she took her kids there after I had said we don't go there. Oh well, the nurses rotate there and hopefully I won't get her again for awhile.
  • lmelangley
    lmelangley Posts: 1,039 Member
    I don't think you did anything wrong. I think she felt guilty because she does allow her children to eat at McDonalds, and she knows it's not healthy. When those around us are doing things we feel guilty about not doing - or vice versa - they tend to get defensive. You were standing up for what you believe in front of your child, and that's a wonderful lesson for a child of any age. My only recommendation is that you gently let your child know that saying "Ewwww, thats yucky" about any food might make a person who eats that food feel bad. It might be better to say something like "I like to eat healthier food". It just feels more respectful, you know? And, three is a great age to start teaching those manners. But, that's just my 2 cents.
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
    only you can decide how you "feel" she didnt make you feel any way you did
  • MochaMixAZ
    MochaMixAZ Posts: 844 Member

    What do you guys think about it. I didn't preach to her. I didn't bring it up. She just made me feel l was doing something wrong. I don't care if she eats there with her kids of if anyone does for that matter. I choose not to eat there and I don't take my kids there. For now, it is up to me (and my husband) what they eat. If they go there when they are older, it is up to them.

    I don't know. I just left there with a really bad taste in my mouth. (pun intended) Would you all have said or done anything different?

    As an RN and as a weight-loss story - my humble opinion is... SHE WAS COMPLETELY WRONG.

    While I don't necessarily disagree with the idea that an occasional McDonald's visit is okay, I think it's atrocious that SHE is pushing HER ideals on YOU. You are completely entitled to your viewpoint and how you raise your children. On the flipside, I would also vehemently defend someone's right to eat the junkfood and poison their children. (Ha ha ha... yes, I'm biased, but I will support the RIGHT for everyone to make their own decision)

    Nurses should be professionals, and quite frankly - should not be voicing their opinion OR telling any patient what they do with their children. The visit is supposed to be about the patient and their needs. Period.
  • davidrt
    davidrt Posts: 162
    they are your kids and your choice, thats all that needs to be said,, if she wants to take her kids thats great
  • Bdoosh
    Bdoosh Posts: 5 Member
    McDonalds is EVIL!!! I refuse to let my son eat there and I stopped eating there after I saw all the weight I was gaining in college from eating their fattening food! I would've told that nurse off and said something along the lines of "well, it's a treat if you want to have little chubby kids who don't want to play outside because the fattening food is making them lazy!"
    You did great!!!:flowerforyou:
  • keondraleke
    keondraleke Posts: 5 Member
    What you're doing is a great thing for your children. i wish i can say no to Taco Bell but it's hard when you work there.
  • brndygrl98
    brndygrl98 Posts: 196 Member
    I catch alot of "holier than thou" looks when I tell people that we don't eat at McDonald's. I decided when I had children (now 4 and 2) that they would not grow up on the unhealthy trash that I ate as a child, even as a treat. It is our decision as parents.
  • audram420
    audram420 Posts: 838 Member
    I want a BigMac now! :grumble:
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    McDonalds is EVIL!!! I refuse to let my son eat there and I stopped eating there after I saw all the weight I was gaining in college from eating their fattening food! I would've told that nurse off and said something along the lines of "well, it's a treat if you want to have little chubby kids who don't want to play outside because the fattening food is making them lazy!"
    You did great!!!:flowerforyou:

    was it McDonalds that made you gain weight or over consumption in general?
  • nannyx6
    nannyx6 Posts: 72 Member
    There are truely so many better ways to reward your children like taking them to a park or a new movie or a small toy but nasty fattening high in saturated fat rewards is just lazy .I do not like judgemental types.
  • lizblizz2012
    lizblizz2012 Posts: 196 Member
    I agree that McDonalds is generally not healthy. It is not wrong to teach your children to eat healthy. However, one McDonalds hamburger on occasion will not ultimately ruin a person's health. McDonalds does have healthier choices such as the fruit and walnut salad, yogurt parfait, apple dippers, grilled chicken sandwich, etc. In moderation, McDonalds really isn't that bad. A McChicken from the dollar menu has about 360 calories, which is not outrageous as sandwiches go. The portion sizes of a happy meal are reasonable in my opinion. You can also switch out pop for milk and fries for fruit. I respect your decision to start teaching your children healthy habits at a young age, and you have the right to restrict your children's diet as you see appropriate. I think the lady was just taken aback by your strict "No McDonalds" policy. She most likely thinks it's a bit extreme. I personally do not see any harm in treating yourself to a cheeseburger once in a while as long as you balance your diet. There are worse foods a person can eat than what's at McDonalds. But, they're YOUR kids and you're the one who is responsible for their health. If simply banning McDonalds is the best way to ensure they eat a healthy balanced diet, then you do what you have to do!
  • hufflypuff
    hufflypuff Posts: 185 Member
    Sounds like she was simply saying that everything is okay in moderation. Maybe she got the impression you were strictly telling your kid not to and it was her simple way of warning you that if you never indulge a little and let him have a little of everything that when he grows up and has it out of your care that he may end up liking it and wanting it ever meal. Granted its more likely he would just get sick from it but that may have been the concept she was getting at.
  • Mygypsysoul
    Mygypsysoul Posts: 113 Member
    Frankly, I think you made her feel like she is doing something wrong. No offense intended, but she had just said that she takes her kids there ocassionally as a treat and you replied with, "I don't really see it as a treat as most foods there are really unhealthy." Not trying to take your conversation out of context, but I got a judgemental feeling when I read that statement. People don't have to be preached at to feel judged. I know you weren't judging her, but I think she might have felt that way - hence the stink eye.

    Anyways, what you said is totally true. Most of the foods from McDonalds are unhealthy, but I probably would have been more careful with my wording. Try not to dwell on it too much. You are doing what's right for your family and that's all that matters :)
  • wickedcricket
    wickedcricket Posts: 1,246 Member
    No. I think you did EXACTLY right. I think it's a scary trend that eating healthy as a lifestyle should be frowned on by the general population.
    You are exactly right, feeding your children poison is NOT a treat. MY children didn't eat store bought bread until they started school. They thought raisins were candy until their peers taught them differently (on halloween)
    They are adults now, all healthy weight and they all know how to eat a balanced diet of healthy foods. My kids know the difference between 'food' and 'crap'
    You are giving your children a good foundation for LIFE - that woman is poisoning hers for a 'treat'
This discussion has been closed.

Categories