[Triniity]

<p>Mine do. I love McD - I know. <img alt=":duck" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/duck.gif" style="">Esp when I am pregnant, I get cravings. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once I lived in a little town where they had something like an organic fast food thingie. Bill's it was called. I still dream about their fruit laden pancakes. But we don't have anything even remotely like that anywhere near. So, McD is the only place to go...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And with two ADHD kids, it is just so nice to sit outside and eat (or slurp a frappe or something) while the kids run up and down the playground. It's not healthy for them, and they are a bit out of it afterwards. So we do it about every two - three month? </p>

 

[Nightwish]

<p>Very rarely, maybe a couple of times a year. I find the meals are not very satisfying and the kids always get hungry soon after. And the kids' meals are very simple and dry, no vegetables on the burgers, no sauce.</p>

 

[mama24-7]

<div class="quote-container" data-huddler-embed="/community/t/1392142/do-your-kids-ever-eat-happy-meals#post_17495299" data-huddler-embed-placeholder="false">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>mamazee</strong> <a href="/community/t/1392142/do-your-kids-ever-eat-happy-meals#post_17495299"><img alt="View Post" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br>
So anyway, does anyone else sometimes do the Happy Meal thing? And who has managed to NEVER give their kids a Happy Meal? And if so, what tips do you have for moms with, say, chronic health conditions who have bad days sometimes. What can I keep on hand if I can't deal with mealtime?</div>
</div>
<p>My children (ages 11, 8 & 4) have never had a happy meal.  They probably don't even know what one is.  The oldest has a few food allergies down to the little one who can't eat more than he can. <img alt="gloomy.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/gloomy.gif">  They don't eat what most people consider food because of allergies.  If we didn't have the allergies, I'd like to think we wouldn't eat the stuff because we eat whole food rather than what comes from a factory.  The only way we deal is by making our own food.  We haven't been out to eat since 2008 or 2009, can't remember at this point.  But, I never feel guilty about what my kids eat.  Ever.  I did when we ate SAD & parts of it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sus</p>

 

[MaggieLC]

<p>Yes, my kids have had Happy Meals at times. Our youngest has SPD and has some fairly severe food issues. For a while chicken nuggets were one of the 10 foods she would eat. (See my other posts, if you want, about these eating SPD problems and the things we've tried to remedy them.) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>And with my migraines (chronic) and Fibromyalgia, plus working outside the home part time, there are just day where even making pasta is too much. We are lucky to live in the Chicago suburbs where there are a lot of options for delivered premade food. A lot of Latino food, Chicago Hot Dog places, great pizza and places that will make me a pizza with no cheese on it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>DD Sage doesn't eat chicken nuggets any more ("They're gross." she says.) But we do have a bag of chicken breast tenders that have breading on them (no breading means Sage simply won't eat them. I've thrown away enough chicken to know what works.) She won't eat ground beef, she can't tolerate the texture, so at the moment McDs is not on our radar most of the time (not to mention the last time I ran through the drive through to ward off a full blown migraine attack due to dropping blood sugar mixed with one of those Hot Flashes from Hell (so weak and sweaty and shaky that I didn't want to risk getting out of the car, I needed to get home, but I needed calories first) they messed my order and messed up my change so badly, I really don't want to go back to <em>that</em> particular McDs again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But, I've done it, and I'd do it again. I think everyone needs an occasional meal that has few redeeming qualities. <img alt=":yum" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/yummy.gif" style=""> I refuse to feel guilty about the occasional give-in to cheap, fast food.</p>

 

[ocelotmom]

<p>My kids have all had Happy Meals, but it's a rare treat, not our go-to easy meal. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>However, if we had a McDonald's with a play place nearby, I'm sure we'd be there at least once a week during unpleasant weather. There is no good option for indoor play around here.</p>

 

[meemee]

<p>i will say that dd had her first happy meal at around 4. i would not give her one before that. we were vegetarians till she was 3. but even then i wasnt going to walk into a fast food place earlier than that. </p>

 

[lovebeingamomma]

<p>Yes and I feel terrible.  guilty guilty guilty.</p>

 

[MichelleZB]

<p>I haven't eaten at any fast food place in about 15 years or so, mainly because I think their food is quite yucky. I don't imagine we'll start going again anytime soon, so no, I don't think my son (now 2) will ever have a Happy Meal.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>What do I do when things are nutsoid and I can't cook? Well, my husband and I work a lot of evenings, so this happens frequently. We order indian food. Or boil pasta.</p>

 

[Hoopin' Mama]

<p>DS is 9 and he had one once that I know of when we were stuck in traffic coming home from a long weekend. It is possible that DH has stopped once also.</p>
<p>I worked at a McD when I was a teen. I pretty much can't eat their food and feel good about it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We are lucky though, we have Chipotle and I actually like their food and DS loves it. So that's our go-to fast food. Maybe In-n-Out once a year or so. We also have lots of food trucks (although not inexpensive) and small independently owned taco stands. So, it's easy for us to avoid happy meals.</p>

 

[TCMoulton]

My girls have definitely had Happy Meals and we do tend to patronize fast food rather frequently due to crazy evening schedules. I have never made food an issue in our house because even at a young age my girls loved healthy foods just as much, if not more, than the junky treats. After seeing several friends go hog wild in college after having restrictive food choices at home I decided that as long as the majority of the time we were having healthy diets I wouldn't stress about the rest. It's worked wonderfully for us - heck my girls have been known to come home from school and eat a steamed head of cauliflower as a snack, but they also still love their Kraft Mac n cheese <img alt="smile.gif" class="bbcode_smiley" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[beanma]

<p>No. My kids hate McDonald's more than DH or I do. I think they got that from some online resources. We never go there, but aren't really vocal about it. We just prefer somewhere like Subway if we're doing the road trip fast food. We don't do that in town since we have a lot of other options for take-out that we like better. I don't like McDonald's or any of the fast food burger joints, personally, so I don't feed the kids that either. There are plenty of non-healthy options I do like that I will feed them. We have an Evo's in town (organic/natural fast food burger joint) and we do go there quite a bit. If I felt sick/bad and needed DH to pick something up on the way home he'd probably either get a pizza from a local joint or pick something up from our local natural foods co-op. They have a lot of prepared meals and a cafe. We eat out a lot more than we should, but McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Hardee's, Jack In The Box, etc just aren't our thing. We do Taco Bell and Subway on the road. My dd1 loves any kind of Mexican or Mexican-like food. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>DH is great about fixing the kids something to eat. It's usually nothing fancy. He makes a good grilled cheese sandwich, though, and opens a mean box of Annie's Mac-n-Cheese. I usually have some kind of fast freezer snacks available like mini chicken tacos or mini pizzas that the kids like, so if I were completely laid out and couldn't even operate the toaster oven to heat up something, he steps in and does it, or the kids do themselves. (They're plenty old enough to do more of that on their own than they do.) Sometimes he does it even if I'm just blah and could get myself up to do it, but am just having an off day. He's a great dad and has been in charge a lot while I've dealt with aging parents. I also do a Friday night volunteer shift at our local co-op and he and the girls rustle up something for themselves or go out, etc every week.</p>

 

[Polliwog]

I need to get a toaster oven. Or a DH. LOL.

 

[EnviroBecca]

<p>Beanma wrote:</p>
<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">
<div> DH is great about fixing the kids something to eat. It's usually nothing fancy. He makes a good grilled cheese sandwich, though, and opens a mean box of Annie's Mac-n-Cheese.</div>
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<p>Those are my dad's two specialties! <img alt=":love" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/love.gif" style="">  Well, it was Kraft mac-n-cheese.  Now that I think about it, it seems like he made lunch every Saturday when I was little.  I don't even remember if my mom was usually around to eat with us.  She was a SAHM with serious back problems, and I think that was her time off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I'm actually old enough to remember when Happy Meals were introduced....  My family didn't eat out very often, but McDonald's was literally the only restaurant on the turnpike going to/from my grandparents.  I remember the day when I realized that their orange drink, which I had previously enjoyed, was in fact dreadful--I was around 10, and I guess my tastes had just changed.</p>

 

[beanma]

<div class="quote-container" data-huddler-embed="/community/t/1392142/do-your-kids-ever-eat-happy-meals/20#post_17504775" data-huddler-embed-placeholder="false">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Polliwog</strong> <a href="/community/t/1392142/do-your-kids-ever-eat-happy-meals/20#post_17504775"><img alt="View Post" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
I need to get a toaster oven. Or a DH. LOL.</div>
</div>
<p> </p>
<p>I tell you, we use that toaster oven every day. We don't have a toaster. It's definitely the one kitchen appliance that gets the most use aside from the stove. We use it far more than the regular oven or the microwave. </p>

 

[Polliwog]

Maybe that will be the gift "Santa" brings me. I had one years ago, but but didn't bring it when I moved up here. DD likes to make grilled cheese sandwiches in the toaster, bot a toaster oven would be so convenient.

 

[michelleepotter]

We have a McDonald's right by us that is pretty much right on the way home from anywhere. I honestly eat there way more often than the kids do (it's too tempting if I'm running errands and realize I haven't eaten), but I do stop there if we've been out and things are getting stressful and I want something to turn everybody's mood around. (And if DH isn't with us, because he ONLY likes the McRib.) I'd guess two or three times a year. That said, my kids have never gotten Happy Meals (at least not from me), because I'm not spending twice as much to get a fancy bag (which is just going in the trash anyway!) and a cheap plastic toy that will be lost or broken by the end of the day. I get the $1 McDouble sandwich and a $1 order of french fries for each of them, and let them drink water at home. (We drink water over other drinks as much as possible.)<br><br>
Also, occasionally I take a couple of kids and go further down the road to the McDonald's with a Play Place, but when I do that they hardly even touch their food, so I just buy something for myself and a big thing of fries.

 

[mama24-7]

<div class="quote-container" data-huddler-embed="/community/t/1392142/do-your-kids-ever-eat-happy-meals/20#post_17504791" data-huddler-embed-placeholder="false">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>beanma</strong> <a href="/community/t/1392142/do-your-kids-ever-eat-happy-meals/20#post_17504791"><img alt="View Post" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br>
 
<p> </p>
<p>I tell you, we use that toaster oven every day. We don't have a toaster. It's definitely the one kitchen appliance that gets the most use aside from the stove. We use it far more than the regular oven or the microwave. </p>
</div>
</div>
<p>Same here!  Ours is a DeLonghi & is also a dehydrator.  I never use the dehydrator because we use the oven multiple times a day (including right now!).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sus</p>

 

[Sierra-mama]

<p>We sometimes get fast food (usually no more than once a month) but I have NEVER bought them a fast food kids meal that includes a toy. It's a sickening marketing ploy that I refuse to take part in. I especially try to avoid McDonalds because they are the worst offenders of any fast food chain when it comes to marketing to children. Apparently it has paid off, because when my 7 year old recently had her first happy meal on an outing with a friend, she told me that she didn't really care for the food. YES! My advice to health conscious parents would be: get the hamburger and fries if you're out and about and need a quick meal, but skip the soda and ALWAYS skip the toy! Alternate option: keep the toy to give them at a later time (maybe after eating some vegetables) so they're not associating rewards with junk food.</p>

 

[Polliwog]

The new Happy Meals have miniature American Girl dolls (Isabelle) in them. DD is going to be excited.

 

[lifeismello]

I just went through the drive thru myself (McD's vanilla shakes... My pregnancy craving of choice!) but I don't think I would ever make it a habit with my kids (none yet - prego FTM).<br><br>
Personally, as a child, I ate McDonalds every weekend when my father would take me out. And I was an extremely overweight child to begin with. This personal experience makes me wary of fast food and children. As a treat? Sure! But never all the time like I was raised.