ah, but I have been going to McDonald's lately and getting their grilled chicken sandwich on whole wheat bun - and salads too. there is some good stuff there that is convenient where you're on the road as I am much of the time - it's just not what the vast majority of people there get - but it is at least available now : )

I have childhood memories of McDonald's as a rare last resort for my mom to feed 4 young kids fast...at the time, of course, it seemed like a treat! But I never would choose to eat there now and can't imagine inflicting that diet on children. Ig.

I wholeheartedly agree. I am not a food or diet obsessed person. But when I see kids eating McDonald's I get sad. I know too much about what garbabe it is. I let my siblings eat it when they were little, though (I was a teenager and didn't know). They survived. I will never let my own kid eat it.

I can't believe I used to eat that stuff, up to 7 TIMES A WEEK. now, just looking at it makes me want to hurl.

thank goodness my taste buds grew up.

mmm milkshakes. i grew up in your soybean world and mcdonald's wasn't only just a treat, it was a rare treat and the menu consisted only of their milkshakes for me. leave it me to mention moderation, perhaps not in the beanable context you've proposed - but there was nothing moderate about my diet growing up, all soy, no meat, everything organic, and most of it grown in our own yard. oh, and my mom, was a terrible cook.

so nowadays fries and shake from mc d's tastes pretty damn good. we're americans, not only are we fat, but we always want what we can't or don't have. maybe if mum hadn't been measuring my hips growing up i'd be less consumed with the taste of fried fat. then again, some people might think i need it.

the book fast food nation uncovers some of the sick marketing ploys used by not just mcdonalds, but most fast food chains- also, it's amazing what chemicals and preservatives have done to american palates.

Jimbo, don't hurt your wrist doing all that finger shaking. It would ruin your love life ;)

It's all about the play area(marketing genius, by the way). My kids take, at most, two bites of their (all white meat....right...) McNuggets when we 'eat' at McDonald's. My wife and I usually go with the Salads or Grilled Chicken but I occassionally suck down a Big Mac.

I appreciate your concern and advice for my children, though. Almost as much as I appreciate our government defining who has the right to share a happy and fulfilled life together.

There was an article about a guy who ate only McDonalds everyday, three meals a day, for a month, and he put on 24 lbs. Supposedly he's documented it and will be making a movie, should be moderately interesting.

Oh, great. Now I want a sausage biscuit with cheese.

seven times a week?

geez. i'm surprised you can move enough to type that note.