My daughter-in-law, who is otherwise a very good mother has my son picking up fast food, like Mc Donalds every night when he is driving home from work. I would be knocked out and at wit's end after looking after three kids under five, but there has got to be a way to get something nutritious into a child. She keeps telling me that the kids are so sickly, getting colds and infections one after the other, and I have told her the role nutrition plays in growing bodies, but she doesn't hear me.

Originally Posted by mollyL

My daughter-in-law, who is otherwise a very good mother has my son picking up fast food, like Mc Donalds every night when he is driving home from work.

Well every night is surely a tad excessive, yes. She doesn't know how to cook or are the kids refusing "real" food? I'd think that even some of the frozen dinners like Kids Cuisine would at least have a veggie in them and not cost more than fast food every night.

Actually one of those frozen things even I like is ... I think Michelina's brand and 89 or 99 cents. It's little pieces of breaded chicken and smiley faced potatoes. Granted still not healthy, but at least it's chicken.

The kids will happily eat "real" food if it's given to them. When her little brother was being born, I took my granddaughter to the cafeteria to get us some supper and she ate green peas with relish and took down a salad in a matter of minutes. Our grandson eats a "real"pizza loaded with veggies with no trouble at all. I'm really at wit's end!

I am the first to agree that fast food is bad for you and your kids. But I think once in a while is ok as long as you limit it.

Originally Posted by riskey58

I am the first to agree that fast food is bad for you and your kids. But I think once in a while is ok as long as you limit it.

I've noticed that a *few* relatively healthy things are starting to trickle onto fast food menus. I think if I want to serve something healthy like that, we'll just eat at home and not bother stopping at the fast food joint, but I guess it's a start.

Healthy food being introduced into fast-food menus presupposes that our children will want to eat them just because they have Ronald Mac on the raisin box. While their brainwashing techniques are powerful, I fear that a child will still crave the high-flavor (ie: high-fat) food like milkshakes or fried foods.

I don't remember the last time I was in a fast food restaurant so I never took my kids into one.

For a treat I let my older kids eat in a fast food restaurant with their friends but I always try to let them know that this shouldn't be done everyday.

I also offer to let my older kids and their friends eat at my house where I know the foods are healthier.

This works out really well.

Originally Posted by skatss

I also offer to let my older kids and their friends eat at my house where I know the foods are healthier.

That sounds like a good idea and a great solution. There are a lot of things we can make more healthy than they do at fast food joints and still let it be "fun" foods that kids like.

Our family is vegetarian, so we don't really have alot of non-meat choices when it comes to fast food. Sometimes, if we are traveling, we'll do a Subway or taco bell.

Fast food should be banned from any childs diet. It' isn't healthy for us nor is it for the kids.