Gwyneth Paltrow says a big NO to McDonald's

Gwyneth Paltrow is not the only one who steadfastly refuses to eat at McDonalds (or Burger King, Wendys, KFC, etc.,). Some of us choose to refuse not just for nutrition, but for political purposes, a la Fast Food Nation, and want our kids (who are old enough) to understand just how morally corrupt fast food companies are as well as how spending money is a form of voting.

A great starter book is Eric Schlosser's Chew On This: Everything You Don't Want To Know About Fast Food which was written for the preteen set.

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I have no proof of this, but I believe it's possible that Ms. Paltrow has a nanny or a chef to cook meals for her family, unlike the rest of us. If I had a personal chef, I'd rarely go for fast food. I wouldn't need to or want to, because someone else would have dinner on the table and probably a much better meal than I could produce myself.

(That said, I'd probably still take my kids there for Happy Meals on rare occasions, because I like Quarter Pounders)

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Well hell, if I had her money, I wouldn't eat at cheap places either.

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I think to totally ban one thing just elevates that "one thing" into the exalted status of forbidden fruit. That being said, I also try to give my daughter the best nutrition and because of that, there is ban on junk food (high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, etc) in my house. I rarely go to McDonalds. I don't think she's had a candy in her life, but when she is offered one in a social setting (ie party), I won't snatch it away from her hands.

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McDonald's Fruit & Walnut salad is an excellent snack for a hungry toddler. It's cut-up apples and grapes. Period. You don't have to give them the candied walnuts (high fat, with sugar) or yogurt (sugar), both of which come on the side. To write off all of McDonalds b/c you don't like the majority of their menu is pretty short-sighted.

The better approach, in my opinion, is to research what items would be appropriate in case you're ever in a situation where you might need to get something fast & fresh for a hungry child. Maybe that doesn't happen to Gwyneth but it's happened to me and I'm glad I knew what my options were.

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The girls have all but outgrown McDonald's (but not french fries from other sources). Our trips for junk food are limited to about once a month, usually in connection with something else. I've always believed I can make up for an occasional chicken nugget and french fry treat with the meals I serve on a daily basis.

That being said, other families must do as they think best and for many that means zero tolerance.

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McDonald's is absolutely banned in our house along with other fast food chains and any foods that have high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. The latter part is very, very difficult to avoid but we do our best. For us, fast food chains are easily avoided because we can easily pick up an American Flatbread pizza at a price cheaper than dinner at McD's. It's also healthier and made locally! Or we just pick up fruits and veggies for a salad at our local farm, just over the hill from us. Eating healthy is a matter of willpower. More power to those who avoid fast food! =D

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Well... you could just cut up fruit at home and know where it has been. LOL.

I say good for gwyneth.. if I were a SAHM I would probably take the same stance.

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I feed my family well-balanced meals and limit the amount of junk food we keep in the house. As an occasional treat, we stop off for a greasy fast-food meal -- my family is partial to Wendy's. As long as fast-food, or restaurant food in general for that matter, doesn't become a diet mainstay, I don't think it's a concern.

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We are vegetarian so it doesn't come up much, but I was raised omnivore. I ate at McD's as a kid, but I think if you know better you have to do better. If you know it's junk why bother? My daughter likes Denny's when we travel, she can get a grilled cheese with fries or some of the little sides on the kids menu. That is about as close as we get to fast food. I say good for Gwyneth.

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I never eat McDonalds. Why would I take my kids there? And why is this such a controversy? I guess moms feel made wrong when something they do, another parent never would.

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As far as I can tell, she's not saying others are wrong for choosing McDonald's, just that she won't. She's got the resources to provide healthy food for her children. Good for her. :)

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Eden wrote:
"The better approach, in my opinion, is to research what items would be appropriate in case you're ever in a situation where you might need to get something fast & fresh for a hungry child. Maybe that doesn't happen to Gwyneth but it's happened to me and I'm glad I knew what my options were."

That's basically our family's approach, and it's what launched my blog. Some families will have zero tolerance for fast food, while others might not think twice about it.

But most of us will fall in-between, and we need to know what our best options are.

- L at Quick Serve Kids

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If you brought your children up on a vegetarian (or vegan) diet, if you just never bothered with fast food, if you valued health over convenience and you controlled media exposure, I'm guessing your kids wouldn't care much about McDonalds.

If a cheap plastic toy is that exciting for a child, the dollar store can provide all manner of things to gift a child after their meal.

I'm definitely not an angel. We eat fast food about once a week, though we try very hard to avoid corporate food and eat at independantly owned restaurants like the local falafel hut, roti hut or sub shop when we need faster than restaurant food. But, even through my zombie like craving for Big Macs, I can see the hardcore manipulation of small children these corporate places, especially McDonalds, devote millions of ad revenues to.

Fast Food Nation and Super Size Me have profoundly influenced my family's fast food consumption.

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I hate the sterotype fast food places get! Sure they have loads of unhealthy things but people seem to forget the healthy options that are becoming more present. It's what you choose to buy/eat there, not just entering the building that determines the level of nutrition. I live in a country right now where they consider french fries a main course and you know, not many obese Dutch people so it can't be all bad.. then again over here we ride bikes and walk a lot (as in a form of transportation, not for fun) unlike those living in certain other countries. I get all my groceries on a bike. I take my son to school on my bike. I don't have a car and can't drive here as my license isn't valid. My husband often takes his bike to work and leaves the car at home to save on gas which is extremely expensive here (American stop complaining about the prices you pay! YOU HAVE NO IDEA what expensive gas is!).

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Sheesh. I like her as an actress, but I don't have much time for political posturing by celebrities. If she doesn't like McDonald's, then by all means she shouldn't go there. Next someone is going to threaten not to go to McDonald's until gay marriages are legal.

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I think it's fabulous for her (and some of the other commentors) that you have the resources available to you to avoid fast food forever. Congratulations! I hope some of you will realize that in addition to being the "responsible" thing to do, that this is a privilege of class and resources that not everyone has, even in North America.

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Wookie, your last comment intrigues me. Can you explain how avoiding fast food is a priviledge of class?

I'm not meaning to be impertinent, but I want to hear more about this.

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I am also interested in how fast food is a class issue. In my experience, eating out is a treat that we only do once in a while, and when we have a little extra money. I feed my family of 4 (and a half) for $10 or less per dinner. That's a lot cheaper than McD's, even if you eat off the value menu. I guess if you have to choose between fast food and a sit-down restaurant, it's a lot cheaper, but not cheaper (and def. not healthier) than eating at home.

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I think, in all fairness, that this is like many other things that fall into the category of "Parenting Styles" I was once part of a playgroup with my daughter where the other parents were all very crunchy types, and I'm not. They wouldn't let their toddler have a fistful of Cheerios because they were not ORGANIC Oatios. They made all their own babyfood and wore their kids in the slings everywhere. Some people don't but plastic toys, or electronic ones. Some parents don't let their kids watch TV, some do. I buy and cook healthy food, but we do the occasional happy meal (with apples and milk) So, to each his own- parenting styles will always differ.

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