Your thoughts on McDonalds?

[Crystal Berry]

Probably one of the most controversial, unethical and polarizing fast food chain out there is McDonalds. Many people love it, and many people hate it. Some people are just apathetic. We all know their food is extremely unhealthy. We've all heard of "pink slime", and we all know that their meat is treated with synthetic hormones yet many of us still choose to eat there. What are your thoughts on McDonalds?? Speaking for myself, I used to order their chicken nuggets every so often when I worked at a TJ Maxx during my internship. It was right next to the store so I figured why not?! I wasn't on a diet, and their food was really cheap and filling, so I thought why not!? My favorite food off their menu would have to be the McGriddle. I really don't care for their fries despite the fact that everyone else seems to love them.. XD

These days I am more health conscious, so we (me and my family included) try to avoid foods super high in fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar. I still "pig out" on "bad foods" on occasion though! So anyways, if you like McDonalds or you dislike Mcdonalds I would love to know! :)

 

[Auticorn]

I find it's okay once in a great while, but I wouldn't make a constant habit of eating there though. What I don't like is how they are trying to make themselves look like a good eating place. They are trying too hard to look healthy when really they are only making their food even worse. I've also seen the move "Supersize me" twice, and it changed my perspective on McDonald's quite a bit. I can see how so many people can get addict to their food. It tastes way too good compared to the icky health stuff.

 

[Crystal Berry]

I find it's okay once in a great while, but I wouldn't make a constant habit of eating there though. What I don't like is how they are trying to make themselves look like a good eating place. They are trying too hard to look healthy when really they are only making their food even worse. I've also seen the move "Supersize me" twice, and it changed my perspective on McDonald's quite a bit. I can see how so many people can get addict to their food. It tastes way too good compared to the icky health stuff.

I totally agree with you, although I do give them some credit for at least being open about their basic nutritional value. A single quarter pounder contains 540 calories, over 60% of your daily value for saturated fat, and about half your daily value's worth of sodium, so they're definitely not keeping everything a secret. I've also seen "supersize me" and "food inc", and I would recommend them for everyone to watch!

 

[Somewhere_]

I dislike eating it because even though it tastes great, I know this is some of the worst crap I can eat lol. I try and avoid it as much as possible.

 

[Pendraflare]

I don't mind McDonald's, but I don't go there much anymore not primarily because I know their food isn't healthy (it doesn't help that most of their burgers have trans fats), but because there are much better burger joints I can go to, like Five Guys, Shake Shack, or Jake's Wayback Burgers, even if admittedly McDonald's does have good variety compared to the former.

But I do have to give them credit, as they're one of the most successful companies out there. The Big Mac has been a thing for a long time, and they're not terribly expensive, I understand the appeal, I won't question that. But there are better fast food places to spend money at.

 

[Crizzle]

Meh it's a decent place to eat. Not very healthy but pretty cheap. Okay tasting food. I haven't been there in a few months. There are many better places to eat, fast food or otherwise.

 

[ForgottenPass]

Pretty tasty. Not so good for your belly though. OP I think your avatar/sig are more dangerous than McDonalds because they perpetuate all those skinny stereotypes for girls who make themselves really hungry and mcdonalds would be the least of their worries.

 

[Pinkie-Dawn]

There are many reasons to hate McDonald's, whether it's poor quality food or poor customer service, but Super Size Me isn't one of them. This video I found serves as a rebuttal of the documentary.

 

[ForgottenPass]

Youtube videos really aren't evidence of anything, go read 10+ books on nutrition and come back. I doubt if even one average person can pull that off.

 

[Judge Mandolore Shepard]

When it comes to McDonalds I like eating there. I tend to go there for lunch on certain Wednesdays. Speaking of McDonalds, I read that starting the 6th of next month every McDonalds in the US will be offering the breakfast items all day. As for my favorite item at McDonalds, I would say it is between the Big Mac and the Bacon Clubhouse Burger.

 

[Kura]

Once every few months I crave it.. but I haven't had it since.. hmm.. last year actually I had some fries.. which ended up giving me a stomach ache.

There are plenty of items on their menu which is actually not that bad for you, in moderation, of course. They make a decent coffee if I remember correctly. Their salads are also alright- there are options for lighter dressing. The McFlurry can be a nice treat from time to time. Do they still do those hash-browns in the morning?

There are worse foods and fast-food chains out there. Everyone's ranting about their burger meat being mega processed.. yet y'all go out and buy packaged deli meat or bologna which is treated in similar ways. Or those horrible frozen sausages that as pumped full of potato starch and stablizers. I personally think that one of their burgers is technically a nutritionally better option than an instant "cuppa-noodles." At least you'd be getting lettuce, tomato, and protein instead of just 2 dried peas and a load of salt and seasoning.

McDonalds shouldn't be part of a staple diet, in my opinion. But it's a fair option from time to time for a treat.

 

[Kotone]

i like mcdonalds. i think i like wendys and chick fil a better. i really like going to mcdonalds especially for their fries and their frappuccinos. i just try to not eat it often. maybe once a week o_o

 

[Sydian]

I like it when I just want a cheap, quick meal. It's definitely not an everyday thing and shouldn't be though, nor should any fast food, not just McDonald's. But it's kind of sad you can get a cheap meal between $3-6 there when it's more expensive to eat healthy in some cases. When I was trying to eat healthier over the summer, I remember I spent $37 on strawberries, blueberries, a watermelon half, carrots, celery, pre-made smoothies, and spinach. Just that. Y'all know how many McDonald's meals that is...................lol

 

[Pendraflare]

Oh yeah, and yesterday, I saw an article about how 11 restaurant chains got F's for having antibiotics in their meat. Surprisingly, McDonald's got a C while Wendy's and Burger King got F's, and so did Sonic, Taco Bell, Arby's and even Subway. The only ones that got A's were Chipotle and Panera Bread, while Chick-Fil-A got a B. Knowing the reputation that McDonald's has, I thought for sure it sounded like a company that would get an F. And Subway does instead? Wow.

Here's the article: https://www.aol.com/article/2015/09...get-f-grade-for-antibiotics-in-meat/21236305/

 

[gimmepie]

It irks me when people claim that McDonalds and similar places are at fault for the obesity epidemic in the western world right now. No McDonalds is not particularly healthy for you, but in moderation you shouldn't experience any really negative effects.

On the same note, you can't really blame them for making their food taste good. They do that because if it tasted like crap nobody would buy it and they'd end up running at a loss. It's not their problem if you don't have the self-control to resist the temptation to eat their food, so don't blame the company for your weight problems.

I refuse to eat at Mcdonalds on the count of the fact that they horribly mistreat (and fill with growth hormones) the animals that will later become chicken nuggets and hamburgers. Not to mention the amount of chemicals they put on pretty much everything.

I've already covered the chemicals thing, so I'm just going to say that I'm pretty sure the company doesn't do their own butchering. I'm fairly certain that McDonalds, and most food outlets, purchase their meat from elsewhere. If that is indeed the case you can't exactly blame them for how others treat animals.

As a side note guys, this is the Round Table not the Treehouse. So can we keep this discussion focused more on the company, its ethics and its effect on the world than on its menu (unless its menu is a relevant point in discussing the former).

 

[Zeffy]

It irks me when people claim that McDonalds and similar places are at fault for the obesity epidemic in the western world right now. No McDonalds is not particularly healthy for you, but in moderation you shouldn't experience any really negative effects.

I think they do that because it's easier to blame something else for something caused by themselves. Not that it does anything, but it's a really common mentality around the world--not just in the western countries.

 

[gimmepie]

If giving animals proper treatment was their priority, it would happen. They would either find another company to purchase meat from or instruct the current company to change their current method (which they probably would, knowing that Mcdonalds was it's top buyer).

There was an incident a while ago (not sure how long) where there was footage of one of Mcdonalds' meat suppliers horribly mistreating animals (I won't get into any more detail as it is pretty gruesome). Mcdonalds instantly cut all ties with said meat supplier. Did they already know about the mistreatment? Probably, but if they didn't then they are fairly ignorant and I still wouldn't feel safe eating there knowing that the company doesn't even know how their meat suppliers treat the animals.

Would you know if the person serving you the burger was mercilessly beaten at home before work every day? Because that's a pretty similar comparison. I'm not saying I'd be surprised if they did know, but we shouldn't point finger like that without definitive proof.

Quote: Once again guys, this is not a treehouse thread. Things like taste preferences belong in the Treehouse, RT is for serious discussion.

 

[Universe]

I don't mind it, but it's not the first place I'd go to. I watched a video where they compared McDonalds, another joint, and a local restaurant's food to see how fast it rotted. The McDonalds fries did not mold at all. Goes to show all the preservatives that go into their food. I wish I could find this video, I'll have to track it down and post it if I do ever come across it again.

In addition, while their food does taste decent, it made me sick, so I probably won't be eating there for a while. Their milkshakes are good though, providing they clean the machines properly every night.

If you need a ref I can find you one, but comparison videos like that are usually put up without complete context or explanation. See, burgers and fries can't grow mold without moisture and McDonalds patties and fries are thin.. they easily lose their water content in open air. Same logic goes into why beef jerky doesn't grow mold.

Preservatives can have a role to play, but if you've ever actually had McDonalds food and left it uneaten for more than a couple hours you know that stuff is dry and stale already. They have very little to do with the mold inhibition, but that's not to say it's completely okay to eat this food all the time either.

 

[Melody]

It is provably true that McDonald's does attempt to be concious of their operations causing harm. They do try to ensure that even our own stupidity, refer to the hot coffee and obesity lawsuits, does not actually bring us harm despite what it might do to their bottom line. Like any company though, they do have to make money to stay alive and grow as needed.

Admittedly they aren't perfect, and sometimes yes there are facepalm moments, but it's always been my experience that McDonald's at least tries to 'lead the pack' in the industry, evwn if it's only because they're just so well known and they want to survive.

 

[twocows]

I have absolutely no ethical problems with anything they do. My only complaint is that their food ranges from mediocre to bad. I'd rather go to Taco Bell.