Loukia has been blogging for four years at LouLous Views and was voted Best Family Blog in the 2009 Canadian Blog Awards. Her stories and tips on traveling with young children, to life before kids is told honestly and with a sense of humour. She also blogs about the latest news, fashion and entertainment stories. After spending years working in television and radio, Loukia discovered that being a mom is the single most rewarding and exciting job there is.
Watching cartoons on a Saturday morning was not the norm for me as a child. Instead, I was attending Greek school early in the morning.
The highlight of those Saturday mornings for me was the trip to McDonald’s we’d take after school was over. It wasn’t every week, of course, but it was often enough so that we would have something to look forward to at noon, before the rest of our day began—guitar lessons, dance classes, visits with friends, homework, and quality time with the family.
I’ve always loved McDonald’s. It’s comforting. It tastes good. And it’s cheap. As a Greek-Canadian, I eat well. Home cooked meals, a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, meat, olive oil, and fresh baked bread—I’m sure I was ‘eating a rainbow’ everyday. However, McDonald’s was also a part of my life. And you know what? I’m healthy. I really, really am.
As a mom of two young children, I take my boys to McDonald’s, too. Not every week, but sometimes, the drive-thru is my best friend. On the days that my children eat McDonald’s, I make sure that they are eating a healthy dinner and I make sure their snacks are either fruit of vegetable based.
Recently, San Francisco gave preliminary approval for a ‘ban’ on unhealthy restaurant meals that include a toy as enticement for children to consume their food—now known as the “happy meal ban”. The ban states that a restaurant can’t provide a ‘toy’—an incentive item—for a menu item that has more than 200 calories or for a meal that has over 600 calories. The law would also ban menu items from being sold as children’s meals if they contain excessive fat or sodium as well as require that the meal includes at least a half cup of fruit or at least a three-quarter cup of vegetables.
When I first heard about the ban on “happy meals” I rolled my eyes. In my opinion, eating McDonald’s is not the biggest problem there is in this world. Nor is it the reason we are seeing childhood obesity rates increasing at an alarming rate.
I question whether removing the toy from happy meals will change anything at all. Perhaps it is a step in the right direction, but I think our focus should be on educating parents with the facts. And then letting them decide what is good for their children.
When I order two happy meals for my boys, I don’t even give them the toy—usually, the toys are thrown away without a second glance. I don’t think it is the responsibility of the corporation to change the way they do things. I don’t have a problem with the way McDonald’s advertises. At the end of the day, it’s up to the parents to say yes or no.
If the happy meal didn’t come with a plastic toy, would children still eat at McDonald’s? You bet. Just like any other mom, I struggle when it comes to feeding my children. I worry about the amount of fruits and vegetables they’re getting everyday. I want them to eat healthy. But of course, they’ll eat chocolate too. And happy meals. I’m not influenced—and so far, neither are my children—by the toys provided in happy meals.
I think everything in moderation is okay. Knowing that a small fries at McDonald’s contains 220 calories, 11 grams of fat, and 170 mg of sodium is going to make me think twice about ordering for my children—not banning the toys. Hey—if McDonald’s decided to ban the toys because they are a serious environmental waste, I’d be in agreement.
McDonald’s offers healthy side choices for children to enjoy in their happy meals, too, such as 1% milk, applesauce, carrot stick and apple slices.
It’s up to us, as parents, to educate ourselves about what we are allowing our children to eat. Having McDonald’s once a month—toy or no toy in the happy meal box—will not cause serious damage. We should focus on buying healthy food for our children, teaching them about why it’s important to eat well, and also, relaxing a bit. Let’s let our children be children!
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{ 31 comments }
I work for a popular grocery store that prides itself on our “educated customers.” I’ve been there for years and at least twice a week I am floored by food ignorance. Yeah, eating a pint of ice cream swirled with candy might make you feel yucky – it doesn’t mean you’re lactose intolerant. A lot of people don’t know how to read a nutritional label, what one cup of rice looks like, the difference between olive oil and vegetable oil, or that a serving of steak is only 4oz and I’m more than happy to help them. However – when Oprah or Dr. Oz mention benefits of a gluten free diet or psyllium husks, the same customers suddenly want to school me on nutrition and be pointed in the direction of their newfound miracle foods.
You’re totally right. Everything in moderation. It’s simple – but it’s more fun to blame the man for the poor choices we all make. Banning toys that are worth $0.03 a piece won’t fix anything – it’s so much bigger than that. I’m with you – I’ll do what I can to keep my kids healthy and happy… with meals… (hah, get it?)
b harper recently posted..“Everything Is Healing Nicely”
Co-Signed. Everything in moderation and always keep the big picture in mind. I do think that whatever news gets into mainstream media about how unhealthy some of this food is is a good thing, though, because many people just don’t know how bad it can be for you. I still can’t believe what happened to Morgan Spurlock in SUPERSIZE ME! It was horrifying to hear the doctor’s describe him as a fois gras goose after eating only McDonald’s for so long. Ick.
Not putting a plastic toy in the box or the bag isn’t going to deter me from getting my daughter a happy meal. There are nights where it is my saving grace, especially after a long day at work. And there are just nights where I’d rather spend an extra half hour playing with my daughter than standing in the kitchen trying to get dinner on the table.
Perhaps if San Francisco really wanted to make a change and impact they could start by passing a law that made fruits, vegetables and lean proteins more affordable for the average family. Really, why do organic baby carrots need to cost almost $2 more than non-organic carrots? I think if they made healthier food more affordable than “junk” or convenience food, it would go a long way towards helping over come the obesity epidemic.
HaB recently posted..Dear Aunt Olly- Week 10
Why not? Kids are going to eat junk food at some point, whether it’s under your supervision or at a friend’s house. I don’t see any harm in having McDonald’s once in a while. I personally love the drive thru! Maybe that’s because I’m a city girl.
Old School/New School Mom recently posted..Crying Over Spilled Coffee
I think people who eat fast food every day cause this issue for their kids. My children eat there rarely, it’s like a treat to go to McDonald’s for chicken and french fries. And they actually like the toys (not all of them, but some of them).
I don’t think banning the toys will even be a factor in children eating fast food, regardless of the place they eat. Plenty of places don’t have toys and there are still tons of kids eating the fast food.
Be nice if we could get a healthy eatery offering fast, easy AFFORDABLE food though…..locally grown produce, organic meat. AHHH, one day.
Staci recently posted..Turn it Up Tuesdays
Thank goodness there are other people out there who are not being ridiculous. What happened to parents actually parenting their children. It’s called saying no. It’s called feeding your kids healthy food. It’s called teaching your kids what advertisments are and what their goals are.
When ads come on tv for crappy toys my 2 and 3 year old girls laugh and tell me it’s “junk” because I’ve taught them that. They think soda is “yuck” because I taught them that.
You bet your ass they’ve had mc donalds and they like it. But it’s never more then once every coupld of weeks. And they get home cooked meals – almost always from scratch – at every other meal.
Parents it’s not the government’s or company’s job to teach and raise our kids – that’s our job.
::end rant::
Your two and three yr olds will become 11 and 12 yr olds that listen to mom and then do what their friends do. I’ve been there and despite all of my efforts, sometimes, my kids make really crappy decisions that they definitely know are just that, crappy decisions. I don’t think this ban is aimed at parents who view fast-food as a treat, it’s aimed at those who view fast-food as a cheap, easy dinner that takes very little effort on their part. If the kid whines about no happy meal toy, mom might think about another option (i.e. subway) where they will get a toy and a coule of hundred fewer calories and fat grams.
When my children discovered that they could be more in control with their food choices at Subway, McDonald’s lost this family as customers. While some Subway sandwiches are full of sodium, at least I know that they are getting veggies in their meal. And their “toys” are so much better.
I agree with HaB about making healthy food more affordable. Unfortunately, our government does not help the organic and small family farms as they do the big giant farms, which means that the monopoly on our food is thanks to government subsidies making it easy for factory farmers to fill up the grocery shelves with chickens who have been able to do nothing but sit in their poop for their entire lives.
Jacki recently posted..Dream Kitchen
I don’t think banning the toys will deter parents or children from eating at McDonald’s, but it has definitely started a conversation. So long as the discussion is about healthy foods and how to ensure that our children our healthy, the ban will have done the job.
Lois recently posted..Best Fing birthday present E-VER!
I agree. They don’t even advertise the toys, so kids aren’t even given the fuel to beg for a Happy Meal. The only ads I’ve seen recently for McD’s Happy Meals are that you can get milk and apple slices instead of fries and soda.
The problem is parents who think this is acceptable food to eat everyday, not the toys that allegedly entice that kids to want a Happy Meal.
I hadn’t heard about this ban. It does seem a bit excessive. I think you’re right–knowing the information is enough to make people take a step back, not getting rid of the toys. And wow, 220 calories for a SMALL fry order? We haven’t been to McDonald’s in eight years because I read Fast Food Nation and made a vow. And my son is more enticed by the indoor jungle gym than the idea of a small plastic toy. He does, however, eat frozen, processed chicken nuggets almost every night. That’s a battle I’ll fight another time.
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Excellent post. I think that in the next year, restaurants are going to have to include nutritional information with their meals, and that will be more of a deterrent than banning toys. Nice job!
Avitable recently posted..Dontcha wish your girlfriend was in Vegas like me
I will probably be the bitch here. I am fine with the ban and wouldn’t mind one bit if it came to my state. I know too many parents who rely on these Happy Meals as their basic diet. I also know that my daughter could give a shit about the food – she just wants that stupid plastic toy that does nothing but puncture my foot in the middle of the night. Let’s face it people, kids are friggin FAT!! Parents are lazy, tired and like their junk food too. Because of this, we have parents who feed their kids nothing but crap day in and day out. Clearly, moderation is not something understood in my fat ass state.
I gained a elephant’s belly when I became pregnant, some due to meds…but mostly due to M&Ms and Fruit Loops. I has taken me 6 depressing and overwhelming years to lose that weight. For a child to grow up this way makes me want to cry. I cannot imagine how difficult it would be to lose the weight they have carried their entire lives. We as parents have control when they are young. We feed them what we want to feed them. And we don’t have much time to assert that control. So why on earth make such consistent bad choices now?
Personally, I would like to see a Fast Food tax. I am all for freedom of choice. And nothing is being taken off the menus. It simply won’t be marketed to young children…what on earth is wrong with that?
My kids get treats and even a Happy Meal once in a great while. We go out to eat, get ice cream, have snacks. I am not a health nazi. But I CAN practice moderation. The sad thing is…many parents simply don’t give a shit. So when a healthier meal is marketed with the toy for kids and they THEMSELVES chose that healthier meal, well halle-friggin-lujah!!!
my kids don’t even know they come with toys… i put them aside and stash for emergencies (stuck in traffic at nap time???), stocking stuffers, or charity.
this proposed law is absurd.
MommyNamedApril recently posted..Caseys Turning FOUR and Youre All Invited! Well- In Spirit Anyway
Does anyone really think that a ban on a Happy Meal toy will make lazy or bad parents stop being lazy or bad? People don’t change their habits because of something like a ban on Happy Meal toys. This is just another example of the government trying to parent for people who suck at parenting. And I’m not saying people who let their kids eat Happy Meals suck at parenting, because that’s not true either. Unfortunately, some people don’t teach their kids healthy eating habits and a ban on some toys isn’t going to change that one bit.
Leslie recently posted..My Baby is Four!
I have the opinion that our country ought to stay out of a company’s legal sales practices. What Mc Donalds is doing is not illegal. Mc Donald’s isnt the problem. It’s the people and parents who won’t control their food choices that’s the problem. If San Francisco wants to help kids eat healthier, they ought to pour their resources into assisting companies that offer healthy and fun food choices for kids, and leave McD’s alone.
Mc Donald’s is a genius company, it’s not their fault that people choose unhealthy food. ITS THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE and ultimately it will be their own damn fault when they’re fighting health issues related to bad food choices. Not Mc Donald’s. Nobody twists your arm to eat there.
By the way, yesterday I received a bunch of coupons for McDonalds breakfast oatmeal. It looks like it might be healthy. Suck on that SF city council.
ClistyB recently posted..scrubs what are they good for
it’s not the toy, you’re absolutely right.
although sometimes, all my son wants is the toy so i end up driving through, asking for a drink and the toy and no meal.
but even if there wasn’t a toy, my kids enjoy mcdonalds as a treat!
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Much like Loukia, I also looked forward to Mickey D’s when I was a kid. On Fridays, Mom (a teacher) would pack us into the car, take us to the grocery store, and make us swear on a stack of bibles that we wouldn’t act up in the store. “That means no fighting, no nagging, no sneaking stuff into the cart, and no whining.” If we were good, we got our weekly trip to Blockbuster (one movie a piece), and if we were extra good, we got McDonald’s. It was an every-once-in-a-while kind of thing, and we looked forward to it. We got Happy Meals, Mom snagged a few fries, and we got to zonk out after a week of eating zucchini-this and girl-scout-helpings-of-that.
I get that parents are increasingly lazy and uninformed when it comes to nutrition, and I completely understand that healthy food is more expensive than junk food, but to me, taking away fast food, or demonizing it, is sending a poor message in place of one promoting moderation. Happy Meals could become a great teaching moment for nutrition; when you’re in the drive thru line, turn around and say, “This isn’t the most healthy thing you guys are going to eat today, but you’ll feel full without getting the monster size, and it’s okay to splurge every once in a while.” Use the smaller size and their shiny prize as a chance to celebrate smart choices. It’s okay to go out on a limb every once in a while–just don’t do it so often that you become so heavy that the limb breaks beneath you. A healthy diet is loaded with variety, and I think that includes room for a few fries and a burger.
I agree McDonald’s isn’t the problem, and neither are the toys. It’s the parents, or the people who eat there frequently and think it’s okay. My kids rarely have fast food, but they know what it is, and when they get it, it’s a treat. It’s definitely saved my life a few times. And sure, there is junk in my pantry. I just can’t stand the idea of fast food. It grosses me out. But if it’s 6:30 and my kids are starving and we’re in the car w/ no idea about dinner? you betcha I’m driving in somewhere!
Erin Margolin recently posted..10 Ways to Embrace Your Inner Jew at Hanukkah Time
I agree with you. The toys are not the only thing that makes my kids want a happy meal, and we don’t go there very often. It’s not up to mcdonald’s to patent my child. I blogged about this on my site last week:http://squidmom.com/happy-meal-toys-at-mcdonalds/
Do people really want to blame their overweight children who spend hours in front of the tv, get no exercise or fresh air on a toy? Please, McDonald’s is a treat once in a while and not a food group.
Very well said! I completely agree! It should be up to the parents to decide what they feed their children. Everything in moderation is fine!
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Thanks, everyone, for your insightful comments on this topic!
Great post..
My take: if you don’t want your children to eat the Happy Meal then don’t buy it!! End of discussion.
Loukia, I am with you and have been bitching about this ban for weeks. I meant to blog on it and maybe I will and link here. More than just the calories or the fat…there is another story. I have always loved the McDonald’s memories from my childhood. Every few weeks, after church, we would go and enjoy a meal, the play place and yes, the toys.
Now, the McDonald’s near us (and by our paint store – you know I alwasy need paint) is in a poor neighborhood and has a HUGE play place. When we go the kids get a happy meal and play with the toy (which lasts a couple weeks in our home) and play in the play place for HOURS. There are always a dozen kids in there and I get to talk to the parents. It is a special treat financially for these parents to bring their kids to McDonalds and the toy they get – well that toy is one of a very few that the kids even have. The action figures that are nothing compared to the fisher price knights in my house are their only action figures. The dragon that would be burned alive by the giant fragon we could afford to buy Miles is their only dragon. These kids are poor, and not fat, and they LOVE the toys. The happy meal, aptly named, makes them Happy. McDonald’s gives them a meal, offers them fruit instead of fries (parents choose and that is their responsibility not a corporation’s), a milk and a toy and a giant PLAY PLACE! The kids run around for hours and have a fabulous time (while burning calroies :) ) and I tweet THANK YOU MCDONALDS. It might sound silly but they make friends and get excited about the toys and have a meal of chicken nuggets that is not so much worse than some of the frozen crap I heat up when I am tired.
Anyway, I just think the idea of banning these is silly…for more than just the fat.
Brittany at Mommy Words recently posted..Facebook is Aiming for Our Kids and our Conversations
While I am not a McDonald’s patron, I completely agree with you that the responsibility lies in the hand of parents. Of consumers. Nobody has to eat there. We can no longer point the finger at The Man, because all the nutritional info is out there.
The Sweetest recently posted..I Need To Be Comfortable
So for all the kids with shitty parents are we just suppose to say ‘oh well sucks to be you.’ ??
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What?! You throw out the toy? Blasphemy! I know it’s a cheap, piece of crap choking hazard, but my kids love ‘em. I grew up thinking McDonald’s was a treat, too, but now it grosses me out. I much prefer Chick-fil-a. I agree, though, the ban is ridiculous.
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It’s not the toys’ faults, it’s called moderation. It’s not a difficult concept to grasp. If they want to make the meals healthier, how about banning the sale of fries and sodas with the happy meals instead of the toys. They do have healthy options there, so it’s really not that big of a stretch.
It’s been said, but isn’t it our choice as parents what our children eat? My step kids eat very healthy food (when they are with us) but stopping for fast food on the way to visit the grandparents keeps them happy in the car.
I did stop getting them happy meals this year (they are 5 and 8) when they threw the toys away without realizing and never asked for them.
Vicki recently posted..Perks
Couldn’t have said it better! People need to stop obsessing about one individual thing and look at it as a whole. If you Ban the Happy Meal, that doesn’t man that kid will necessarily eat better or have less of a chance to become obese. It’s a fraction of a child’s lifestyle.
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