Burger King

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I could not have been prouder on this day to answer this question.

Why? Because this reveals the innocence and ignorance of the existence of most fast food restaurants for my child.

 Sure, my child had had and most likely will continue to have the occasional happy meal ordered in from the daycare or take the trip to the corner McDonald’s with the grandparents-but that had been the total exposure to fast food places to that point in the early years. Such naiveté! Lovely!

As most new moms, working or stay at home, I try to limit the sugars and junk food as much as possible, but of course we still have the occasional pizza and In & Out burgers.

But this was/is, for the most part, a rare occasion (I’m talking once every 2-3 months if that) It had been even rarer in my childhood mostly out of monetary necessity.

In the past, eating out was a special occasion treat and more expensive- my mom could make a home cooked meal for a family of 5 for less than a couple of dollars in the early 1970’s and 80’s.

Nowadays, fast foods and processed foods is often cheaper and certainly more likely to be time saving and most importantly less mentally draining to think about- than in the past.

Most moms just love the little luxury of one less decision to make and plan in advance for-this can relieve pressure for me as much as an hour long massage! PLUS- less clean up right?

So when my patients complain it is harder to eat fresh and takes longer to eat healthier, I can certainly understand their viewpoint, but I also know we must challenge ourselves not to succumb to the mostly fast food culture of the last 30 years and start to invest time and money into thinking and planning our meals and food choices (with a little knowledge and action it can actually be most time and cost saving).

It’s either spend the thought, time and money now in what we put into our family’s bodies or deal with the time and money for the consequences in the gyms and dentist’s and doctor’s offices in the future.

Start by potting a few clay pots of tomatoes and herbs. Make 1 or 2 food choice changes/substitutions a month in the food culture and meal menus in your household. And perhaps soon, your little ones, or your grandkids may ask ‘What’s Carl’s Jr?” and you will smile proudly.

About the author

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Dr. Carol

Dr. Carol- doctor, wife, mom and maker PB&J!
One of my passions is to help people Embrace change, Try new things and be BOLD for a healthier and balanced life!

17 Comments

  • I ate at McD’s last night for the first time in literally months and it turned my stomach. I used to LOVE the fish and fry combo but last night was probably the last time I’ll ever eat that. I think your body gets used to it or not and the more you have it the less you realize how gross it really is. So good for this post! My 12 year old rarely has fast food now-a-days too. She wasn’t with me last night to experience the yuckiness! lol

    • That’s a neat idea Tara!

      Other ideas out there are fruit-veggie smoothie and veggie popsicles.

  • I’m proud to say that my son has never eaten at McDonald’s, and has had Burger King only once when there was a toy from a movie in the kid’s meal that he just had to have! He got the toy, and HATED the meal – he’s never asked to go back (he’s 13 now). And we do enjoy eating out, but are very picky in our choices – usually it’s small neighborhood restaurants where we can get to know the owners, and not a franchise restaurant (sorry, Applebee’s!) . Are we food ‘snobs’? Yes. But our health is all the better for it, and my son takes in interest in cooking, ingredients and what food goes into his body. One of the keys to cooking at home is weekly meal planning and cooking in batches, freezing and serving the portions during the week. It takes a little extra time, but it also saves time (and money!), worth the effort 🙂

    • Rebecca,

      Hats off to you! Wish I could say the same for my kids. You and Dr. Carol seems to have figured out how to get your kids to eat right- the rest of us will take cues from you guys.

  • I love this. We’re not big into fast food but we will eat at places like Chick-Fil-A or Chipotle. I’m proud of the fact that my daughter simply will not eat a burger from McDonalds or Burger King. It’s not like they’re really even “burgers” anyway 😉

  • You’re absolutely right when you say we have to think about this now or suffer for it later. I’m just now learning how fake most of our foods are and how bad they are for us. I’ve been transitioning over to all organic and natural foods and cutting out things that never should have been in my diet in the first place – like plastic…aka margarine. Eww!

    • Your last line there was too funny! A former food network show host used to say that margarine was a molecule away from plastic. Keep up the good work of eating real food.

  • My son is really getting aware of the fat in foods and will eat the occasional Chick Fil A or Panda. I’m glad he’s making wise choices now.

  • Props to you! It does take a little more thought and planning to eat healthy but if you plan in advance, I don’t think it really takes that much more time, and it is totally worth it for your family’s health and to teach your children lifelong healthy habits. Great post!

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