Happy Meals as part of our fall back plan.

[lionfamily1999]

After seeing this dh and I are thinking about stockpiling Happy Meals (just in case the economy does tank). Not only are they delicious, they also have a great shelf life :)

 

 

Happy Meal is ageless: no decay in a year on a shelf

 

 

 

 

 

[Pamela H in Texas]

Along with this.... Someone asked about the ammonia in their beef. So here it is: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31meat.html

 

BTW, I had some know-it-all kid who is working at McD's tell me that they are the healthiest and best fast food restaurant. I commended him on his loyalty to the company he works for. LOL. He argued back of course. He's obnoxious that way. Anything he does is right and he wouldn't work at anything but the best. <gag> BTW, he said this AFTER hearing about the year old meal and the ammonia.

Edited March 18, 2010 by 2J5M9K

[myfatherslily]

Grooossss... Though I must say, as mentioned in the comments, that food left out does dry out, leaving it less likely to grow mold and other nastiness. It was also mentioned that McDs is full of salt, which has been used to preserve meat for ages.

 

Nevertheless, it's still gross. I could see the chicken nuggets lasting a very long time (at least in appearance). They sure are delicious though!!

[ChristusG]

Ewwww. Yuck.

 

My girls get a Happy Meal every Wednesday on our way to church. They SOOO look forward to that Happy Meal. I'm going to have to rethink this little treat LOL. Maybe I can just purchase some toys from McDonalds and make them their own homemade Happy Meal on Wednesdays and toss the toys in. Or I bet I can find a lot of unopened Happy Meal toys on eBay. Hmmmm....

[Jen in PA]

Ick. Not that I ever thought they were a healthy option, but this is much ickier than I would have guessed.

[Remudamom]

To me this is grosser than finding a rhino roach in your Jasmine rice.

[Halcyon]

To me this is grosser than finding a rhino roach in your Jasmine rice.

:iagree::iagree:

[KS_]

To me this is grosser than finding a rhino roach in your Jasmine rice.

 

I agree, too. After watching Food, Inc. on Netflix, I don't have a real desire for much fast food anymore. . .

[Remudamom]

I'm not going to think about it anymore. "Wendy's" is my lunch spot today. Every Thursday the girls and I have fast food on our way to piano lessons and horse checking.

[SquirrellyMama]

To me this is grosser than finding a rhino roach in your Jasmine rice.

 

I have to disagree with this one. Just seeing the word roach makes me :ack2:

[lionfamily1999]

I like Chic-filet (or however they spell that), but the closest one is 45 minutes away and I just can't see driving so far for fast food.

 

I watched Supersize Me ages ago and it changed how dh and I ate (we both LOVED McDonald's, the fries, the nuggets, the burgers). I'm thinking the dcs and I need to sit down and watch it. He also sets out McDonald's food to "rot," but he compares it to real food (a real hamburger, real fries, etc). The difference is incredible.

 

I just never realized that they had, literally, a shelf life :p

[Tree House Academy]

Oh yuck!....even worse since we were heading out to McDonald's for happy meals for lunch. Nice. Maybe we will hit Chick-fil-a instead.

[johnandtinagilbert]

Thank you. My son just said he'll never eat from McD's again....WOO HOO!

 

The other son, "I knew I hated McD's for a reason. That's just nasty and Mom, that's wrong on so many levels."

 

WOO HOO!

 

SO GROSS! I think this had made my day!

[lionfamily1999]

Oh yuck!....even worse since we were heading out to McDonald's for happy meals for lunch. Nice. Maybe we will hit Chick-fil-a instead.

Thank you, I can never remember how they spell their name ;)

Thank you. My son just said he'll never eat from McD's again....WOO HOO!

 

The other son, "I knew I hated McD's for a reason. That's just nasty and Mom, that's wrong on so many levels."

 

WOO HOO!

 

SO GROSS! I think this had made my day!

:lol: Glad to help.

[In the Rain]

The article on ammonia in ground beef was really gross. I had no idea. :glare:

[lionfamily1999]

I shared that one (the ammonia article) on my fb too (my brother sent me the article in the OP).

 

Here's a comparison between a *new* Happy Meal hamburger and one that is from 2008. Granted, these are blogs, so you have to take the people at their word...

 

ETA: Here's a link to JUST the food experiment from Super Size Me. Now, his burgers break down, but they're in a jar (humidity). You have to love the fries though :p

 

I'm thinking I want to run to McDonald's and run an experiment here. This is way too interesting...

Edited March 18, 2010 by lionfamily1999

[stormy weather]

this year I will be looking into buying a side of beef locally, even if it is not organic, at least it won't have ammonia:blink:

Ammonia in beef, cloned chicken........ I hate to think what's happening to pork:ack2:

[Brilliant]

 

ETA: Here's a link to JUST the food experiment from Super Size Me. Now, his burgers break down, but they're in a jar (humidity). You have to love the fries though :p

 

 

I'm not trying to defend fast food as healthy eating. But it's so obvious the reason the McDonald's french fries didn't decompose is because they are salty and also had very little moisture because of their shoestring cut. The "real" restaurant french fries were thick, steak-cut fries so had a a lot of moist potato in them.

 

If you put potato chips in a jar for 8 weeks, they would not decompose. Shoestring french fries are closer to potato chips than to steak-cut fries.

[Jennifer in MI]

I'm so thankful my kids don't like fast food!!

[Dawn in OH]

After watching Food, Inc. on Netflix, I don't have a real desire for much fast food anymore. . .

 

After having watched Food Inc. I'm hardly interested in ANY food anymore.

[Quad Shot Academy]

Along with this.... Someone asked about the ammonia in their beef. So here it is: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31meat.html

 

 

I had no idea! :ack2: Is there a list of meat that is or is not treated? I am specifically wondering about Wendys and Costco.

 

I guess someone should post this link on the cancer and baking soda thread, as people are looking for a way to lower their PH balance. :lol:

 

For the poster that said they would look into buying their own beef. We did that for years, and then found out the slaughter house had been switching out our meat, so you really never know what you are going to get. :sad:

[MamaSheep]

I'm not sure I buy it. My kids' happy meals look worse than that after sitting out on the counter overnight because I was too tired to throw them away.

[The Governess]

The only fast food hamburger place I can eat at after watching Food Inc. is In n' Out. Their beef isn't organic, but at least they don't use filler or preservatives in it, and they inspect it/grind it themselves.

 

I am done with McDonalds, Wendy's, and Carl's Jr. for.ever.

[lionfamily1999]

I'm not trying to defend fast food as healthy eating. But it's so obvious the reason the McDonald's french fries didn't decompose is because they are salty and also had very little moisture because of their shoestring cut. The "real" restaurant french fries were thick, steak-cut fries so had a a lot of moist potato in them.

 

If you put potato chips in a jar for 8 weeks, they would not decompose. Shoestring french fries are closer to potato chips than to steak-cut fries.

I thought it was because of all the extra ingredients (to see fries you have to scroll about 1/4 of the way down the list - BTW this link goes to the ingredients for everything McDonald's sells, it's their web site).

 

I will say, so much depends on where you do the experiment (which is why I want to do one with the kids). The hamburgers (md's) kept out just seem to dry into jerky, the ones in the bell jars did decompose. I'd love to do some indoor outdoor comparisons, in jars out of jars, &tc. The only problems I can forsee are smell and keep critters from eating them ;)

 

I've also wanted to do the margarine experiment. Throw into that mix dehydrated (chips for instance) vs hydrated foods and I think this summer will be food science :lol:, is that anywhere in the trivium?

[stormy weather]

:lol:The French Fries have "beef flavor":lol:

[lionfamily1999]

:lol:The French Fries have "beef flavor":lol:

I seem to remember a vegetarian stink about that years ago, I was surprised to see they still used it.

[JillZ]

"Somewhere there is a painting of a rotten happy meal."

 

This comment from the original blog cracks me up. :lol:

[Aubrey]

So I'm guessing she kept it in the box? I noticed neither the food nor the box looked dusty, but then, she did seem to have a good relationship w/ the Happy Meal.

 

I've found chicken nuggets (from Wendy's) in the van, & there were no signs of decomposure there, either. :D

[lionfamily1999]

I forgot all about this, but if you wanted to illustrate (to the dcs) how chemicals can be used to fake real food, you might want to try this recipe :)