Local news claims...

[DawnM]

This would literally take all the fun out of it!   :glare:

 

For those who only have fast food in their schools...  :svengo:

 

I take my own lunch to school every single day, but I have to admit the salad, taco, and pasta bar tend to look tempting at times.  (These bars rotate, we don't have all of them every day.)  Then there are a couple different meal choices.

 

 

It doesn't matter if fast food is brought in to the school or the school serves their normal fare of burgers, chicken nuggets, pasta, etc.....it is rarely healthy.

 

My son is also sitting more than he did while homeschooling.

 

Here in NC they only require one semester of PE!  In CA the kids had to take 2 full years and a sport counted as a PE.  

 

My son is in to scouts and theater, scouts does have hikes, etc....but it isn't a daily work out or anything.

[LucyStoner]

I honestly don't understand how people afford it. Maybe fast food is cheaper in the US.

 

McDonald's is the only 'cheap' fast food I've ever bought, and even then, I can do a vegie stir fry with rice for 4 people for less than 4 people eating at Macca's. Lower fat, higher fibre, more nutrition.

I think it's a function of how little time people allot to cooking and eating these days. People are paying for convenience more than the food itself.

 

Also, some people just would truly rather eat off the dollar menu than eat rice and veggie stir fry.

 

My niece and nephew were quite accustomed to fast food or junk food most of the time. And between those things, they would go hungry. It took them awhile to realize that my homemade food was tasty. There are many more kids at their school eating like they did than eating like my sons do.

[ChocolateReignRemix]

Really?  You don't get why people pay for convenience?

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I still don't understand how people pay for convenience!

 

My Google-fu is not working at the moment so I can't find the stories, but I did note at least two news articles this week about Americans' dining habits sinking their financial situations. In a nutshell, most people can't really afford to eat out 3 to 6 times per week. They only think they can.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I get why people pay for convenience. I don't get how they pay for it on a daily or even weekly basis. 

 

Fast food is $$ here.

It is here too.  I don't understant it either, frankly.  I mean, in the context of our own family finances which is the lens I tend to see everything through.  

[LucyStoner]

In some cases, people can just afford it. My brother and his husband have a large enough budget to support their choice. They have cut back at different times but largely don't really need to. That's one of their spending priorities.

 

In other cases, people can't really afford it but they do it anyways or they eat the cheapest possible crap they can find. Hello, dollar menu.

[Excelsior! Academy]

I believe it.  When my girls were in gymnastics most older team members went directly from school to the gym and left practice after 8 or 8:30.  Some lived an hour away.   I know fast food was the norm for many.  Same with our fellow church members.  Most go out to eat after Sunday morning service and many Wednesday before Bible class.  Add in sports throughout the week and weekends and yep, I'd bet about 1/3 are eating out pretty much daily.  

 

It *does* mean 2/3 are not.  We would be in that group, which is the majority thankfully.

[Excelsior! Academy]

In some cases, people can just afford it. My brother and his husband have a large enough budget to support their choice. They have cut back at different times but largely don't really need to. That's one of their spending priorities.

 

In other cases, people can't really afford it but they do it anyways or they eat the cheapest possible crap they can find. Hello, dollar menu.

 

Yes!  Even when were in a deep recession you could drive by any restaurant, fast food or upscale, and the parking lots would be packed. 

[LucyStoner]

My Google-fu is not working at the moment so I can't find the stories, but I did note at least two news articles this week about Americans' dining habits sinking their financial situations. In a nutshell, most people can't really afford to eat out 3 to 6 times per week. They only think they can.

Definitely.

 

My niece and nephew's parents can't afford to eat out like that. At all. But they did that rather than pay other bills and stuff. They are not alone. What killed me was my brother was usually buying himself whatever he wanted off the menu and ordering off the dollar menu for the kids without their input, even when my niece was too big to get enough to eat that way. I once took them to Arby's (I was paying for convenience :) in the middle of a hellish day) and they were flummoxed that I would let them pick out their own food.

[The Girls' Mom]

I could totally see it around here.  Even very low income families practically live off of mcDonald's.  I can think of at least four families right off the top of my head that eat out every single day.  

My health couldn't sustain it.  (Frankly, neither can theirs)

[Brit29]

I can see that statistic being accurate, easily. The only people I know that don't do fast food are families like mine, who have severe food allergies. Even most of the hippie/crunchy moms I know eat fast food regularly. 

 

 

[Debbi in Texas]

When we are out and about around meal time, I am always surprised at the full parking lots of the restaurants/fast food places. I can't tell you the times I have said to DH,"Does no one eat at home anymore?"

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Definitely.

 

My niece and nephew's parents can't afford to eat out like that. At all. But they did that rather than pay other bills and stuff. They are not alone. What killed me was my brother was usually buying himself whatever he wanted off the menu and ordering off the dollar menu for the kids without their input, even when my niece was too big to get enough to eat that way. I once took them to Arby's (I was paying for convenience :) in the middle of a hellish day) and they were flummoxed that I would let them pick out their own food.

 

That is so selfish and sad. I've seen it. My son works at Taco Bell, which is the cheapest fast food option in our neighborhood, and he's seen it, too. :(

 

He says there's one thing that makes up for it, a little, and that is to see people bringing in their elderly parents and buying their dinner. Or picking up a sack of tacos to take to the firehouse for the firefighters on duty.

[LucyStoner]

Also, most 2 parent families are 2 earner families. A lot of that second income is often taken up by conveniences like fast food, household services etc. When I worked FT and was dealing with health issues all around (mom, son, me), we spent a crap ton of money on the convenience of takeout. We rarely did drive-thru type fast food but take out Thai and tacos and Ethoipian and all the stuff we did eat more or less every night is more expensive than the drive-thru. Our income at the time was pretty high. We weren't going into debt over it but certainly we could have put that money to better use. Still, it was a you do what you gotta do, survival mode time. I feel a lot of people are so pressed for time that they are in a form of survival mode too.

 

ETA- also, when I was working FT and managed to cook regularly, trust me, something else be it sleep or marriage or housework took a hit.

[frogger]

Well, we eat fast food around here too much too if you count slapping some cheese and hot sauce on a cheap tortilla. Really, a mostly white tortilla isn't exactly healthy so I won't judge but I can't imagine feeding kids on fast food often because it is expensive. Subway seems to be our cheapest option so we use it in emergencies such as getting back from camping late. I think I had to eat at Subway maybe twice this summer.

[creekland]

It doesn't matter if fast food is brought in to the school or the school serves their normal fare of burgers, chicken nuggets, pasta, etc.....it is rarely healthy.

 

My son is also sitting more than he did while homeschooling.

 

Here in NC they only require one semester of PE!  In CA the kids had to take 2 full years and a sport counted as a PE.  

 

My son is in to scouts and theater, scouts does have hikes, etc....but it isn't a daily work out or anything.

 

We have three years of PE required here and they actually do quite a bit in class.  They have PE every other day and in between they have:

 

Health in 9th grade

Driver's Ed in 10th grade

Fitness and Wellness in 11th grade

 

I think they do a great job at both keeping kids active and educating them about health and nutrition.

 

Breakfast at our school is not healthy, but lunch is definitely getting healthier with the latest regs.

 

Also, most 2 parent families are 2 earner families. A lot of that second income is often taken up by conveniences like fast food, household services etc. When I worked FT and was dealing with health issues all around (mom, son, me), we spent a crap ton of money on the convenience of takeout. We rarely did drive-thru type fast food but take out Thai and tacos and Ethoipian and all the stuff we did eat more or less every night is more expensive than the drive-thru. Our income at the time was pretty high. We weren't going into debt over it but certainly we could have put that money to better use. Still, it was a you do what you gotta do, survival mode time. I feel a lot of people are so pressed for time that they are in a form of survival mode too.

 

We're among those who eat out or get Take Out when I'm working.  I almost consider it part of the job description as neither of us feel like cooking when we've both been busy for the day.  It's not always fast food though.

 

Now that we're watching our health more I'm working on setting up easy meals at home - crock pot things or easy to fix things sitting here ready to go.

 

It's helped a bit, but Friday we still went to an Asian restaurant. (I brought half my chicken and veggies home for today's lunch.  Hubby ate all his sushi.)  Eating out that night was also a treat since we went for our flu shots, so it wasn't all about "work."

 

But today with both of us working pretty solidly outside this morning and inside the rest of the day my well-planned salmon, kale, & farm fruits (apples and grapes) have morphed into frozen pizza and the grapes...  Hubby is our salmon cook and he is furiously working to get a project done.  It's easier to do frozen pizza.  The salmon will keep to become tomorrow's lunch.

 

So today we're sort of in that 1 in 3 daily stat - the "sort of" because we don't have kids at home and the sound bite talked about kids.

 

It happens.  I fully believe the 1 in 3 per day.  It was the 1 in 3 every day (of the week) that caused me to pause.

[Katy]

Also, most 2 parent families are 2 earner families. A lot of that second income is often taken up by conveniences like fast food, household services etc. When I worked FT and was dealing with health issues all around (mom, son, me), we spent a crap ton of money on the convenience of takeout. We rarely did drive-thru type fast food but take out Thai and tacos and Ethoipian and all the stuff we did eat more or less every night is more expensive than the drive-thru. Our income at the time was pretty high. We weren't going into debt over it but certainly we could have put that money to better use. Still, it was a you do what you gotta do, survival mode time. I feel a lot of people are so pressed for time that they are in a form of survival mode too.

 

ETA- also, when I was working FT and managed to cook regularly, trust me, something else be it sleep or marriage or housework took a hit.

 

This.  Plus unless both are in jobs that exceed $60k, chances are high that one of those jobs aren't worth it.  Some of our friends look at us as if we're crazy for me staying home, but our health, marriage, family, taxes, and budget are better for it.  To handle the increase in taxes, day care, food, car payments, clothing, etc, I figure any job I get would have to pay $65k or more (probably more, because I'd get a weekly housecleaning service).  And all of us would be more stressed and less connected.  OTOH, we don't have a boat, my car is far from new, and we're terrible at taking vacations compared to many of our friends.

[Guest]

This. Plus unless both are in jobs that exceed $60k, chances are high that one of those jobs aren't worth it. Some of our friends look at us as if we're crazy for me staying home, but our health, marriage, family, taxes, and budget are better for it. To handle the increase in taxes, day care, food, car payments, clothing, etc, I figure any job I get would have to pay $65k or more (probably more, because I'd get a weekly housecleaning service). And all of us would be more stressed and less connected. OTOH, we don't have a boat, my car is far from new, and we're terrible at taking vacations compared to many of our friends.

Oftentimes, when two people work, it is because one makes a decent income but the other has access to good health insurance. It isn't as simple as income-outgo.

[KrissiK]

My Google-fu is not working at the moment so I can't find the stories, but I did note at least two news articles this week about Americans' dining habits sinking their financial situations. In a nutshell, most people can't really afford to eat out 3 to 6 times per week. They only think they can.

No kidding! Last night we got McDonalds. We eat fast food maybe once a month, but there's always a reason - somebody's birthday or we happen to be out shopping or something during a meal time. It cost us $35.00 for a family of 7. That's $5 each. My meals at home, depending on what is served, the type if meat, etc. can run about $1.50, more or less, each. (And I just calculated it out, using our monthly average food budget, it cost me $1.11 per meal per person) I don't see how people can afford it. And then they claim they can't afford other things. A friend of mine is a single mom. She was complaining that she can't afford to put her daughter in the local Christian school (who is very generous with scholarships), but she also brags that she never cooks. And she's right. And I keep thinking, if you would learn to cook and lay off the fast food, you might be healthier and be able to put your daughter in the school you want. Of course I'd never tell her that.

[pinkmint]

Very believable. My sister has been a single mom since her early 20's. Working full time, struggling financially (exhausting) and managing life with children (also exhausting), raised by a single mom her (our) self, never taught basic cooking, home management or budgeting skills. Fast food  several times a week is the best she can do. Her plight is not uncommon at all these days... maybe not here on this board, but in real life, yes. 

[SKL]

I think it isn't a big deal for a kid to eat a McSandwich on an evening when they do an hour or more of rigorous activity.  It's not the same as 30+yo adult doing so while watching TV.  Actually, with fast food, I see a slight benefit with my kid who occasionally wants to eat more than she should.  I order what I'm willing to feed my kid, and when it's gone it's gone.  And then we go to the gym or wherever to work off some of the calories.  When we eat at home, it's very easy for my kid to keep on eating when she ought to stop, and then lounge around until bedtime.  Yes, the food is more likely to be organic and lower fat etc., but it still adds up.

 

I also think there is a season in when US kids tend to eat more fast food.  That is the time when they are old enough to go around town with their buddies.  I did this when I was a teen.  I would spend my paper route profits on the most horrible fries ever.  :P  I did walk off some of the calories, but I also gained a bit of weight.  It all fell off magically when I got sick of junk food in my early 20s.  Anyhoo, point being that when kids start choosing their own snacks without supervision, this sort of thing is likely to happen, and I don't think it's the end of the world.  It's one good reason to try to keep young people active as far as we can.

 

As for the cost of junk food - it can be pretty cheap around here if you're just looking for a treat vs. working it into healthy nutrition.  Because we used to eat out a lot for a couple of years, I splurged on some healthier fast options.  But we shared, didn't buy drinks or desserts, etc., so it wasn't that much.  I would consider it part of the cost of kids' activities.  As a working mom, the other option was to drop activities so we could eat at home.  I prefer the activities and am willing to spend a little more to make them work.

[Guest]

I think this is accurate.

 

It's frustrating for us older parents who were raised with the Gold Standard of, "Mmm! Mmmm! Just like mother used to make!" and all too easy to blame ourselves and to feel that it is somehow our lack of talent or inability to follow a recipe that causes our families to say, "Yuck! This isn't as good as McDonald's makes! I wish we could afford real twinkies like everybody else!"

 

But I do notice fewer health issues in my adult kids, who were raised on home cooking, than those of their friends who were raised on fast food even though they eat the same pizza, hamburgers, and fried chicken now that they have reached a stage of life where they can prioritize their own money and time.

 

I will continue to cook for my minor child us long as I am responsible for his body, and then I will continue to prioritize home cooking and eating real foods myself for as long as I am able to live independently.

 

The hard part is the paradigm shift, so I am speaking to myself as well as to you. It hurt when my teenager would rather go hungry than eat a sandwich made on homemade bread in front of his friends. It hurt when my ex-mother-in-law pushed my lovingly chosen and carefully crafted homemade birthday cakes to the back of the counter and put tasteless pink fluff with my kid's names misspelled on it on the table.

 

It hurts to know that after I am dead, I not likely to be remembered with, "Mmm Mmm! Just like mother used to make!"

 

It will still hurt no matter how many times I smile and remind my children that the point of food is to build healthy bodies, not to provide entertainment, increase your sex appeal, or help you to fit in with the popular crowd.

[Lady Florida.]

 

 

 

 

Uh Oh... Here I go:

 

Our society no longer values scientific rigor and has replaced solid information with sound bites.  How can we expect our children to understand and apply hard sciences when we speak in vague summations?  I understand that the CDC probably wanted to make the information understandable to "the common man," but there has to be some balance between publishing every detail of a study and this.  The information provided doesn't give any of us enough information to determine if what is presented is statistically valid. 

 

 

Sound bites for an increasingly inattentive society is one part. The demonization of science plays a role too. 

[Butter]

Having two of us diagnosed with Celiac has been eye-opening when it comes to grabbing something quick.  We just can't do that anymore.  Sure, a few fast food places have gluten free options, but we have to know what they are, verify they are not cross contaminating the food, and trust that they aren't.  It makes fast food more complicated.  We'll still get it on occasion when we are running all day and there is no other option, but it's no longer worth it most of the time.  It used to be so easy.  I can't be lazy when it comes to cooking anymore.

[creekland]

Well, I can say the salmon for lunch today (with beets rather than kale) and grapes from our vine tasted FAR better than last night's frozen pizza (which I saved part of for breakfast as half of one of those is a bit much for me to eat appetite wise - hubby has no problem eating all of his half).  The cost was pretty much identical since the beets and grapes came from our garden/farm and we choose more expensive frozen pizzas rather than the cheapest we can find.

 

Speed and ease favor fast food or pizza.  But taste favors home made (usually).  My kids might be anomalies, but they prefer home made dishes too - even burgers or deep fried chicken tenders (starting with chicken, not opening a package) at home vs out.  

 

And when their friends come over, I get requests, so I don't think it's just them.  Maybe it's just another situation where we're weird though.  It's possible.

 

On their own as teens speed and ease ruled, so they chose fast food or buffets.  However, oldest was appreciative when I sent him a cookbook for his birthday and he likes having some of my recipes.  He's 23 and married.  His wife doesn't really cook, so he's started to (so he tells us).  

 

Middle son already appreciates home cooking more than eating out.  He makes several things at college for both himself and friends.  His friends often bring dishes of their own if they have group meals (potluck things).  He's adventurous in the kitchen.

 

Youngest wants to eat off the land as much as he can, so tries to do that.

 

It's entirely possible we're just the anomaly now that I think about it...

 

But even so, we do fast food or pizza when we need/want convenience (or I'm seriously craving salt).  It happens, but we are in the majority 2/3rds rather than the 1/3rd.

[LucyStoner]

Oftentimes, when two people work, it is because one makes a decent income but the other has access to good health insurance. It isn't as simple as income-outgo.

Or it's for the long term career growth made possible by doing that work. I have a friend who barely made enough to cover childcare when his first daughter was born. They could have lived on his wife's income as that is what they were living on. But, 5 years later, their childcare is covered 100% on a school scholarship and he's making more money and has put 5 years in at a respected paper. He just got an opportunity at a respected radio station. Had he quit to stay home, he wouldn't likely be working FT as a paid journalist...it's not easy work to come by. I have several friends who, as medical residents turned over their entire net pay to childcare and the cost of working but it was worth it because not quitting their residencies meant that they could later make more money for PT work.

[KungFuPanda]

I don't know anyone who eats out EVERY day. I've also never had trouble feeding homemade food to kids who aren't my own. We have every restaurant here, but I honestly don't know ANYONE who can't manage to prep their own food several days a week. Even my SIL who works, has two preschoolers, and is pregnant with twins manages to come up with homemade food most days. People may eat leftovers or do extra prep on weekends, but the seem to pull it off most days.

[LibraryLover]

Some of the bento boxes I've seen are like masterpieces. lol kids eating seaweed and kale and nori rolls filled will chunks of avocado are part of my world. Also, the activity level in this area of CA is very high. Kids bike and walk everywhere. When I pass various schools on my walks, I'm always pleased to see the bike racks are full. Students also have regular PE and recess. My dd takes her lunch to school most days ( currently on a kick of mason jar salads lol), but will occasionally pick up something at one of the many small indie places near her high school ( open campus, sometimes line too long in cafeteria) Thai, Indian, veggie, Korean etc. there is some good food out there. Much beyond BK KFC and whatnot. I get frustrated by the obvious economic and geographic limitations that exist in our country wrt to food, education, and more. The divides are so great.

[creekland]

I don't know anyone who eats out EVERY day. I've also never had trouble feeding homemade food to kids who aren't my own. We have every restaurant here, but I honestly don't know ANYONE who can't manage to prep their own food several days a week. Even my SIL who works, has two preschoolers, and is pregnant with twins manages to come up with homemade food most days. People may eat leftovers or do extra prep on weekends, but the seem to pull it off most days.

 

My in-laws eat out every day - usually fast food - but that's because they're in their mid to upper 80s and MIL has Alzheimers/dementia and FIL doesn't want to cook.

 

They didn't do this prior to their life situation changing.  They also appreciate when we come visit and cook real food.  FIL feels guilty that we end up cooking though and often wants to take us out with them.  It ends up being a mix.

[Butter]

I don't know anyone who eats out EVERY day.

 

My uncle ate out every day of his adult life, two or three times a day.  He didn't cook.  When he retired he moved to a little town and went to the same place for brunch every day.  They'd start his meal cooking as soon as he walked in since he always ordered the same thing.

 

He was single, never married, no kids.

[LibraryLover]

I believe it. My kids eat pizza at least once a week (homemade but yeah, it's pizza) and they probably have fast food about once a week on average (often with friends or other family). Snipped.

What on earth is wrong with good pizza?

[KungFuPanda]

What on earth is wrong with good pizza?

Nothing! Don't trust anyone who tells you otherwise!

[SparklyUnicorn]

If I worked full time and the kids were in school with all sorts of activities...I can totally see this happening.  It's hard to find the time and energy to cook when you have all that going on.  And fast food stuff is relatively cheap.

 

 

[zoobie]

I don't know anyone who eats out EVERY day. I've also never had trouble feeding homemade food to kids who aren't my own. We have every restaurant here, but I honestly don't know ANYONE who can't manage to prep their own food several days a week. Even my SIL who works, has two preschoolers, and is pregnant with twins manages to come up with homemade food most days. People may eat leftovers or do extra prep on weekends, but the seem to pull it off most days.

My BIL, SIL, and their 11-12 year old DS do. They have a beautiful, new kitchen. She has OCD and doesn't like to use it. Some days they eat out all 3 meals. She's an elementary school teacher and he's self-employed.

[LibraryLover]

Nothing! Don't trust anyone who tells you otherwise!

lol! Thank you! Good dough, good tomatoes, delicious olive oil, carmalized onions, roasted veggies, cheese - oh! Now I'm thinking goat cheese -dang! now I must make pizza!

[Lady Florida.]

I don't know anyone who eats out EVERY day. I've also never had trouble feeding homemade food to kids who aren't my own. We have every restaurant here, but I honestly don't know ANYONE who can't manage to prep their own food several days a week. Even my SIL who works, has two preschoolers, and is pregnant with twins manages to come up with homemade food most days. People may eat leftovers or do extra prep on weekends, but the seem to pull it off most days.

 

Same here. I know one family who used to eat out or get take out a lot, but not every day. The mom didn't cook, her dh often traveled for work, and she has a son with Asperger's who was extremely picky. Anyone with a kid on the spectrum knows they will starve if you constantly try to feed them food they don't want. As he got older he's been able to change some of his behavior, but the family still eats out often. Other than them, I don't know anyone else who eats out a lot.

 

I've also never had kids think we're weird for cooking at home. Most of ds' friends, both homeschooled and public/private schooled, come from homes where one or both parents cook. This was true whether the kid had a sahp or both parents worked. Ds had one friend who thought it was "kinda cool" that we ate together at the table (which we no longer do), but even he didn't find it odd that I cook.

[LucyStoner]

What on earth is wrong with good pizza?

There's nothing wrong with it or else we wouldn't be eating it every week. Still, pepperoni is pepperoni regardless of who put it on the pizza. It doesn't gain nutritional value because we made the pizza at home, lol.

[FO4UR]

I grew up eating fast food almost daily.  My dad passed away when I was young and my mom worked lots of overtime to provide for us kids.

 

She wasn't home to cook.  She wasn't home to teach us how to cook.  She came home exhausted.  We did learn how to fend for ourselves when need be, and when we were teenagers we learned how to look stuff up and figure things out.  But when we were young, it was McDs or the like.  The various pizza places knew our order from caller ID.

 

It didn't ruin us.  All 3 of us would rather have a simple meal at home these days.  We had our fill of fast food.

 

[creekland]

lol! Thank you! Good dough, good tomatoes, delicious olive oil, carmalized onions, roasted veggies, cheese - oh! Now I'm thinking goat cheese -dang! now I must make pizza!

 

Compared to the meat lovers (types) pizza 3 out of my 4 guys prefer if they get to order?

 

Hubby and I compromise on a Supreme (meat and veggies) if we're sharing, but only youngest and I will get just fruit/veggies (if mushrooms fall under veggies for this purpose) when we're ordering separately.

 

All of us are guilty of liking (and ordering) extra cheese.

 

Middle son and I are also guilty of liking spinach alfredo pizza.  I don't think the spinach redeems it to be honest...

[Bluegoat]

I don't have much sense of numbers here, but I do know families that eat that kind of food at home all the time.  Boxed nuggets and frozen fries, and variations, whatever people can get for themselves in the microwave.

[Meriwether]

We eat way too much fast food. We usually have pizza one night/week and other fast food once or even twice. We have activities four nights per week anywhere from 4-5 o'clock to 8-9. I do not feel like having a meal ready at 8 or 9 o'clock, although I do cook that late sometimes. Often we do a healthy snack before activities and a healthy snack after. Sometimes they want something more after. Some nights the kids and Dh are doing 3 back-to-back TKD classes. They burn some calories and get hungry. I ought to cook more, but even though the kids eat plenty of junk, they also eat fruit and vegetables and home-grown beef and pork. I keep thinking I'll do more crockpot meals, but I haven't done it enough for it to become habit.

[prairiewindmomma]

A lot of the school fundraisers here are tied to restaurants. There's one at Chipotle for the school band this week. One was at a burger joint last week.

[cera2]

Probably 80% of the lunches our schools serve would qualify as fast food...fries and burgers, chicken nuggets, pizza.  If a kid eats lunch at school 5 days a week they have eaten fast food almost every day.

[vonfirmath]

I can believe it.  Children’s sports and activities typically start between 5:30 and 6 in the evening.  A parent who works until 5 pm has just enough time to pick up the child from aftercare, grab dinner at a fast-food drive-through, and get to the activity.  If the child is in a competitive sport, he could have practice three or more evenings a week plus weekends.  A family with multiple children could be on the go every day of the week.

 

This is precisely the reason we have McDonald's every Wednesday night (AWANA)  I try -very- hard not to eat at McDonald's other times during the week, even when shopping on Saturday, to keep this special during the week though.

[Guest]

I don't have much sense of numbers here, but I do know families that eat that kind of food at home all the time.  Boxed nuggets and frozen fries, and variations, whatever people can get for themselves in the microwave.

 

This is what I have been thinking all this time, too.

 

"Home cooked" to my mother means things like spaghettios, instant pudding, canned corned beef hash, tyson chicken nuggets. "From scratch" to her means you had to do ANYTHING to assemble the food. So, heating up a frozen pre-cooked chicken patty and plopping it on a bun with kraft dressing is a "from scratch" meal. 

 

She is not at all unusual in this regard in some circles.