is it a pubic hoilday?

[oldspice]

Very helpful!

McDs is one of those companies that I think of as global parasites. They swallow up valuable resources, obliterate the landscape with their plastic-lego-looking fascias and allow their clients to litter the town/surrounding countryside with their ubiquitous (?) cartons and beakers. In addition, they turn perfectly healthy people into wobbling lard buckets.

I mean, you get a country that's a bit backward in terms of western development (ie they don't have indoor toilets or schooling past the age of 9) and along comes the west and says "If you want to compete on the world market and become a modernised state you have to get into the 21st century". So, these countries with beautiful cultures and traditions get a McDonalds on every corner.

Next thing you know the Disney store moves next door.

[goldencup]

I prefer Burger King to McDs. Three choices of veggie burger!

I once wrote to MacDonalds to complain that they don't do a veggie burger option in their Happy Meals.  Don't know if they do now? 

My friend is raising her son as a vegetarian and asked about this. They eventually told her she could have half a veggie burger!

How ridiculous!  This was about 8 years ago when I complained, as I took my son and a load of his friends on his birthday and at least three of them were veggies.  I'm sure there are a lot more now so it's a bit short-sighted of McD's not to cater for them. 

[loulou]

Is it right to raise a child as a vegetarian or should they make their own decision ? Discuss

[goldencup]

Yeah but no but yeah but....

[loulou]

yeah i know

[oldspice]

tricky

[chocoboo]

A child should be encouraged to eat a balanced diet.  This will include some meat and fish.  However, it would be appropriate to limit the meat to poultry.  Any subsequent lifestyle changes and diet etc are for the individual to make when they are an adult or at least 16 or so.

[loulou]

I agree

[chocoboo]

[smurfboy]

I see what you mean, BUT...

If you are the one doing the cooking, should you have to cook meat when you believe it is fundamentally wrong? My friend who complained about the Happy Meal is a single parent, so who could give her son meat?

[loulou]

Ah you have a valid point my little blue friend.

[goldencup]

My sister and her husband have been vegetarian for years and when their kids were born they started bringing them up that way as they didn't want to handle or cook meat.  Then my brother-in-law was diagnosed diabetic and it was very difficult to control without eating meat for some reason, so he reverted.  So the boys were given the choice of eating meat or not.  They are now 25 and 23 - the eldest has still never eaten meat in his life and the younger one would be happy to eat nothing else!

[chocoboo]

No one should let their own ideologies come before a child's welfare.  They can always get free range chicken. 

[goldencup]

Well there you are Smurfy!  I'm sure you'll be quite happy handling and cooking a dead chicken as long as it is free range....

I am not a vegetarian but as long as you are careful and do your research, it is perfectly possible for a baby/child to be brought up in good health on a vegetarian diet.  My nephew is 6'4" tall, a keen athlete and rarely has so much as a cold. 

[Cherry_Ripe]

I became vegetarian at 16 but I will handle and cook meat for others as it's my choice not theirs. But if I do buy meat to cook for others I like to make sure it's local and not from the supermarket or anything processed.