Let's start with this: the sheer size of the recall:

The amount of beef—143 million pounds—is roughly enough for two hamburgers for each man, woman and child in the United States.

Then let's add in the fact that a big chunk of the recalled meat went to vulnerable populations (not that all Americans shouldn't expect food safety regulations be followed):

About 37 million pounds of the recalled meat went to school lunch programs and other federal nutrition programs since October 2006, said Ron Vogel of the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service.

Next, let's think about the real dangers posed by this event. I'm a layperson and all, but I know that downer cows are more likely to carry the prions that cause mad cow disease, which can cause Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. That's when people get the same symptoms as mad cows. And die, always. And it can take many years for the symptoms to show up. By that time, who can say whether this incident was the cause?

Another more immediate danger is e. Coli contamination. Poisoning shouldn't happen if the meat is cooked properly. But why should we have to worry more about it? Why isn't our food safety system (ahem, HELLO, USDA) monitoring these things more closely? Can I hereby request that my tax dollars that are currently going to shoot the daylights out of Iraq be diverted to keeping our own food safer? 'Cause it's pretty clear we don't have enough supervision on the ground here.

If my family and I were vegetarian, I'd be very happy there was no chance we'd eaten this beef. But we're not. And I don't think I could be.

So, again, I'm renewing my commitment to buying our meats from small farms that care for their animals well, feed them right, and practice clean, humane slaughter. (I know. It's not humane. But there it is.) I'll also buy meats from the Niman Ranch Cooperative, which I know holds its farmers to strict standards. I won't buy from the "naturally raised" brands in the larger retailers because the guidelines for that label are fuzzy. I don't trust them.

Still I can't rule out the occasional burger out somewhere. I can't help digging the burgers at Five Guys and at a little burger stand up the street. But I think we'll limit those to once a month or so.

PunditMom covers the topic well on the DC Metro Moms blog.

I'd love to see more of the major restaurant chains address food safety. Jack in the Box and In-n-Out have stepped up. Where's everyone else? Hello, McDonald's? Burger King? Large companies can do so much to reassure the public and change safety policy for the better.

Where are you, Forces for Good? How much prodding do you need to make sure (or at least to reassure us that you're making sure) our food is safe and our animals are treated right?

So, readers, how has this news affected your thinking? Not at all? A lot? Let me know.

Posted by QSMama at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

Last week, Baby A was "helping" me shop at Trader Joes, meaning each time I turned to focus on something she loaded up the cart with whatever caught her eye—in this case, almond biscotti, a huge package of trail mix, and a pound of French roast coffee.

As if, child. That's about the last thing she needs.

The one contribution of hers I kept in the cart was a paper bag overfilled with smallish but gorgeous red apples. But it was sort of against my better judgment because the handwritten sign above them touted how they were "treated with minimal spray"!

Now, I'm not always careful to get organic apples. Sometimes surviving the shopping experience becomes more important than making sure each item is as carefully selected as you'd wish. Know what I mean?

But somehow having the "spray," however "minimal" it might be, pointed out so plainly, as an incentive to buy, turned me off. Visions of containers of Roundup with little spray nozzles filled my head, with the nozzles pointed straight at my child. It's probably silly, I know. I wash and peel apples for Baby A (also against my better judgment) so there's little chance this one instance of "minimal spray" would get to her.

But. Still.

Then tonight I noticed that McDonald's recently sent its moms panel on a tour of one of its apple growers and processors. Take a look at their journals and video—it's pretty interesting. Of course, there's nothing negative. You wouldn't expect it. But it's a fascinating look into (1) the power the Mom Demographic wields today and (2) just how much McDonald's can influence its producers. Let's put it this way: If McDonald's suddenly came out and said it would buy only organic apples from now on, a big fraction of U.S. apple production would shift to organic.

What's your take? Let me know.

And while we're at it, here's a hypothetical: If you knew McDonald's offered organic apples, would you be more likely to buy your kids the McDonald's Apple Dipper snacks or side dish?

I would.

Oh, the minimally sprayed apples? They're crispy, sweet, and delicious. But I think we'll buy our next batch from the local farmer's market, where I can ask the grower how they're grown. We get some awesome Pink Lady apples around here.

Posted by QSMama at 08:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Did you catch this story about Milkshakegate, or whatever, at an Orlando McDonald's restaurant? There's a slideshow here if you want all the visuals.

The story goes that a customer saw McDonald's employees pouring liquid into a milkshake machine from a bucket labeled "Soiled Towels Only." She reportedly snapped a picture with her mobile phone and sent it along with a complaint to McDonald's Corporation. There are varied stories about who sent what reply and when—I won't try to figure them out here—but one point is clear....

Continue reading "Bucket Full of Trouble" »

Posted by QSMama at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Now, this is interesting, and complicated, news. And if I weren't up to my virtual ears in Internet connection problems, and facing a day of travel tomorrow (pleasure, but with a three-year-old, so, you know) and a magazine story deadline on Wednesday, I'd be right here propounding about it.

But it'll have to wait a day or two. In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts.

All I can say is this: Now I know why I find everything I taste from Trader Joe's delicious, with the notable exception of the bottle of wine pictured here. Two-buck Chuck shiraz? More like two-buck YUCK. I would've paid two bucks NOT to have to drink it.


Update: Salon's Broadsheet blog put it well:

The real solution may lie in figuring out ways to make healthy choices profitable and appealing, so that companies want to produce them, and consumers want to eat them. That will certainly be difficult, given that many Americans are always going to pick French fries over carrot sticks. But it's an effort worth supporting.

My thoughts exactly! It's what I'm supporting here. But how to get from A to B? Thoughts, anyone?

Posted by QSMama at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We had waited our turn at the DMV, browsed the Grand Asia Market next door, and were on our way to Trader Joe's (love that place!) when Baby A said she really, really needed a drink of water, no, she needed a drink of milk. Pleeeease, Mommy, I really need it now.

I bit my lip to keep from saying, "See why I told you to take drink of water before we left?," and chided myself for not taking a bottle of water with us on this hot afternoon. McDonald's was the only place around with a drive-thru—important, because I didn't want to get Baby A in and out of the carseat again. I needed to get on to TJ's.

So we went to McDonald's for the first time, and Baby A pointed out "that clown man," which she knows from TV. More than that, she was mighty confused about the ordering process. It didn't help that there was one broken-down ordering place, then the working one, then two windows.

Baby A: "Mommy, why do we have to pay two times?"

Me: "We don't. We pay at this first window, then we pick up our order at the second one."

Baby A: "Oh. Why?"

Me: "The restaurant thinks that will make the line go faster. Do you think it's helping?"

Baby A, looking thoughtful: "Ummmm. Yes. Yes, I do."

This from a three-year-old's first impression. Want a more scientific view on this topic, and all things drive-thru? See the QSR Drive-Thru Study.

And isn't it nice I was able to get her a cold, fresh, kid-sized drink of milk, in two minutes, without getting out of my car, for 99 cents? Yes, I have my lazy moments. Would've been cool if it were organic milk, but on a hot afternoon I'll take what I can get.

UPDATE: (6/28/07) I remembered this morning that Baby A didn't learn about McDonald's and the Ronald McDonald character from PBS. That was Chuck E Cheese that sponsors a spot on PBS Kids in the morning. Ronald has ads on cable channels, where A. loves to watch "Little Einsteins" and "The Wonder Pets" (which, if you haven't seen it, is just about the most adorable show EVER).

So I've edited this post to take out the reference to McDonald's on PBS. My strong opinion remains that ads DO NOT belong on public television, and I won't vote for a candidate who wants to take public funding away from public TV and radio.

[Image courtesy of McDonald's media web page]

Posted by QSMama at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A friend—okay, a barista at my favorite coffee shop, and anyone who serves me espresso is a friend—passed along a great article from the New York Times. It's called "Don't Point That Menu at My Child, Please," linked here.

Please read the article (even if you have to register) rather than accept my little summary. It's worth it. But...basically the writer decries the fact that restaurants everywhere, along with grocery stores, approach our kids with the expectation they'd rather eat the usual kid's menu of chicken fingers, mac and cheese, cheese pizza, grilled cheese (pattern here?), and fries, rather than smaller versions of what's on the regular menu:

"In short, I came to the realization that America is in the grips of a nefarious chicken-finger pandemic, in which a blandly tasty foodstuff has somehow become the de facto official nibble of our young. [...] It pains me that many children now grow up eating little besides golden-brown logs of kid food, especially in a time when the quality, variety and availability of good ingredients is better than ever."

Righteous.

Now I'd like to offer some hints on avoiding the usual kid's menu, even in the fast-food or casual dining setting. 'Cause sometimes you just want something different for your kids—you know?

• Try the unusual fruit bowls for kids at California Pizza Kitchen. Then share some of your own, grown-up pizza with your child. Presto: yummy, solid lunch for cheap.

• Visit Chipotle, where there is no kid's menu, and share a Burrito Bol and some of their unstoppable guacamole and chips with your kids. Again: yummy, nutritious, cheap. In the picture above, Baby A is proudly making her own "baby burrito" at Chipotle, spreading guacamole (ours) on a plain tortilla (hers). It cost, like, 50 cents.

• Go to Wendy's or McDonald's and get one of their premium salads—the ones with diced chicken, pecans, and fresh fruit, like mandarin oranges. Give some of the toppings to your kids, even the really young ones. Baby A loved those things when she was just over a year old. Add a fruit and granola parfait and it's an inexpensive, healthy meal.

• Try smaller versions of regular menu items, like the Bambino Burgers at Good Times or the simple taco at a place like Taco Bell or Del Taco. They're ideal for the three-to-ten age range.

• Go to a Thai, Chinese, or Japanese quick-serve place, like Pei Wei or Panda Express, and make a small plate for your child from yours, with rice or noodles, meat or tofu, and veggies. We've been doing this with Baby A for, gosh, two years now. And she just turned three.

In short, think about how you can adapt the regular menu items for your kids. The choices areout there. You'll do the kids a favor by expanding their taste horizons, and probably save $3 to $4 per meal, too. And who needs the little toys, unless it's something really special your child just has to have? (When there's a "Wonder Pets" or "Little Einsteins" meal, I'm afraid we'll have to get one. No one is immune, right?)

And, restaurants? Get ahead of the curve on changing kids' meals. I think you'll find plenty of support.

Posted by QSMama at 08:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Remember a when I posted a month ago about Shrek helping to sell healthier Happy Meals for McDonald's?

Well, let's just say the company is lovin' it. Comparable sales for May were up 8.7 percent (7.4 percent in U.S. locations).

McDonald's thanked the "Shrek the Third" promotion, along with strong breakfast sales and successful new products, for the strong results. I hope that means awareness of the healthier Happy Menu options—like Apple Dippers, milk, and side salads—is growing, too, but McDonald's didn't break down the exact sales figures.

I just got an report from a Goldman Sachs analyst who follows McDonald's, titled "Ogre-whelmingly strong May SSS." Hee hee. Who says Wall Street analysts can't have senses of humor?

Posted by QSMama at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Shrek is getting ready to shill for Happy Meals—but for the kind with apple slices and salads, not fries.

Read that whole link. This is an interesting development, the first of its kind, far as I know, where a major motion-picture tie-in promotes a healthier option. My favorite part? "While the apples, milk, salads and other featured products have been on McDonald's menu for more than a year, chief marketing officer Mary Dillon said the company still had 'opportunities to drive awareness both with parents and kids about these offerings.' "

Pssssst, Mary! Advertise here! We're driving awareness!

At any rate, there's no doubt about the selling power of Shrek. Just the other day, Baby A declared she wanted to take a mud bath and brush her teeth with worms—in homage (ograge?) to Shrek, of course. I am sure she'd eat what Shrek says he likes, in a heartbeat. What's your take? Is Shrek's repping happier Happy Meals acceptable? Or not?

Please comment and, er, weigh in.

[Shrek is a copyright of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. This might be a Reuters image, too, but it looks like thousands of others floating out there with no attribution.]

Posted by QSMama at 06:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

PapaScott linked to my post from earlier today on quick-serves and corporate responsibility.

PapaScott is actually Scott Hanson, an American who has lived in Germany since 1990. He and his wife—who will become a McDonald's franchisee this summer!—have a seven-year-old son.

Posted by QSMama at 05:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A friend who's a vegetarian recently emailed me about Burger King's move to improve animal welfare. "This sort of move," she wrote, "would prompt me to choose BK over other fast food joints for road trip fare..."

Increasingly, parents and families are paying attention to corporate social responsibility and letting those impressions shape their spending decisions. Is your family among them? If so, you're certainly not alone.

Technomic, Inc., a respected restaurant consulting and research company, recently studied which restaurant companies consumers think are most socially responsible. And guess what? Four of the top five companies consumers named are quick-serves.

The chains consumers view as being most socially responsible are McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Subway, Starbucks, and Applebee’s. (Well, okay, Starbucks might send me a nastygram for lumping them into quick service. But they are competing with quick-serves in many areas. So, Starbucks, no nastygrams, please. Oh, and I love your M&M snickerdoodles.)

Looking at U.S. consumer attitudes toward corporate social responsibility in foodservice, Technomic found that restaurant users rated health insurance coverage, living wages, and animal welfare as their top three concerns, when asked to select among fourteen different issues.

Technomic found that, in general, consumers believe restaurant chains could do more to address their high priority social issues.

“Corporate social responsibility is becoming increasingly important for consumers in general and restaurant users specifically,” said Bob Goldin, executive vice president of Technomic, when the report was released. “The foodservice industry should identify and proactively address those social issues most important to their customer base. There is big payback for companies that are able to connect with consumers in this way and major downside risk for those fail to do so.” (Emphasis mine.)

Do you talk with your kids about how companies can give back to society? Does your family tend to shop or eat with companies you think are more socially responsible? Comment and tell us about it. The corporations are reading. :)

Posted by QSMama at 06:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Thanks to The Wonderful Husband's recent retail therapy, we have a fancy new digital cable system that lets us record programs automatically. So, like any decent parents would, we immediately filled the hard drive with children's programs—the gentle new "Curious George" on PBS, plenty of Sesame Street, and the one Disney show I like (really like): "Little Einsteins."

Trouble is, "Little Einsteins" comes on the Disney Channel, and there are commercials—or, as I'm sure Disney would prefer me to call them, "corporate mentions." This morning, I let her watch a new "Little Einsteins," and the introductory montage included a spot with the Chuck E Cheese mascot playing basketball with kids and encouraging exercise...because "it's not only fun, it's healthy, too!," or something to that effect.

That message, of course, is lost on a two-year-old. Her thinking went more like, "Chuck E Cheese! I went to a birthday party there a few months ago. There was pizza and candy and cake and games! I want to go again!" Which then became all she talked about for the next five minutes, until Leo and the rest of the Little Einsteins crew headed to Rocket and her mind moved on.

This annoyance isn't limited to Disney. Even PBS, sadly, has corporate mentions—again, Chuck E Cheese, for our local PBS channel. I hate that.

So what's to do?

Last month Elaine Kolish, pictured here, became director of the Council of Better Business Bureau's Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative. She will monitor and enforce the pledges made last November by 11 major food advertisers to devote half their advertising aimed at kids to the promotion of healthy diet and fitness choices.

Those advertisers include quick-serve companies and suppliers like McDonald's, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Cadbury Schweppes, Campbell Soup, General Mills, Hershey, Kellogg, Kraft, Masterfoods, and Unilever.
All have pledged to reduce their use of licensed characters, product placement, and advertising in schools, and to follow the existing guidelines of the BBB's Children's Advertising Review Unit.

As this interview makes clear, though, the pledges are just that right now. Kolish will spend this spring and summer encouraging those advertisers to put some teeth in those promises. Here's an exceprt:

"[...] We're planning on announcing pledges between May and August this year. I'm not saying everything's going to be implemented between May and August—the pledges are supposed to explain how the company is going to meet the principles they signed onto last fall, to devote at least 50% of their advertising aimed directly at children 12-and-under to healthier diet choices and healthier lifestyles.

That all sounds good—really good, and best of luck to you, Elaine—but I keep thinking back to that Chuck E Cheese spot from this morning: just the mention of the name is annoying enough.

What's your take? Do you mind when your kids are exposed to advertising? Do you intentionally shield them from it? Or do you take it all in stride? Comment and let me know.

Posted by QSMama at 07:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Take a look at just one day's worth of quick-serve coupons. Our mailbox was literally overflowing. Note that the square Burger King in the lower-right corner one is not one page, but a whole booklet of money-off goodies.

A couple of observations:

* Note the number of quick-serve chains promoting breakfast. This is THE battleground right now among chains. Seems we Americans are creatures of habit when it comes to breakfast. All of the major chains want to make sure you build your morning routine around them.

The Burger Kings, McDonald's, and Wendy's of the world have watched Starbucks (and, to an extent, Dunkin Donuts) and developed major, major envy.

* Also note the number of pizza offers. This coupon-cornucopia arrived on the Thursday before Final Four Weekend, and we live in the heart of Tobacco Road basketball country. (Go, Duke! Go ACC!) That tells you something about targeted marketing.

So, does your mailbox fill up with ads and coupons like this? Have you ever redeemed one?

Posted by QSMama at 07:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

McDonald's UK had a swift retort for Britain's Prince Charles after the prince made remarks about banning the company's food.

During a visit earlier this week to the Imperial College London Diabetes Center in Abu Dhabi, Prince Charles suggested that McDonald's, often criticized over its high-fat menu choices, should be banned.

Reuters quotes Prince Charles as saying, "Have you got anywhere with McDonald's? Have you tried getting it banned? That's the key," to a nutritionist at the center.

To which a spokesman for McDonald's UK business said, in an e-mailed statement, "The comment made by the Prince of Wales appears to be an off-the-cuff remark that, in our opinion, does not reflect either our menu or where we are at as a business." McDonald's emphasized its addition of choices like fruit, carrot sticks, salads, and organic milk, and said it has made strides in supporting sustainable agriculture.

To which a spokesman for Prince Charles said he "was keen to emphasize the need for children to enjoy the widest variety of food and not to eat any particular sort of food to excess."

What do you make of the exchange?

Posted by QSMama at 07:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

QSK readers : YOUR EYES ONLY

Due to a matter of national security, our bureau has 87,000 special agents working undercover on a classified project involving your employee, QSMama.

As part of a special mission, QSMama was required to escort The Dalai Lama to a running tournament at an undisclosed location yesterday. QSMama was simultaneously performing surveillance and posting on her QSK blog when QSMama foiled a diabolical attempt to destroy the world by disarming a rogue nuclear device using only a sweet potatoes, a iBook G4, a paper clip and extreme courage.

QSMama was awarded a medal by Jude Law and spent the night recovering in a the Madeleine Chapel in Paris, all the while begging us to charter a jet to get to work on time. Although tardiness is certainly against company policy, remember, if it weren't for QSMama none of us would be at work today.
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Har, har, har. Want your own ridiculous excuse? Go McDonald's Morning Impaired site to generate one.

Posted by QSMama at 05:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As a parent, where do you stand on the whole snacking thing?

Depending on which book you read / what your pediatrician says / what works for your family, you might do square meals or more frequent, smaller meals. One famous pediatrician even recommends leaving out an array of snacks out for a toddler, say, in a muffin tin, so that she can eat on the go all day.

But that wouldn't work for us. First, we're rarely inside the house for long periods of time. And I never wanted to be one of those parents whose cars and sofas are full of crushed Cheerios and crackers. (Not that that's awful. And not that our house and car are clean. But anyway.)

So while I'm not militant about it, we're a three-meals-and-afternoon-snack kind of family. That works for us, but it seems we're going against the trend. This news release from McDonald's says snacking occasions are forecast to increase 3.6 percent in the United States, compared to overall eating occasions from 2004 to 2008, according to a recent report by Business Insights. The same report says fully 10 percent of Americans forgo regular meals in favor of grazing.

McDonald's is catering to the trend by introducing several new Snack Wrap varieties. Pleased with the results of its summer 2006 launch of the Ranch Snack Wrap, McDonald's today started rolling out more snacking options for customers with the new Honey Mustard Snack Wrap. In addition to the new flavor, the popular portable snacks now are available in both grilled and crispy choices.

The grilled version of the Honey Mustard wrap is pictured above. It's got chicken breast meat, cheddar jack cheese, lettuce, and a sweet and tangy Honey Mustard sauce, wrapped inside a flour tortilla. It's offered for a promotional period at $1.29 at participating McDonald's restaurants nationwide.

McDonald's already had other snack items on the menu, including the Snack Size Fruit & Walnut Salad, Fruit 'N Yogurt Parfait, and Apple Dippers, among others.

Consumers will the have the opportunity to try the new Honey Mustard Snack Wrap at sampling and trial promoting events throughout the country including NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas, the CIAA Basketball Tournament in Charlotte, the Mexican National Team soccer clinic and kick off game in San Diego, Chinese New Year Parade and Festival in San Francisco, and at Spring Break activities in Panama City Beach.

You know, these snack-sized adult items might make decent substitutes for kids' meals. What do you think?

Posted by QSMama at 07:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Seth Godin's wonderful blog recently passed along a McDonald's training video from 1972. Take a look.

As Godin points out, the first thing you'll notice is the slow pace of the video. It's about as quick as a Baby Einstein video. Truly, our attention spans have shortened.

The second thing you'll notice is: Why the heck is that customer wearing a hard hat as he orders his McDonald's lunch? Does he expect the employee to throw his order at him? Is he afraid a batch of burgers will fall from the sky, a la Captain Kangaroo, my own favorite video treat in 1972?

We'll never know.

But overall you'll notice how little the need for good customer service training has changed. I've often said every American kid should have to do a six-month-minimum "tour of duty" waiting tables, starting around age 18. Nothing's better for teaching young adults things like...

• Just as there are rules in your family, there are organizational rules employees have to follow. Family rules are the first training ground for getting along in the rest of the world.

• It's hard to please a lot of people, but when it's your job you have to keep trying.

• It's nice to be kind to the people who are serving you. That means being polite, patient, and a thoughtful tipper.

Did you have a job waiting tables or working a register? How did that job prepare you for other parts of adult life?

Posted by QSMama at 07:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When some high-school-aged Quicksies got out of control at their local McDonald's, the restaurant closed its doors to all students from the nearby school.

An employee at the restaurant, who identified herself in the news as a manager but would not give her name, told the Greely Tribune the students would be allowed back in the restaurant when they could learn to act like respectful young adults—as early as next week.

Reportedly, the teenagers have shut off the restaurant's water, cut holes in the walls, and pushed pregnant women around.

Three cheers to that restaurant's management from QSK!

Posted by QSMama at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Wade D. sent this in as a comment on this post, but I think the link deserves an entry of its own...just for fun.... Wouldn't your kids be impressed if you could order like this?
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Speaking of McDonalds, check out these guys ordering with style at the drive-thru.

I love that the person working the drive through takes it so seriously—"number nine with what, you didn't say what kind of drink you wanted."

Posted by QSMama at 05:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There's a good story in the Orange County Register about the recent opening of McDonald's second R-Gym, this one in Santa Ana. Check out the video for a look inside the gym!

Quick Serve Kids reported the opening of the first location last June. (That's the location pictured to the right.) The company says it plans to open twenty locations over the next year.

Posted by QSMama at 05:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

McDonald's president and COO Ralph Alvarez says in this article on Reuters that the trans-fat-free oil that Wendy's is using does not work well for McDonald's fries.

I'm not sure why that is the case, but then I don't know the particulars. Maybe the coating on McD's fries interferes, or the taste changes radically. At an rate, I wonder why a powerhouse like McDonald's can't force the R&D on this and make it happen. After all, twenty-five-unit Pat & Oscar's did it, and I hear casual dining chains like Cheesecake Factory have found solutions, too.

For more on the trans fats issue, listen to the latest QSK Podcast, or read this or this.

UPDATE: Meant to ask: Has anyone tried Wendy's since the first of September? Can you taste (or feel) any difference in the fries or other fried items? I'm dying to know! We haven't gone yet. Click on Comment and let me know.

Posted by QSMama at 07:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Corporate blogging is big and getting bigger all the time. Yet it seems many corporate blogs are flimsy and fake-sounding...like the company's PR firm said, "You need to do this," and the company said, "Okay, you write it."

But that doesn't seem to be the case with McDonald's Corporate Responsibility blog, called Open for Discussion. I've been pleasantly surprised at its relative transparency and positive treatment of the challenges facing large corporations—things like this link to a green business blog. I'm not saying the posters, who include vice president Bob Langert, and Catherine Adams (pictured above), corporate vice president for worldwide quality, food safety, and nutrition, don't have the support of McD's communications department. But the posts are unpolished in a good way.

Recent posts include dialogue on the chain's Hummer Happy Meal giveaway, the company's corporate responsibility work in the Third World, work on environmentally friendly packaging, and the first Web chat—another is planned soon.

Blogs need readers and commenters in order to build meaningful content...so if you're interested, add Open for Discussion to your blogrolls.

Posted by QSMama at 05:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Just posted: a spankin' new QSK Podcast. This time, we're talking about trans fats and how some big-name chains are reducing or eliminating them from their menus.

These changes have a big impact on the trans-fat levels of some of kids' favorites foods—chicken nuggets, fries. So take a listen and find out what's going on.

And here's a brief survey: During the first Podcast, QSMama drank two Tanqueray and tonics. (Yes, she was a bit nervous, and, besides, it was late on a Saturday night.) During the second, she drank milk. Which drink produced better results? Comment and let me know.

Posted by QSMama at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There was a great piece in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about healthy drive-thru options for kids.

The writer and her assistants looked at kids' meals at a number of chains and found, to quote the article, "[a]ll of the big chains offer at least one not-so-terrible option for kids." In fact, they found a great number of options, some of which you're probably familiar with, such as fruit cups, apple slices, and milk.

They also found some more unusual choices, like organic yogurt at St. Louis Bread Co., the Southwest chicken pita at Jack in the Box (with black beans and corn), and a little banana split just for kids at Sonic.

Wouldn't Baby A love that! "Ice cream" was about her fourth word ("imeeeeee!").

Posted by QSMama at 06:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Slate magazine reviews an array of quick-serve salads. Try before you buy...if only vicariously.

Quick-serves are heavily targeting moms with premium salads like these. Which one is your favorite? Why? Comment and let me know.

Posted by QSMama at 08:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Check out this interesting discussion over at Blogging Baby, about whether or not what mom eats during pregnancy affects the child's palate.

That post was was racking up the comments just as several quick-serve chains announced changes to the spice factor on their menus. Namely: Wendy's announced it was testing a super-spicy chicken sandwich in three markets. Wendy says the new sandwich will be even hotter than the Spicy Chicken Sandwich it has marketed for a decade.

But just as Wendy's stepped up the spice, rival McDonald's said it was removing its Hot 'n' Spicy McChicken sandwich from menus after a six-month run.

Competitor Burger King also serves a spicy chicken sandwich.

So let's tie together all this news in light of the Blogging Baby discussion. I'll start. I love spicy foods and couldn't get enough of them while pregnant with Baby A. The more intense the taste, the better. And she so far adores salsa (even the hot ones), Thai food, and Chinese food, which has pretty intense flavors.

How about you and your kids? Any relationship between your tastes and theirs? Dads, what have you noticed? And everyone: does a super-spicy chicken sandwich appeal to you?

Posted by QSMama at 06:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Happy Bastille Day!

Unless you're a superfan of Subway, you'll probably get just about as excited as I do about the chance to purchase Subway clothes and merchandise. Except: How cute is this onesie? "Baked fresh...right out of the oven?" That's actually pretty funny, and the Subway logo is pretty small.

Remember, it's also Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A. Show up at one of their restaurants dressed head-to-toe as a cow and get a free combo meal! (Or make your kids dress up.) It is not too late! If you do it, PLEASE send in a picture of yourself or your kids. I'll post it (anonymously, if you wish).

Arrrggghhh! (Okay, that just doesn't come naturally for me, but let's go with it. Ahem.)

Continue reading "Friday Fun: Subway for Infants, Cow for a Day, and Cell Phone Booths" »

Posted by QSMama at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Step aside, baseball and apple pie. Dining out is now a quintessential American pastime, according to Scarborough Research. The firm's new Restaurant Report shows that 96 percent of U.S. adults dine out at a restaurant at least once per month.

Two-fifths (40 percent) of the population visited a quick-service restaurant, such as McDonald's, Wendy's, or Subway, six or more times during the past month, according to the report.

About one-fifth (19 percent) of U.S. consumers visited a sit-down restaurant (such as TGI Friday's or Chili's) six or more times during the past month.

Whew. So our family isn't alone in spending way too much money at restaurants.

If you want to read more, the full study is available for download here.

Posted by QSMama at 08:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

McDonald's yesterday debuted R Gym, a new indoor play area for children ages three to twelve.

The announcement follows McD's formation of its Global Moms Panel and comes as the brand continues to fight accusations that its food and kid-centered marketing contribute to children's obesity and other health problems. McDonald's says it offers healthy options for kids and parents (apple slices, lowfat milk, salads), and counters that inactivity is a major contributor to childhood health problems.

The new R Gym, unveiled in a Whittier, California, restaurant (see photo at right), features games that promote physical coordination, strength development, aerobic conditioning and social skills.

Continue reading "McDonald's Opens R Gym for Kids" »

Posted by QSMama at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Burger King restaurants nationwide will now offer Hershey brand low-fat (1 percent) white and chocolate milk (pictured right) in re-sealable 8-ounce plastic bottles.

The milk is available to all customers, but it can be part of a Kids Meal. The chain says the new milk options give customers a prime opportunity to help get three servings of dairy a day, as recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

In its news release about the milk, Burger King says research shows two out of three kids are not getting the recommended 3 servings of dairy each day.

Visit the official 3-A-Day site all next month to learn more about the potential benefits of getting three dairy servings a day. On the site, mothers can sign up to be a 3-A-Day of Dairy Mom and receive a monthly "Get 3!" e-newsletter with recipes, offers, and tips from other moms.

McDonald's continues to offer toys based on the Disney/Pixar movie “Cars” in its Happy Meals, through July 6.

Continue reading "News Roundup: Burger King serves milk, McDonald’s keeps zooming, Starbucks targeted" »

Posted by QSMama at 06:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)