McDonald's Review                                          Return to Restaurant Review
By LifeAdviceSite.com
                                          

McDonald's has long been the icon of fun, fast, and convenient family dining. The playground at many locations, along with a comical cast of characters and clowns, bright colors, and toys tucked into Happy Meals have long been a draw for families with small children. The speed of meal preparation and plethora of locations speckled across the globe make them a convenient choice for diners on the move and on the run. In recent years, McDonald's has suffered a bad rap for their high-fat, oil-riddled, nutrition-deficient menu. Even though a regular hamburger is only 250 calories, it's true that subsisting on a diet made up entirely of hamburgers and french fries would not be a healthy choice for anyone, but McDonald's has done a lot to make their menu more health-friendly with wholesome choices like yogurt, salad, and apples. These days, McDonald's is way more than the Big Mac. The Egg Mcmuffin is more than likely McDonald's signature breakfast item, and it's one I remember choosing when I was young. The tender egg, chewy, toasted english muffin and tangy cheese along with crispy bacon is a favorite of millions and an easy breakfast standby. Many people are skeptical of the eggs, but McDonald's is adamant that they use farm fresh eggs in all of their locations. The eggs which are used for the scrambled eggs as well as certain breakfast sandwiches, are actually a pasteurized liquid egg product, which accounts for the texture that makes some believe the eggs are suspect.

The Egg Mcmuffin is the exception, however. Fresh, whole eggs are used in the Egg Mcmuffin, and the whole Mcmuffin is only 300 calories. If you nix the bacon and/or cheese, you'll rack up even fewer calories, and it becomes a fairly healthy breakfast. Not everyone knows you can also order stand-alone items at McDonald's. Grab an english muffin with jam, or a serving of scrambled eggs, both of which are less than two hundred calories.

Even though it's a little more than I like to spend on my breakfast calories, I have to admit a particular fondness for the Bacon Egg and Cheese McGriddle. Oh, McGriddle, where have you been all my life?! The Mcgriddle is a just like any other McDonald's breakfast sandwiches, except that the "bun" is made up of a sturdy pancake which has been injected at strategic points with little flavor shots of maple syrup. It is a treat in which I indulge only once in a while, and I tend to leave off the processed cheese, as I'm something of a cheese snob and prefer all natural, less altered cheese.

The Fruit 'n Yogurt parfait is another great choice which provides a lower-calorie alternative along with some nutrients from the yogurt and the fruit, which includes strawberries and blueberries. It can be an easy, light breakfast, or a tasty, filling snack depending on what time of day it is. The yogurt is smooth and creamy, with a hint of sweetness that makes it almost irresistible. One caveat is that the fruit used in the parfait is sometimes frozen or semi-frozen. If you don't mind, then it's no big deal. If you prefer your berries soft and cool, do what I do and purchase your parfait before you're ready to consume it. Sometimes I get them the night before for breakfast the next day, or pick one up at lunch to have for a snack later in the day. Just an hour or two and the berries are perfectly thawed.

Salads have also come a long way at McDonalds, and along with varying types of lettuce, they're chock-full of all-natural ingredients such as tomatoes, whole cheese, mandarin oranges, even edamame!

If a healthier variety of foods isn't enough to convince you McDonald's has changed, and images of the garish clown and bright, traditional McDonald's colors are just too much for you to bear, do a little hunting and chances are you can find one of the newer "grown-up" McDonald's near you. In my area, there is a McDonalds with warm brown and taupe colors gracing the walls and columns, a flat-screen TV and internet access, as well as a warm fireplace and living room style furniture. Except for the plastic dishes and paper wrappers, I can almost convince myself I'm in a great little bistro...

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