This post was sponsored by McDonald’s as part of an Ambassador Program for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
This was a big week for us – first, my four year old graduated from preschool in a flourish of yellow feathers and a school performance of his favorite song – five little ducks. Later that night my oldest son came home with news that he had aced his school’s band auditions and would be the proud owner of a rented trumpet next year. Not to be left out of the celebration, my middle son decided to learn to ride a bike without any training wheels one night – something he’s been working towards for two summers already. I love celebrating victories big and small with the boys – I want them to know how proud we are of the work they put in to meeting all of their goals! We decided we would choose a day this week to have dinner out. Going out to eat is one of our favorite ways to celebrate because it gives us a chance to slow down and connect – I’m not stuck in the kitchen cooking and there’s no big clean up waiting for me later on, which means I have more time to focus on my family. Finding something we can all agree on isn’t always easy, but I can count on the boys to always agree to McDonald’s!
In our house McDonald’s is the perfect family treat – something that bridges the gap between childhoods. I can remember the excitement of a special trip to McDonald’s for a Happy Meal when I was a kid, and watching my kids still enjoy something as simple as that Happy Meal is refreshing for me. With so much pressure from school and activities, I feel like a trip to McDonald’s is a chance for my boys to just be kids for a little while!
Isn’t there something so down-to-earth and easy about watching our children laugh and play with fingers sticky from barbecue sauce? It takes me back to the games and giggles of my sister and I, sitting with friends at our local McDonald’s, while our parents chatted away over stolen french fries at the next table. And while I’m no stranger to swiping a few fries from the kids, I’m really loving some of the more grown-up selections I get from the Signature Crafted sandwiches on the menu right now! My current favorite is the Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwich because it’s made with 100% chicken breast filet, real buttermilk and a blend of spices including black pepper, garlic and onion powder, but their growing menu of signature sandwiches, like the Pico Guacamole, Maple Bacon Dijon and Sweet BBQ Bacon burgers and chicken sandwiches, make it easy to find something delicious every time we visit!
As a parent my appreciation for McDonald’s has grown in so many new ways. I’ve seen the menu change over the years to reflect things that I care about as a mom – healthier, updated food options and high quality ingredients that allow me to feel good about the choices we are making, without sacrificing the great taste we love. My kids are huge fans of the chicken nuggets (who isn’t!?) and I’m a huge fan of knowing they are made without any artificial preservatives or antibiotics important to human medicine. And now that my oldest son has moved on to the regular menu I can let him order whatever he likes secure in the knowledge that every burger and sandwich is made with 100 percent pure beef or chicken. Even their milk jugs and Go-Gurt yogurt are made with low-fat milk that hasn’t been treated with growth hormones, just like we use at home.
In fact, changes to the way McDonald’s sources and prepares their food has impacted over half of the national menu in the last two years! That’s a lot of positive progress! And McDonald’s isn’t done yet – they have more exciting changes planned in the future, like sourcing only 100% cage-free eggs by 2025 in the US and Canada.
As summer approaches I’ll appreciate McDonald’s even more, because we love stopping by after a day of hiking or playing at the pool to cool down and refuel! Need to find a McDonald’s near you? Check out their website for locations, or download the app to get access to locations, menus and more! If you want to hear about all of the great menu changes McDonald’s has planned, follow them on Twitter and Instagram!
I have tried both the Maple Bacon Dijon and Sweet BBQ Bacon burgers and chicken sandwiches, and they are delicious! When our local McDonald’s rolled these out in samples, I knew I had to at least try them, and I was not disappointed! I liked the artisan style roll they have. A far cry from the styrofoam Big Macs we used to get when we were kids!
McDonald’s is really coming out with some interesting menu items and I can’t wait to try them. I’m already a fan of their salads and so their new meals must be delicious. Those burgers are really tempting… especially with that dijon sauce.
I’ve seen these new signature crafted recipes at McD’s. They are all about giving the customers choices now. I love how they give options for each sandwich and how you want it created. My husband would LOVE the maple bacon.
I have not been in a McDonalds in years. When I decided to lose weight I stayed away from them, but now that they have better options I might need to pay them a visit and try their new menu. They do look good in the pictures.
Being vegan I don’t go to McDonalds very often. However, I do have fond memories of getting a kid’s meal and toy when I was little. I loved playing in the balls and on the outside playground.
I didn’t notice a new menu at our McDonald’s. I’m going to check on that tomorrow. My little guy enjoys playing there but I always make him eat first. I love that they are changing up their menu.
Im not going to lie. McDonalds never screamed healthy to me and that is because it was so many unhealthy things on that menu. The way the world is going fast food chains are going to have to put healthier items on the menu in fear of losing millions of customers annually and I am happy at least McDonalds is attempting to add some healthy options especially for the kids.
McDonald’s is a favorite of my kids. They love to eat and play. We usually do breakfast when we go but that maple bacon dijon sandwich is calling my name. Looks delicious!
Your kids are really cute. And I remember my daughter being young and loving McDonalds and all of the play places. What I did not know is that they have made strides to make healthier organic choices in all of their beef and chicken products. That is good to know that they are not only a fun place for kids but trying to be a healthier option at the same time.
I had no idea McDonald’s was making so many shifts toward healthier eating. That’s wonderful! So many congratulations on each of the kids accomplishments. When mine were little, we too loved to go to McDonald’s for lunch and a play date. My son ordered chicken nuggets and my daughter a vanilla cone. Those are some great memories .. made me smile