What's in a McNugget and other fun food facts

[Bunk]

Am I the only one here that clearly remembers the difference between the old McD's nuggets and what they serve now? The old ones were this dull brown color with essentially no texture. Quite obviously the slurry shown above. Now they are actually white meat, though the lack of a true chicken texture does make me question what process they go through. Either way, the breading is what actually grosses me out on McD's nuggets.

Just don't tell me what thier cinnimelts are made from, I really don't want to know. (I get about one every two months)

[Mrbloodworth]

All the picture really tells you is that it is really, really finely ground before they shape it into what are essentially patties. The actual text of the article is what you should get concerned about if you're going to worry.

Pink Slime. Google it.

[Paelos]

I like the nuggets. I eat them probably once a month.

[01101010]

All the picture really tells you is that it is really, really finely ground before they shape it into what are essentially patties. The actual text of the article is what you should get concerned about if you're going to worry.

Pink Slime. Google it.

Why would you do that!?   

[Lantyssa]

I'll eat McDonald's hashbrowns and occasionally their chicken selects.  I used to love their Homestyle burgers, though.  Still, I'd rather eat at Popeye's any day of the week if I'm going to eat fast-food chicken.

[Chimpy]

I haven't had McDonald's at all since I moved away from Chicago in June 2006. That is not to say I have not eaten fast food but none of it has been from meat-slurry central.

[taolurker]

I am glad I discovered I have Coeliac, as it's made me totally avoid fast food of any kind, and visiting most restaurants I used to spend money in.

Gluten free kind of sucks, especially when it comes to pasta/bread/pizzza/baked deserts, but I'm cooking lots of things for myself, from fresh ingredients, and actually not feeling like I'm digesting glass anymore. I also have significantly more energy and definitely am not anemic looking or lethargic anymore.

McDonald's I can totally do without, and really hadn't been a fan of most of their food after dating a girl who was an Assistant Manager at one. Not only did she constantly smell like a french fry, but she expounded on how poorly prepared the food was because of their mostly incompetent minimum wage employees. As a kid I liked Chicken Nuggets, and an occasional Big Mac, but honestly I've always been living more local to Wendy's so I never really want to go to the Golden Arches.

[MahrinSkel]

Every once in a while I just need a Big Mac.  Then I remember that $3 is way too much to pay for a double cheeseburger while I am wiping Thousand Island off my chin.

--Dave

[Zetor]

Yeah, I don't eat much at fast food joints... KFC is probably the only one (maybe 2-3 / year), but I'm not sure I want to know where the Colonel gets the chickens from, either.  

(random aside: as I understand it, fast food chains are supposed to be really cheap -- but in Hungary random local eateries are a lot cheaper and have more/better food. For the price of a big mac I can buy a soup + main course + dessert combination easily...)

e: spelling is hard

[apocrypha]

I used to have a KFC (or very occasionally a McDs) sometimes, like once a month, tops. Then one week we had fillet steaks for a birthday meal. Dry aged, prime fillet, pieces about 150g and they were £3 each and it suddenly clicked that that was cheaper than a KFC and about 10 million times nicer. Add a couple of quid for some nice bread and an onion or some salad and you still come out around the same price as a fast food meal but omg the difference.

So now when we get the urge for a shitburger we go to the local butchers and buy some unbelieveably awesome fillet steak instead. 

[Nebu]

I think people lose sight of the fact that when you buy fast food, you're buying convenience... not necessarily food.  I can make some amazing meals for the price of fast food.  Especially when the Farmer's market is in season.

[Yegolev]

I'm getting pretty good at making cheap food that is also tasty.  I might try to simulate a McD burger by puree'ing the meat, using lots of salt and mixing in corn syrup.

On the other hand, I have little sympathy for people in my home that won't eat lightly-seasoned cooked vegetables.

[Hawkbit]

The convenience really is the issue.  Between travel and work, we're doing 12-14 hour days.  Trying to make a meal around that is hard.  Not impossible, but hard.  I can't stand eating dinner at 7:30.  If I had my way, we'd eat at 4 when I'm still at work.  (yeah, I eat with the elderly.  I take shit from my wife all the time about that.)

On nights that we don't have time to prepare a full meal, we do things like eggs and toast, which take all of five minutes to make.  Or cut vegetables, crackers and short cheese board. 

One of our favorite meals that goes together really fast is this:

fresh green beans, steamed
baked potato or sweet potato
frozen warm n serve rolls
boneless chicken breasts baked in a pan at 375, marinated in salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic.  Sprinkle with herb de provance.  When cooked through, serve with chevrie.

Lots of flavor, lots of healthy food there.  It takes maybe 15 min of prep for one person now that we have that dinner down to a science.  Hardest part is cleaning the chicken and green beans.  What's great is that 3 of the 4 things can just go in the oven, so using the oven timer allows me to help the kid with homework and such while making dinner, which is impossible if I make a complex meal. 

[Nebu]

Small Baked potato = 3 mins in a good microwave

Steamed veggies = 3 mins after water boils

Fish = 4 mins a side = 8 total mins

Rice = buy a rice cooker.  Star when you get home.

Stir Fry day old rice with some frozen veg, an egg, and some garlic/onion/ginger/soy = 6 mins

There are many many recipes that you can make in 15 mins or less.  The time consuming part is the prep.  I use prep as wind-down time to chat.  That or I use frozed pre-cut stuff.

Chicken breasts are faster if you pound them out first.  Turkey burgers are a decent alternative.  There's also shrimp which is fast if it's already peeled and deveined.  How about some scallops or squid?  Also fast.

[Hawkbit]

Fuck nuking baked potatoes.  Stove or gtfo.  That is all. 

[01101010]

Small Baked potato = 3 mins in a good microwave

Steamed veggies = 3 mins after water boils

Fish = 4 mins a side = 8 total mins

Rice = buy a rice cooker.  Star when you get home.

Stir Fry day old rice with some frozen veg, an egg, and some garlic/onion/ginger/soy = 6 mins

There are many many recipes that you can make in 15 mins or less.  The time consuming part is the prep.  I use prep as wind-down time to chat.  That or I use frozed pre-cut stuff.

Chicken breasts are faster if you pound them out first.  Turkey burgers are a decent alternative.  There's also shrimp which is fast if it's already peeled and deveined.  How about some scallops or squid?  Also fast.

It is never a time thing with me. It's the god damn mess afterwards that I can't deal with very well.

[Nebu]

Fuck nuking baked potatoes.  Stove or gtfo.  That is all. 

Stove at 400 degrees.  Cut potato into wedges and spray lightly with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Takes about 10-15 mins.  Yum.

[Teleku]

Yeah, the prep and the clean up is the most time consuming and annoying part of home cooking for me.  Its especially hard when I can walk to all sorts of awesome cheap restaurants in downtown Oakland/China town right outside my door.

I'm still not sure why the original picture is suddenly making people want to stop eating McNuggets.  That picture is actually a lot nicer and more sanitary looking than any of the mental images I had of how McNuggets are created.  Its a selling point!

[Hawkbit]

Fuck nuking baked potatoes.  Stove or gtfo.  That is all. 

Stove at 400 degrees.  Cut potato into wedges and spray lightly with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Takes about 10-15 mins.  Yum.

Yes, though when we do that it's usually with yukon golds, add a mashed clove of garlic and a sprig of rosemary.  Mine take 25-30 though, I like them crispy.  And Yum, yes.

[taolurker]

Microwave whole potato after cleaning for about 3 minutes. Take potato from microwave, put on foil/baking pan, place in toaster oven or regular oven on Broil, about 3-4 mins per side. Crispy baked potato 15 mins.

I also do this with basically everything you can make from potatoes, and is an especially fast way of making french fries.

[Numtini]

Let's talk about what Arby's roast beef actual is

I always thought the "horsey sauce" was a hint.

[Murgos]

Stove at 400 degrees.  Cut potato into wedges and spray lightly with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Takes about 10-15 mins.  Yum.

Cut potato into 1" chunks.  Microwave for 5-10 minutes depending on MW and quantity, in a bowl covered with plastic wrap.  Give a good shake part way through.

Place well seasoned bone-in, skin on chicken breast(s) along with 1 tbsp olive oil into hot pan skin side down until skin turns golden brown (5-10 min).  Move chicken to oven safe dish skin side up and place into pre-heated 450 oven for 10 minutes (or until probe therm reads 160ish).

Meanwhile place potatoes into chicken fat left in pan and fry until GBD.

30 minutes, 5 bucks and it's some of the best roasted chicken and home fries you'll ever have.

[Rasix]

Do we have to do this anytime someone mentions fast food or cooking?

[Hawkbit]

For the same reason every MMO thread devolves into an exploration of why SWG or WAR failed.

[Der Helm]

What has all this to do with Shadowbane ?

[MuffinMan]

Do we have to do this anytime someone mentions fast food or cooking?

[ezrast]

Know what I like to eat instead of fast food?

Apples.

[Nebu]

Do we have to do this anytime someone mentions fast food or cooking?

Don't hate the playah, hate the game.

[01101010]

I eat fast food on occasion and have my whole life. What my body doesn't want, it shits out - at times violently, but still. 

[Mosesandstick]

I enjoy that the topic keeps coming up. Keeps my mind fresh on what I should be doing.

[Sky]

Speaking of rice, I just installed my microwave oven hood thing that has a steam setting. Anyone have a recommendation for a good cooker thingy for rice in a modern steam setting microwave? Probably going to want something for veg, too.

[Ratman_tf]

Also found this while looking on snopes: Hahahaa.

One of the reasons people used spices was to preserve and cover up the taste of rotting meat. People eat bugs and fish eggs and all kinds of horrible gooey stuff. Why would some pureed chicken be any different?

Haha indeed.

[Ratman_tf]

Know what I like to eat instead of fast food?

Apples.

Pesticides.

[Mrbloodworth]

[Azazel]

Well, that one's not their fault, but fuck me.