Recently, I have had cause to go into McDonalds, and I have to say, I have been quite disappointed.
I don’t have take away such as this very often, unless I am on the road, and I can now see why.
I hate being late for anything, so when I am travelling, I tend to give myself plenty of time. Recently, McDonalds has been the closest place for me to kill time or grab some lunch.
On my last 2 visits, it was early in the morning. I went in wanting a drink only. I don’t like milk or coffee. I tend to drink peppermint or green tea. I looked at the menu and was so disappointed to see the options available to someone who doesn’t drink coffee.
If you drink coffee you can have 8 options. Mind you, I am glad I don’t drink coffee when you see some of the syns!
Flat White – 4.5 Syns
Millionaire’s Latte – 12 Syns
Toffee Latte – 9 Syns
Black Coffee – Free
White Coffee – 4.5 Syns
Latte – 7 Syns
Cappuccino – 4.5 Syns
Double Espresso – Free if black
If you don’t drink coffee you can have:
Tea
Hot Chocolate
Now, if you are on Slimming World, the hot chocolate is 8.5 syns. As you can only have 15 in a day, that is more than half your syns gone on just a drink!
I was so disappointed, I wrote to them asking why they can’t offer other options for non coffee drinkers. How difficult would it be for them to offer green or herbal teas as an option? They have said they are sending my email to the correct department, lets wait and see.
Then I move on to the food options!
McDonalds are very proud that they are now offering lower calorie options, but if you are on Slimming World, what does that mean to you? Let’s have a look!
Breakfast
McDonalds have breakfast bundles, which they boast are under 400 calories. Ok, one of my favourite go to breakfasts is porridge, or baked/overnight oats. McDonalds has porridge on its menu! Yey! They also have Bagels and the egg and cheese McMuffin, all coming in for under 400 calories! Actually,don’t get excited. Here is a selection of their best breakfast options:-
Oats So Simple with Apple & Cherry (per pot) – 11 Syns
Oats So Simple (per pot) – 9 Syns
Egg and Cheese McMuffin – 15 Syns
Bagel, not topping – 10.5 Syns
Bacon & Egg snack wrap with Brown Sauce – 14 Syns
Egg & Cheese Snack Wrap with Brown Sauce – 13 Syns
Egg & Cheese Snack Wrap with Ketchup – 12.5 Syns
So, when you have only 15 syns a day, you could almost eat those, with your first meal of the day!
What about their new under 600 calorie daytime menu then? Well, you will be equally surprised:
The Garlic Mayo Chicken One Grilled Wrap – 17.5 Syns
The Sweet Chilli Chicken One – Grilled Wrap – 17 Syns
Grilled Chicken & Bacon Salad – No Dressing – 1.5 Syns
6 Chicken Nuggets – 8.5 Syns
Fillet O Fish – 16.5 Syns
Crispy Chicken & Bacon Salad – No Dressing – 8 Syns
Chicken Legend with BBQ Sauce – 24 Syns
Spicy Vegetable Deluxe – 20.5 Syns
If like me, you will probably be quite shocked. If you throw in a portion of chips (8.5 syns for small, 12 for medium and 17 for large), you could really be putting your weight loss at risk!
I’ve had quite a few of their salads over the last couple of years. They are not my first choice, however, when I’m on the road, this is sometimes the only option available. They are not filling, but do fill a gap until I can get something else to eat. I have diet coke with it as that is free too. I would however love to be able to have a green tea!
So next time you are looking to buy something from a takeway such as McDonalds, don’t just look at their calories. Check out the syns on Slimming Worlds App. Without knowing it, you could be damaging your weight loss journey.
McDonalds, if you are reading this, please please think about your lower calorie options. Are they really a healthy option?
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