Not-so-happy meals

[dairy mom]

This thread brought to mind something I was thinking about a couple of weeks ago.  Our son ended up using our car when they went to New York to visit DIL's brother.  Son changed the oil and rotated his tires on his car the day before they were suppose to leave, and while driving here to work half a day all the idiot lights in his car came on.  The shop in town couldn't work it in to check it out so they took our car.

Anyway as I was cleaning out the little bit of travel debris after he got back I got to thinking about eating in the car.  As a kid my family took many vehicle vacations and the trip to my grandparents was a 3 hr drive.  but never once do I remember eating or drinking  in the vehicle.  Of course this was before drive through convenience food.  You still had to get out of your car at MickyD's, although there was an A&W place with car hops so you ate in the car there, but I don't remember getting stuff and then driving around.  Many of our vacations were pickup/camper so we'd stop and eat in the camper sometimes but mostly I think the noon meal was at some sort of restaurant.  I remember places with the juke box selection thing right at the table.

Today it is about a 3 hour drive for us to visit family and we always have food in the car for that drive.  Seems most of the time even after grocery shopping I buy a pop or bottle of water to drink on the  10 minute drive home.  Anyway I was thinking about how America's obsession with eating in the car started.  Did fast food develop drive thru's because people were wanting to grab and eat in their car, or did the grad and eat in the car come about because it was offered by the fast food industry. 

When did cup holders appear in cars?  Used to be there were little indentations on the inside of the glove box cover, I remember using them at the drive in movies, but certainly not cup holders all over the vehicle like today's cars have.  Kind of ridiculous, my lawn tractor even has a cup holder on it.

Sad to say we have fast food here at least once a week.  Delivery pizza is my downfall.  So convenient when I don't want to cook and I hate cooking so much.

[linda/IL]

Interesting thought on this.  Kinda like the chicken & the egg.  My DH's aunt & uncle drive 3 1/2 hours here & she always packs a cooler with pop & a bunch of snacks for the two of them.  LOL  No wonder they have a weight problem.  Love 'em anyway.   Me, I'll drink water or coffee or iced T in the summer.  Pop gives me acid reflux so I gave it up.  Our ranger has cup holders in it and so does our riding lawn mower! 

[turkey feather]

I am like Linda, I think it is dropping blood sugar. Sometimes I must have a little something so I can think normally. My DH can go all day without eating but my body is not like his.

[Kay/NC]

I drink ice water constantly throughout the day and evening...keep a huge insulated tumbler in the car console. As long as I don't get dehydrated, I am pretty good for most of the day with very little food. What can complicate eating for me is if I plan to train at 5:30, iI can't take in anything but water or plain tea after about 2:30. Even a carbonated drink would get too shaken up and cause stomach pains. Then, I have to wait until after seven to eat when I get home from training. Usually am not all that hungry after a good workout. Need to do that more often!

[Nebrfarmr]

My kids get a happy meal maybe once a month, when they have done something deserving, or an occasion such as my oldest's kindergarten program tonight. The kids get apple dipper slices instead of fries, and milk, but can choose between a burger or chicken nuggets. Anyway, last time we were there the toy was ten cents extra. I asked when they started this, and they said it was the new policy. The hair pulling moment came when I was told that even if we got apple slices, they now included fries at no charge!!!!! Thank you, mr government interviener. I used to get apples with no fries, and a free toy. Now I get fries regardless, and pay extra for the toy. I guess that is another reason to not favor more government involvement in my daily life. It starts out with a good intention, but then you have to deal with the unintended consequences that were worse than the original problem. On the subject of eating habits, I literally can eat three meals every two days, at any time I'm awake, as long as they are at least a couple hours apart. Skipping a day is no big deal, as long as I can eat all I want the evening before, or the morning after. Makes for some strange looks at an all you can eat place when you eat for a day and a half at once.

[turkey feather]

Very interesting on both points.Just shows how different our bodies are made. I do usually skip a meal at night and eat more at noon and breakfast and maybe a small afternoon snack.

McDonald's.. That is a stupid policy. Wasting the potatoes and oil when someone does not want to eat them. I wonder how that is really explained. Maybe they do not want to loose the profit margin on french fries. I have not eaten french fries for many years myself.