It doesn't matter how much of a diehard fast food fan you are, chances are pretty good
that you've spent at least some time wondering what goes on behind the scenes at places like
McDonald's.
So, what menu items are on the "questionable" list, and why?
One McDonald's employee on Reddit warned others against ordering smoothies from McD's, because
apparently, the McCafe machines are not to be trusted.
Not only would they not drink them themselves, but there were times that they just told customers
the machine was down, because it was so disgustingly dirty they didn't feel right serving anything
out of it.
Other employees chimed in saying they avoided the things that came out of pretty much most
machines, including sodas and milkshakes.
Milkshake machines were, in their experience, definitely not cleaned every day and tended
to accumulate a crusty build-up.
Cleaning cycles were run every two weeks or so, and they described it as "legally ok."
Soda machines weren't even done that often, and were almost always full of sludge.
According to one employee, their Coke representative said most machines he serviced were full of
syrupy gunk.
Now you know.
McDonald's — and other fast food chains — have made huge strides toward making their
menus healthier, or at least offering customers healthy options.
According to employees answering one Reddit thread, their egg white sandwiches aren't
nearly as healthy as you think you are, and the people that are actually cooking them
avoid eating them.
It's all in the preparation method, and they say that there's a ton of butter sprayed on
the grill and on the ring molds to keep the eggs from sticking.
All that's piling on the fat and calories, so it turns out that your "healthy" choice
isn't so healthy after all.
It gets worse — other employees chimed in to say that calling it "butter" was a bit
of a misnomer, and "butter substitute" was probably more accurate.
Either way, they say egg whites aren't the way to eat healthier there.
Grilled chicken is another option you might gravitate toward if you're thinking you want
something that's at least slightly healthy, but according to employees on Reddit, you
might want to do what they do and avoid it.
According to one employee on the Reddit thread "I am a McDonald's manager, [ask me anything]",
anyone thinking about ordering the grilled chicken should think twice.
They called it, quote, "horrible frozen chicken that we defrost and steam and it's a bit gelatinous."
If that's not enough to dissuade you, another employee from the Reddit thread "I am a McDonald's
employee, [ask me anything]" said they avoided the grilled chicken for another reason: it
was so rarely ordered that it was likely to have been sitting for a long, long time.
While others say that wasn't the case at their location, a few employees chimed in to verify
a grilled chicken sandwich might sit for hours.
According to one employee on the Reddit thread "I am a McDonald's manager, [ask me anything]",
a lot of the items customers might think are healthy are ones that the employees know absolutely
aren't.
They say there's a lot of secret stuff that goes on to make these apparently healthy options
not-so-healthy after all, starting with the wraps.
Wraps are usually a great option, and they help cut out all the carbs of bread.
But McDonald's wraps?
That's deep fried chicken in there, and that's definitely not healthy.
The veggie patties are also deep fried, which negates any hopes for a healthy lunch there,
too.
We haven't even started in on their salads, that are not only topped with dressing that's
horrible for you, but that might have freshness issues, too.
Employees also say the chicken is always pre-cooked and frozen, and add that if you're looking
for something that's better for you, the beef is actually the way to go.
When askReddit asked which menu option to avoid, one McDonald's employee simply responded
with McDonald's sweet tea.
They say there's an entire pound of sugar in each gallon of tea.
Take a peek at McD's nutritional information, and you'll see that the small has 90 calories
and 0 fat, making this masquerade as a healthy option.
But that same small beverage also has 21 grams of sugar.
You get even more if you order the large, which comes with a whopping 38 grams.
For comparison, a small Coke comes in at just 12 grams of sugar and 45 calories.
While everyone might expect sweet tea to have some sugar, no one expects it to have almost
twice the sugar as a Coke.
Even if you're suspicious of McDonald's full-size, fat- and calorie-heavy salads, you might think
one of their side salads is an easy, healthy option for a quick lunch.
But according to employees, side salads are not the way to go, despite the hype.
"It's crunchy in my mouth it's super good."
While they're usually stickered with a date, that sticker may not be the original one.
Employees say that they're not a popular item, but managers that don't want to waste them
will allegedly have employees re-sticker them with a new date.
McDonald's also made headlines when they pulled thousands of salads from their stores across
the Midwest in 2018.
A good rule of thumb?
Don't order the unpopular thing.