Disclosure: Diary of a First Time Mom partnered with McDonald’s to sample and promote its #AllDayBreakfast menu. Although some form of compensation has been received,                                        all opinions remain my own.

Dear Diary,

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, my father made breakfast for my sister and I. He doesn’t know how to cook–well, unless you count making soup or hot dogs. So on the weekends in the winter, when my mom went to work, he took my sister and I to McDonald’s® for pancakes. Three decades later, I fondly remember our outings. After we ate, we went home and watch movies–the same movies. We curled up on the couch and played The Neverending Story or Breakdancing. That was our thing, our father daughter bond. We didn’t east fast food all the time, but when we did, it was truly a treat. And mind you, my parents were pretty sticklers for healthy meals. We weren’t even allowed to drink pop–or soda as my East Coast friends like to call it.

More than two decades later, I’m taking my toddler to McDonald’s. Although I cook more than my dad, I like to get a day off from time to time. I also like pancakes, especially pancakes that don’t take me an hour to make. And you know what else we like? Sleep! Something moms can never get enough of.  But thanks to McDonald’s All Day Breakfast, we don’t have to rush out the door to beat the clock. We can hit snooze, and eat breakfast on our terms. And continue our movies and pancakes tradition. Most days, Caitlynn asks to eat at the restaurant though, but when we do, we still head home and watch Netflix.

After 10:30 a.m., the All Day Breakfast menu features all of McDonald’s most popular breakfast items including:

• Egg McMuffin
• Sausage McMuffin with Egg
• Sausage McMuffin
• Hotcakes with Sausage
• Sausage Burrito
• Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait
• Fruit & Maple Oatmeal
• Hash Browns

Once when I post a picture on social media, someone questioned my meal choice, which by the way included All Day Breakfast items and French fries. I didn’t know fast food equated to bad parenting. Fast doesn’t always equate to unhealthy either.

McDonald’s® serves USDA inspected, 100% pure beef that is free from fillers or additives. And we can get 1% low fat milk  sourced from dairies such as Dean Foods and yogurt made with Grade A low fat milk, which contains live and active cultures. At McDonald’s you can also cut back on what Cait calls the yucky stuff.

Save on Sodium

You can request hamburgers without grill seasoning, which contains a mix of salt and pepper and French fries without added salt. You can also skip or use less sandwich condiments such as ketchup, mustard, pickles, sauces and dressings. Or order sandwiches without cheese. You’ll save 200 mg for each slice of American cheese. And you can choose menu items made without sausage or bacon.

Trim Fat

If you’re paying attention to the amount of fat in your diet, you can 11 grams of fat by substituting apple slices for a small order of French fries. An Egg McMuffin® sandwich instead of a Sausage McMuffin® will save you 10 grams. And skipping the sauce on a Big Mac® sandwich or a Filet-O-Fish® sandwich will save you nine grams.

I know, you don’t want to cut out all of the ingredients that caused you to come to McDonald’s, right? I completely understand! I indulge from time to time. Then, I can balance our fast food intake with  homemade meals for lunch and dinner. One thing I don’t swallow–shame. I don’t feel guilty when I don’t cook breakfast. I know I am a good mom–matter of fact, I am a great mom. And I hope my daughter will remember our movie and pancake weekends when she grows up!

Hey DFTM Fam–Have you ordered off the All Day Breakfast menu yet? What do you do when you get a break from cooking?