McDonald's employees talk about the 6 menu items they would never eat

I don't know about you, but I think that without McDonald's, the world would be a much sadder, darker and scarier place. Since the first day I was able to chew solid food to the present day, so many of my best memories have been enjoyed while tucking into a Big Mac, or gobbling down an obscene number of chicken nuggets.

I'm sure you have some similar experiences, but what's it like to be on the other side of the counter? Your average McDonald's employee has seen behind the curtain, and they know better than most about the food you're stuffing into your face. So to that end, wouldn't it be interesting to see what foods McDonald's employees definitely wouldn't eat.

1. This one's a little fishy

While the Big Mac, the McChicken or the Egg McMuffin regularly top the lists of best McDonald's menu items across the world, I have a distinct love for the Filet O'Fish. Fish, cheese, tartare sauce; there's no way this sandwich should work, so I understand why some people don't particularly like it. One former McDonald's employee from Virginia said that while they didn't like the taste, the meal was popular with the older customers "because [they] assume it's easy for them to chew". I'm trying really hard not to take offence at that.

2. Some of the healthier options

While grabbing a salad at McDonald's is a pretty effective way of relieving yourself of the guilt that can come with gorging on fast food. But one McDonald's employee from Minnesota revealed that they were staying well away from the salads. I kind of get where they're coming from, too: "I'm not a fan of tons of vegetables, and the caloric count in the items is astronomical." For reference, a Big Mac sandwich clocks in at 540 calories, but a Southwest buttermilk crispy chicken salad comes in at 520 calories. The bacon ranch salad with buttermilk crispy chicken has 490 calories, while the bacon ranch grilled chicken salad is 320 calories. That's a lot of calories for a salad.

3. Is there such a thing as too sweet? In a word, yes

When you're done with that Big Mac and fries and sitting in post-fast food bliss, the only thing that you need is a nice big gulp of Coke to wash it all down with. The Coke we know and love at McDonald's is prepared specially for maximum enjoyment, but one former employee explained how much sugar was in the McDonald's sweet tea. Too much, is the answer. "Pound. Of. Sugar. Per gallon," they revealed, and I'm probably going to steer clear if that's true.

4. Any of the limited-time-only items

Once in a blue moon (or periodically throughout the year), McDonald's graces us with limited edition menu items that have to be seen to be believed. The McRib, the Shamrock Shake; there's something about limited edition food that makes it taste all the better. But one McDonald's employee revealed on Reddit that having made a McRib themselves, they definitely wouldn't consider putting one in their mouth. "The way it looks before we put the sauce on it is absolutely revolting," this mystery employee explained. "It doesn't look like meat at all, it looks like a scab." Lovely.

5. The 'healthy' chicken sandwich

Compared to the pork, beef or bacon available underneath your local Golden Arches, chicken is (supposedly) seen as the healthier option. But another Reddit user spoke about why that isn't necessarily true. "A lot of people choose to be healthy and order our grilled chicken," they said in a 2013 thread. "Not a lot of people realize that they're eating at a fast food joint and we will find a way to make anything unhealthy." They then went on to say that the grilled chicken was slathered in margarine, making it a lot less healthy than it looked. The chicken did undergo a revamp in 2015, with the recipe now containing olive oil, canola oil, and herbs. So maybe this employee needs to reconsider his opinion.

6. One of the newer breakfast items

As any McDonald's lover worth their salt knows, the breakfast menu at McDonald's is a whole other experience entirely to their standard fare, and one worth trying at least once in your life. A relatively new addition to that breakfast menu is the Egg White Delight McMuffin, which first made its way into our mouths and hearts in 2013. With there being only egg whites involved in this particular breakfast sandwich, you could be forgiven for assuming it was healthier than the regular Egg McMuffin. If you did assume that, however, the yolk's on you: "The egg white delight is just as unhealthy, if not more so, than the regular round eggs." On a Reddit thread back in 2014, one user revealed: "The amount of butter — at least in my store — sprayed on the grill must up the calorie and fat count like crazy."

So... there you have it, McDonald's lovers. It's kind of weird to think about life on the other side of the McDonald's counter, so it's pretty cool to see what they think of the food there. Regardless of whether or not you agree with their opinions (I certainly don't), it's still interesting to see how other people think.