A mother has sparked heated debate after describing the meal prep hack she uses to ensure her son always has a meal on hand – admitting she freezes a batch of 80 McDonald’s chicken nuggets that she can warm up when her child is hungry.
South Carolina’s Se Fordree took to TikTok to document the controversial meal prep hack she does for her son “because it’s the only thing he eats.”
She revealed how she puts the nuggets in bulk into a resealable bag and puts it in the freezer before reheating the chicken pieces in the microwave as they are needed.
Other social media users remained bitterly divided over the unusual technique, but what do you think?
A mother has sparked heated debate after describing the meal prep hack she uses to ensure her son always has a meal to hand
Se Fordree, from South Carolina, admitted on TikTok that she simply freezes a batch of 80 McDonald’s chicken nuggets ‘because it’s the only thing (her son) will eat’
She showed the condensation that formed in the secured bag before placing it in the refrigerator for a day
In the clip, which has been viewed more than 1.1 million times to date, Se had the assignment in front of her when she started: “I just got 80 Chicken McNuggets from McDonald’s and I’m going to freeze them.
“These are the only nuggets my child eats, that’s why I buy so many.”
She explained her methods and said, “So I take a Ziploc bag and put them all in the Ziploc bag.”
She then tossed the boxes into the sealable plastic carriers before revealing, “This is what they’re going to look like.”
Then the doting mother applied pressure to the bag and advised, “You want to squeeze all the air out.” Then I put it in the refrigerator for a day.’
Showing the condensation that formed in the secure bag, she explained, “The reason why you put them in the refrigerator for a day is because… you want it to cool before you put it in the freezer so they don’t stick together.’
Then you also put the McDonald’s paper bag filled with spices in the refrigerator to cool.
Later she returned to get the bag of nuggets from the freezer drawer.
She ends up putting the food in the microwave and leaving it on high for “one minute and 30 seconds” before they’re ready to eat
Se said she ordered so many chicken nuggets in bulk because they are “the only nuggets my child eats, that’s why I buy so many.”
Revealing how she reheats the chicken nuggets, she said: ‘I just put them on a plate and then microwave them. I usually do ten at a time.’
After counting her pieces, she held up the bag and said, “But you can see how nice and loose they are. They are not connected to each other.
“That’s why you want to keep them in the refrigerator.”
She puts the food in the microwave and leaves it on high for “one minute and thirty seconds.”
The clip then cuts to her young son dipping one of the warmed nuggets into the sauce before dipping in.
Se ends the video by saying, “They came out of the microwave and are now ready to eat.”
And other social media users quickly flocked to the comments section where fellow parents were bitterly divided.
One person wrote: ‘You lost me with the microwave.’
Another added: “Buy the cheap ones at Walmart and put them in a McDonald’s container.”
“Ask them to buy a whole freezer bag from the freezer,” a third suggested.
A fourth commenter recalled their childhood and said, “When I was little, I would either eat what my mother made or not eat at all.”
Se replied, “I did that too, but my mom cooked a lot of meals for all of us because she knew we didn’t all like the same things.”
Another commenter had a similar experience, writing, “I only ate what my mother cooked, or starved.”
Se replied, “I’m sorry, I don’t want that for my children. My mother didn’t want that from us either.’
The clip then cuts to her young son dipping one of the warmed nuggets into the sauce before dipping in
And other social media users quickly flocked to the comments section where fellow parents were bitterly divided
One person argued sarcastically, “That’s very healthy,” to which Se defensively wrote back, “He doesn’t eat them all the time.” They’re just his favorite nuggets, just like you might have a favorite food yourself.’
Another concerned parent asked, “If those are frozen when McDonald’s cooks them and you refreeze them, is that safe?”
“They’re not fully cooked when McDonald’s cooks them, so to me it’s like freezing fully cooked nuggets,” the mom explained.
Another person asked, “Why not reheat in the oven or air fryer so they get crispy again,” and Se explained that her son “likes it too, but he’s the type who also likes weak bacon.’
Despite the negative feedback she received, other parents supported the mother’s usual preparation technique.
“As long as your boy eats, that’s all that matters. You’re doing great mommy,” someone added.
Another wrote: ‘Thank you for creating a safe space for your child to eat whatever he wants! Fed is best!’
“Lol, people who judge shouldn’t have children. I buy ANYTHING just to get my toddler to eat,” a third commented.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) told DailyMail.com: ‘Home-cooked food or leftovers brought home from a restaurant should be refrigerated within two hours.
‘Discard any perishable food, such as meat, poultry, eggs, side dishes or casseroles, that has been left at room temperature for more than two hours; one hour at room temperature above 90°F.
‘Cooked food can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three to four days.
‘During this time, you can reheat the leftovers to 165°F. Be sure to return any unused portions to the refrigerator within two hours to keep it safe.
‘After each reheating, leftovers will remain safe in the refrigerator for three to four days.
‘Because the quality decreases each time the food is reheated, it is best to only reheat the amount required.
‘Cooked food that cannot be used within four days should be frozen for longer and safe storage. You can keep the leftovers in the freezer indefinitely, but they will remain of the best quality for a few months.’