According to a new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the nutritional quality of kid’s meals at many (if not most) chain restaurants is seriously out of whack. The Center examined 13 national chains and found that 93% of offerings exceeded 430 calories-- pretty high considering that children aged 4 through 8 only need about 1400 calories a day (and that’s if they are moderately active). One of the worst offenders, for example is a child’s meal at Chili’s which includes fried chicken “crispers,” cinnamon apples and chocolate milk to a total of 1,020 calories. A similar count weighs in from Burger King’s “Big Kids” (pun intended?) Meal with double-cheeseburger, fries and milk totaling over 900 calories. Is it any wonder that today’s kids are as overweight as their parents when you consider that the average family eats out at least once per week. It adds up.
So what’s a parent to do?
There are healthy choices out there—many of which are as easy on the wallet as they are on the waistline. Jason’s Deli serves up kid-friendly organic fare and beverages without high-fructose corn syrup. At many locations, kids eat free after 5:00 pm. Moe’s has healthy, child sized soft and hard tacos rounding out at just over 200 calories and also has certain evenings where kids eat free. If you look, you can find more healthful options than fried chicken fingers and macaroni and cheese, but it may take a little more effort from Mom and Dad. If you don’t cultivate a taste for unhealthy foods when your children are young, chances are they’ll make better choices when they grow up. Or better yet, rather than focus on the negative, emphasize a diet based on fruits, veggies and whole grains. I’m not saying you should deprive kids of the chance to be kids, just stress healthy eating and lead by example.
No comments:
Post a Comment