Children, Activity, Diet
Here is part three of our series. We feel that most parents make misguided choices for kids meals. This is based on several years observations of what kids eat for lunch, parties, going out, etc. Most parents are busy – because they are parents! It is hard to juggle a job, household, kids activities and more. Most parties we see have chips, donut holes, brownies, cookies, soda, cake, fried chicken fingers and rarely a fruit or vegetable. Most restaurants have foods that are very high in fat and sodium. Take a look at our chart to see common choices and what they contain and you will be appalled!
Look at the typical choices for popular kid menu items below:
| Food | Calories | Fat (g) | Trans Fat (g) | Sat. Fat (g) | Sodium (mg) |
| Cheeseburger | 300 | 12 | .5 | 6 | 750 |
| Pizza | 331 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 514 |
| Grilled Cheese | 334 | 20 | .5 | 2 | 828 |
| Chicken Nuggets, Fries, Coke | 520 | 23 | 0 | 3.5 | 570 |
| Macaroni & Cheese, prep | 410 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 912 |
| Brownie | 344 | 16 | 1.5 | 4 | 245 |
| Lunchable Cracker Stack | 390 | 22 | 1 | 9 | 890 |
| Dora the Explorer Soup | 70 | 2 | 0 | .5 | 580 |
| SpaghettiOs Pasta with Franks | 230 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 930 |
| Cheeseburger meal with fries | 640 | 24 | 1 | 7 | 920 |
Source: Mcdonalds.com, Dennys.com, Kraftfoods.com
Published in Communicating Food for Health Newsletter
Tips for better kids meals:
• Share a healthy menu item with the kids. Ideas include low-fat salad and pasta with marinara sauce, grilled fish or chicken, baked potato and salad, soup and salad OR order a regular size item and take the leftovers home.
• Visit salad bar type restaurants and places that offer low-fat options for salad, stirfry and pasta
• Skip the fried food. Better choices for fast food are a plain burger, skim milk and fruit or salad (dressing on side).
• Involve kids in researching the nutrients for their favorite fast food restaurant menus. Have them visit the new FDA site for Nutrition Facts Label reading so they can be aware of how to read a lable and what is in the food they are eating – visit www.SpotTheBlock.com for three easy lessons on serving sizes, calories and nutrients.
• Cook with your kids!! Kidscuisine.net lists the 5 top reasons to cook with kids as:
1) It encourages kids to eat healthy;
2) It is bonding time for you and the kids;
3) It nurtures creativity;
4) It is fun;
5) Cooking can teach math and science principles!!
Here are more products to help teach kids better nutrition
And here are special links for schools
Here is a link to a Word file for the June issue of CFFH newsletter:
For Consumers:
Fruits and Vegetables Increase Arterial Function
Food News You Can Use – Summer Shopping
Recipes: Farmer’s Market Dinners
Handout: 5 More Ways to Fruits and Vegetables
Handout: Visit A Farmer’s Market
For Professionals:
Presentation Ideas: Sodium Game
Lack of Vitamin D Increases Illnesses
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