The Center for Science in the Public Interest released their findings on an evaluation of kid’s menus from the 25 top chain restaurants in the U.S. Here are the surprising stats from the original report:
- Dining out accounts for one-third of children’s daily caloric intake- that’s twice the amount consumed away from home 30 years ago.
- The most common entrée’s on children’s menus: 89% of restaurants offered Fried chicken, Burgers (63%) and Grilled cheese & Mac and Cheese (37%).
- Side items proved a little healthier: French fries/fried potatoes (offered on 84% of kid’s menus), Fruit (58%), Veggies (42%) and desserts (42%)
- Drinks were nutritionally lacking: Soda (offered on 95% of kid’s menus- Subway was the only restaurant that did not offer soda as part of the kid’s menu), 100% juice option (68%), Whole and 2% milk (53%), 1% and skim milk (47%)
- Obesity rates have tripled in children over the last 20 years.
- 100% of the children’s meals at KFC, Sonic, Jack in the Box, Chick-fil-A and Taco Bell have more than 430 calories. For moderately active 4-8 year olds, this exceeds the one-third daily caloric limit suggested by the Institute of Medicine.
- 45% of kid’s meals exceed limits for saturated fats and trans fats (trans fats should be zero).
- 25% of children ages 5-10 years show early warning signs of heart disease.
- 86% of kid’s meals were found to be high in sodium
![](http://wellnessgossip.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/kfc.gif "KFC \")
There are many more statistics; it basically comes down to the fact that restaurants are offering a lot of nutritionally crappy kid’s meals. There are too many calories, too much fat and sodium and not enough vitamins or minerals. Some initiatives have been proposed (e.g., menu labeling) that may make a difference, but it’s too early to tell (you can visit the menu labeling site to learn more and find out how you can push for menu labeling if it’s not yet required in your area).
What do you think? Should restaurants be forced to list nutritional information for each item? Whose responsibility is it for children to have a nutritious meal- the restaurant or the parent?
Breathe in, Peace out…
Aimee
It’s hard as a parent to say no to these meals- they’re quick and give the kid a toy to keep ‘em busy. Kids see the ads on tv and beg for these meals. I think we really need to push the restaurants to stop putting the ads out.
Interesting points! I was actually thinking about this topic last night and this morning (particularly how to incorporate it into my own blog. Thanks for the tips, bro!
I think that this topic is SUCH an important one for the health of our world! A crazy number of behavioral and emotional issues are intricately tied with lacking/poor nutrition. Kids and adolescents are at such crucial developmental stages physically, socially, emotionally, etc, that making sure that kids (and adults, since kids look to us to see what they should do) put healthful things into their bodies that will actually nourish and support their bodies instead of throw things off balance should be a priority. Working with kids with special needs, I’ve seen multiple families who have had success across almost all areas with diet changes. We are learning that even small things, such as food dye, can completely throw off a child’s brain functioning. Corn is another HUGE one, and is something that is in pretty much everything that is culturally “normal.” I don’t have a cheap and quick alternative, however, maybe the quickness is something that contributes to the problem. Fast food definitely contributes to the need of a cultural food and lifestyle overhaul. Thanks for opening up the discussion!
Wow. Great points Martha. I didn’t know that food dye was so powerful. What kind of behavior changes can be seen from getting a kid off food dye?
It really depends on the kid. I worked with a speech pathologist who’s daughter would have almost immediate effects. She would be bouncing off the walls and throw huge tantrums within minutes of consuming food dye. I think it’s really a matter of guess and check (thank you, high school math teachers, for the terminology) to see how specific kids react to specific foods. It can be a real pain in the ass and a very involved process, but it can show interesting results. I’ve also worked with several students who have strict diets, specifically for behavior/brain functioning reasons. It has to be done consistently, but can be very powerful!
http://www.cspinet.org/new/200806022.html
Google “food dye behavior” and a bunch of interesting articles pop up.
God point about this, nice summary.
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[...] posted earlier about the disgusting ingredients in KFC’s grilled chicken and the nutritionally void kid’s meals that are served up in many of the fast food chains. These items generally pretend/lie to consumers that the product [...]
Parents are responsible, but the restaurant and grocery stores should also let us know what they are selling to us. If it’s poison, then tell us that it’s deadly, but if it is healthy, then just say so… Right? or what?