My small fry loves French fries more than I would like her to… but I know she isn’t the only 3-year-old out there who begs for the greasy potato strings when driven by those famous golden arches.
What about you? What are your children eating for dinner tonight? If your answer contains the words: Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions (you get the idea)… then this blog is for you.
I happen to be a parent who loathes having to stop at fast food restaurants for any meal. However, since we do travel quite a bit I realize that the occasional chicken nugget/French fry meal is not going to do my child in. That said; there really is no escaping the myriad of warnings issued by pediatricians and dieticians about the surge in childhood obesity and the link between the condition and fast food.
According to the Department of Agriculture, the average child should be consuming up to 1,500 calories and 17 grams of fat a day. So how do fast food kids’ meals stack up? Most fast food restaurants post nutritional information on their websites.
Here’s some information you may want to consider the next time you find yourself pulling into the drive-thru at a fast food restaurant:
Wendy’s—-a hamburger, small fry and small soft drink adds up to 620 calories and 19 grams of fat, which exceeds the amount your child needs in a day.
McDonald’s—a four-piece McNugget happy meal packs 515 calories, and a whopping 21 grams of fat.
Denny’s—the chain’s cheeseburgerlicious–the kid’s cheeseburger and fries adds up to 760 calories and 39 grams of fat… more than double the recommended intake.
If you are out and about, a better choice might be the spaghetti meal from Olive Garden. It only has 310 calories and 2 grams of fat. But, don’t think that the meal is better because it’s not coming out of a drive-thru window. A kids’ grilled cheese from Applebee’s with fries contains 900 calories and 44 grams of fat. That’s more than twice the recommended amount.
Of course, they are some restaurants (both fast food and sit-down) that are slowly integrating healthier choices on their children’s menu. For example, McDonald’s now offers apple slices and milk for parents who don’t want their kids to consume fries and coke. Subway, Wendy’s, and Burger King are also promoting healthy kids’ meal options.
Dieticians will tell you that none of the fast food meals can replace a healthy, home cooked one. However, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that opting for the healthier menu choices is a step in the right direction, especially when you consider the harm that can stem from consuming a high calorie, high fat diet.
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