Childhood obesity is climbing at an astounding rate. The rates have tripled in the last 30 years, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. And of course, adult rates of obesity are climbing as well.
One of the issues that some theorists put forth is that people tend to eat out a lot more these days. Busier lifestyles and two-income households tend to mean that there is less time or inclination for home cooked meals. While we could make healthy food choices when we are out, the truth is that they are often harder to do. Fresh produce and lean meat is expensive, and many family restaurants must make due with cheaper substitutes to keep prices down. Also, higher fat food tends to taste good to most people, so you’ll see a lot of selection of these types of food available in restaurants.
Think about kids meals in restaurants. It is all fried chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, pizza, etc. These meals are often accompanied by french fries and ice cream, as well. Sometimes you can ask for substitutes, such as a small salad or apples instead of those fries. You can also teach your children moderation, by making a poorer selection the rare treat, and letting them half the portion size to share or leave over for another meal.
Men’s Health Magazine put together a list of the five worst kids meals, stuff leaded with saturated fat and sodium many times the maximum daily allowance for kids. A couple of the meals come close to the maximum calories for an adult, let alone a child! Here are their picks for the worst:
Olive Garden Fettuccini Alfredo meal
Applebee’s Grilled Cheese with French fries
Outback Steakhouse Kookaburra Chicken Fingers meal with Aussie Fries
Denny’s Slap Shot Sliders (2) meal with Finish Line Fries
Friendly’s Mac & Cheese Quesadilla meal with Friendly Frank, Shirley Temple and Friend-z Peanut Butter Cup
To read the entire article, you can click here.