Kid's Menus, What's to Eat?
Study: A survey of
children's menus in 20 of the biggest sit-down chain restaurants found little
variety but lots of fat.
Comments: We recently
returned from a road trip with three kids age 2,
5 and 7, and we had an opportunity to check out lots of children's restaurant
fare. While the adult menus usually offered a variety of choices, especially in
ethnic restaurants, for the most part the kids' menus listed the same items
(hamburgers, spaghetti, pizza, etc.) every time.
Yes, being presented with familiar dishes increases the
odds that the kids will eat, perhaps allowing the adults to enjoy their meal.
The problem is that while all the extra fat and carbs may be reassuring and
soothing for everyone,
they do not represent a healthy choice for children.
Barbara K. Hecht,
Ph.D.
Frederick Hecht, M.D.
Medical Editors, MedicineNet.com
Related Links
"What Would You Like with Your Fries?"
Sit-Down Restaurants' Kids' Fare
Often Worse Than Fast Food, Says CSPI
Parents who think the food on kids' menus at
table-service chain restaurants like Applebee's, Chili's, and Outback are
healthier than fast food should think again, according to a new study published
today in the Center for Science in the Public Interest's (CSPI) Nutrition Action
Healthletter. The French fries, chicken fingers, burgers, and pizzas that make
up the lion's share of most kids' menus have enough calories, bad (meaning
saturated-plus-trans) fats, and salt to make most health-conscious parents
nostalgic for the Happy Meal. But a few chains like Red Lobster are lightening
up their kids' menus with at least a few excellent choices, according to CSPI.
CSPI surveyed 20 of America's biggest table-service
chain restaurants that offer kids' menus. All but one menu offered French fries
and 85 percent offered burgers. CSPI commissioned independent laboratory
analysis of typical foods from seven chains-Applebee's, Chili's, Cracker Barrel,
Denny's, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, and Red Lobster-to determine calories, total
fat, saturated-plus-trans fat, and sodium.
"Many parents appreciate the kid-friendly atmosphere and free crayons at
places like Applebee's, but not many would expect adult-sized calorie counts
in a children's meal," said CSPI senior nutritionist Jayne G. Hurley. "These
chains should be encouraging kids to eat some of the healthy dishes they offer
adults, but instead their kids' menus primarily feature oversized portions of
burgers, fries, and fried chicken fingers. Now, kids come to expect that kind of
junk food at school and at home."
Some of CSPI's findings include:
Outback Steakhouse: The Boomerang Cheese Burger with Fries has 840 calories
and 31 grams of saturated-plus-trans fat-the fats that promote heart disease (Outback deep-fries in a beef tallow blend). To get an Outback
meal that bad an adult would have to order a sirloin steak, a filet mignon, and
three pats of butter, according to CSPI. Outback's Spotted Dog Sundae
with chocolate sauce adds another 730
calories and 27 grams of bad fat, making it the worst kids' menu item CSPI
analyzed. Any kid eating a cheeseburger, fries, Coke, and sundae at Outback will consume a stunning 1,700 calories and 58
grams of bad fat- three-and-a-half days' worth.
Applebee's: It's Grilled Cheese Sandwich alone has 520
calories and 14 grams of bad fat. With fries, the meal has 900 calories and more
than a day's worth of bad fat-the equivalent of three pork chops.
Chili's: The Little Chicken Crispers have 360 calories and 8
grams of bad fat. Add fries and the meal supplies 710 calories and 15 grams of
saturated-plus-trans fat-the equivalent of two McDonald's Quarter Pounders.
"Leave it to a chain like Chili's to turn a kid's chicken meal into the
nutritional equivalent of two adult-size burgers," said Hurley, who pointed
out that the chain fries in a partially hydrogenated oil that is higher in
saturated and trans fat than liquid vegetable oil.
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