You like eating out? So do we. However this article in the NY Times make us pause and think….
THE STUDY:
Many menu items don’t meet the restaurant association’s own standards for healthful children’s meals, the New York Times reports.
The New York Times: Most Children’s Meals At Large Restaurant Chains Are Still Unhealthy, A Study Finds.
A new study of the nutritional quality of meals for children on the menus of the nation’s largest chain restaurants has found that 91 percent do not even meet the standards set by the National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell program. An even larger percentage — 97 percent of restaurant children’s meals — failed to meet stricter standards developed by a panel of nutrition and health experts for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the nonprofit research and advocacy group that commissioned the study (Strom, 3/28).
WHAT DO YOU DO?
1) Avoid fast food joints. Food must be savored and eaten slowly. Pre-cooked or plat manufactured food typically have high levels of unnecessary chemicals.
2) Most restaurants serve larger portion than needed. Order smaller plates or from the kid’s menu.
3) Kids watch what you eat. Set an example and eat healthy
4) Avoid overindulging in food with too much fat, alcohol, sugar and salt.
5) Eat lean (remember the food pyramid?) or in other words eat more veggies instead of meat.
6) When and where possible substitute fruits for desserts and salad for fries.
Better yet, eat out less. Cook at home and involve your child in the process. They will love it.