A lot of people have been discussing the nutritional content of kid's meals served in various restaurants. The specific concern is whether or not the items on the kid's menu is actually healthy for them. The debate over the merits of the meals served to kids is at least 10-15 years old. However in recent years restaurants have been the ones to take action on this issue. So what has sparked this change in attitude? The answer can be summed up in one word: recession. The 2008 economic downturn has forced many families to reevaluate where their money is going. Certain luxuries like dining out have taken a back seat to affording life's necessities like medicines and healthcare. When you stop and look at it, dining in a restaurant is a luxury. You can go out and pay $12.00 for your favorite meal or you can buy the ingredients for a fraction of the price and make it at home. Whether or not you have realized this fact it is clear that many restaurants have. This is why many have begun to take action by revamping their kid's menu.
The changes in question involve cutting out certain unhealthy items and replacing it with better options. While this may appease some concerned parents, it will take a lot more than substituting apple slices for french fries. That is why the National Restaurant Association began partnering with Healthy Living in 2011 to create the Kids Live Well program. This program has outlined a criteria for restaurants to follow in creating dishes for their kids menu. Restaurants that participate in the Kids Live Well program must ensure that the dishes on their kid's menu meet the following criteria:
Complete meals must be 600 calories or less.
≤ 35% of calories can come from total fat.
≤ 10% of calories can come from saturated fat.
< 0.5 grams of trans fat (artificial trans fat at that) are allowed.
≤ 35% of calories can come from total sugars (those added or those that are naturally in the food item).
Can only contain ≤ 770 mg of sodium.
Must contain items from 2 or more food groups that will be listed below.
That is the criteria for the full kid's meal. That does not include the breakdown of side items. That breakdown is as follows:
Side items must contain 200 calories or less.
≤ 35% of calories are able to come from total fat
≤ 10% of calories can come from saturated fat.
< 0.5 grams of trans fat (artificial trans fat only) are allowed.
≤ 35% of calories can come from total sugars (those added or those that are naturally in the food item).
Can only contain ≤ 250 mg of sodium.
Must contain items from 1 food group that will be listed below.
For those who have been waiting for the list of food groups, here they are along with the amounts required.
Fruit: > ½ cup (includes 100% juice)
Vegetable: > ½ cup
Whole grains: contains whole grains
Lean protein (skinless white meat poultry, fish/seafood, beef, pork, tofu, beans, egg): > 2 ounces meat, 1 egg or egg equivalent, 1 oz nuts/seeds/dry bean/peas (lean as defined by USDA)
Lower-fat dairy (1% or skim milk and dairy): > ½ cup (while not considered low-fat, 2% milk is allowed if included in the meal and the meal still fits the full meal criteria).
For those who got in all of the number crunching, don't feel bad. It is a very strict criteria to adhere to, of course that is why the head chef gets the big bucks. So what does this mean for the city of Fort Smith? Several area restaurants are participants in the Kids Live Well program. These restaurants have decided to step up and offer alternatives that are healthy as well as delicious for kids in the Fort Smith region. So who is on the list and more importantly, how did they do? Over the next few weeks this examiner will look at which area restaurants have gone for the gold, and which barely made it out of the gate.
If you enjoyed reading this article feel free to click on the SUBSCRIBE button at the top of the page and be notified immediately whenever a new article is published.
Comments