Super-Size Kids' Nutrition, Not Their Meals
Healthy suggestions include:
- Bagels, rolls, pita pockets, raisin bread or multigrain bread as a base for sandwiches, which can then be cut into playful images with cookie cutters
- Lean cuts of luncheon meat like ham, turkey or roast beef
- Raw vegetables, like celery, cut into little pieces and filled with peanut butter
- Old stand-bys, like plain peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, jazzed up with raisins and granola
Add a healthy snack and a bottle of water or small carton of milk to the bag lunch, and you’ve got a healthy, homemade, fast-food alternative.
March 2004 — Soccer practice, ballet class, piano lessons, dentist appointments … Let’s face it: life with children can be extremely busy. When the kids are hungry and you’re on the run, fast food may seem like the only alternative. But … is it?
Be Prepared
“A little planning goes a long way,” says Andrea Morganstein, MS, RD, LD, dietitian at Memorial Hospital West Fitness & Rehabilitation Center. “A quick trip to the grocery store to stock up on healthy food choices can save time spent in the drive-thru during the week. Not to mention how it can improve upon the nutritional value of what your children eat.”
Fast-food meals come in a bag — so why not prepare your own bags at home? Take them with you and spend quality time eating together at a park or playground.
“Children eat what their parents provide for them, so it really is up to the parents to make healthier choices,” says Morganstein. “And parents need to set an example by making better food choices for themselves. This way, everyone’s health will benefit.”
It’s Fast or It’s Nothing
You had the best of intentions, but didn’t have time to pack a proper meal for your kids. Now, it’s the drive-thru or nothing.
“Choose fast-food establishments that offer substitutes or alternatives for kids’ meals,” says Morganstein. “For instance, some places now allow you to substitute a side salad instead of fries, and juice or milk instead of soda. These options elevate the overall nutritional value of the meal. Other places offer healthy salad choices, while some locations (such as sub shops) don’t even offer fried food as an option, so the choices are easier to make.”
Moderation is the key to fast-food eating. There really is no such thing as a "bad" food — it’s the quantity and combination of foods children eat every day that are important. If children eat fast food two to three times a day, then it’s bad. If they eat it once or twice a week and have healthier food the rest of the week, they’re on the right track.
Tips for Healthier Fast-Food Choices for Kids
You Make the Rules
Let your children know that from now on, there are new guidelines about eating at fast-food restaurants.
You’re In the Driver’s Seat
Some fast-food restaurants have more nutritious choices than others. Choose the ones with salad bars, baked potatoes and grilled low-fat entrees.
Choose Milk
No more sodas! Substitute milk for sodas and increase calcium and protein intake for your child.
Order a Side Salad
If children don’t have entrees with lettuce or tomato, order a side salad and alternate a bite of salad with a French fry. Kids will learn that eating produce is part of their daily routine.
Easy on the Mayo
To avoid extra fat, skip the mayo and go easy on any “special sauces.”
No Sweets
Eating out should be the treat, not sweets like cookies or ice cream.