With the increase in child obesity rates, there has been a lot of research on where we can make changes to prevent it. A recent study published in Nutrition Today shows that nearly all items from the children’s menu at restaurants exceeds recommended calorie counts. Since children are likely to eat everything put in front of them, this is concerning. Often, the issue is that the servings are too large. One restaurant that changed their menu to healthier options for kids was able to increase orders received for those options. Kids will eat healthier if the options are there.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s important to examine the caloric value of what kids are served because the chances are they will eat all or most of what they are served
- The researchers then analyzed children’s menu items at the country’s top 200 restaurant chains. They found that these items regularly exceeded the nutritionists’ recommendations.
- The food most likely to exceed the recommendations was fried potatoes, averaging 287 calories per serving — nearly three times the recommended maximum.
“The researchers then analyzed children’s menu items at the country’s top 200 restaurant chains. They found that these items regularly exceeded the nutritionists’ recommendations.”