Healthy Dining Out Options for the Kiddies

Posted by Kelly on April 7th, 2009 at 03:27pm

Yesterday, I posted on the importance of finding a healthy option when dining out. While it’s great that many restaurants are now providing healthy meal choices on their menus, sadly it seems that children are being left behind. Most Kids Menus offer fried chicken strips or nuggets with a side of greasy fries and sugar-filled soda. So here’s some tips for healthy eating out for the kiddies!

1. Chose the location wisely - many chain restaurants do not offer healthy children’s menus so look for somewhere that caters to such a thing. Cracker Barrel is an exception to this, offering assorted veggies for sides and grilled, not fried, chicken. Buffets are another great place for kids because they offer vegetables and fruits as opposed to only french fries.

2. Beware of Fast Food - While most fast food chains barely even have adult options that aren’t heavy with calories, kids definitely get left behind here.  Subway is about the only fast food option with healthy sandwich choices and sides for kids.

3. Improvise the Menu - if you can’t do anything about the resaurant, you can at least modify the selection for your child. Subsitute fat-free milk instead of chocolate or whole milk and water or juice instead of sodas. Ask for sides that aren’t soaked with grease and avoid fatty, deep-fried foods.

Remember, it’s important to implant good eating habits in your child from an early age to keep them healthy, strong and making the right choices as they grow. A healthy child will become a healthy adult!

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Tags: dining out, eating healthy, healthy kids

Under Healthy Choices Tags: dining out, eating healthy, healthy kids