From USA Today- some kids' meals pack an entire day's worth of calories into a SINGLE meal:
The first comprehensive report on kids' meals at popular fast-food and chain restaurants finds the servings are far too high in calories for a single meal.In fact, some of meals contain more 1,000 calories, which is almost as many calories as some elementary-school children need for the entire day, according to the analysis from Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer group.
The report shows, for instance, that:
• Chili's country-fried chicken crispers, cinnamon apples and chocolate milk has 1,020 calories.
• KFC's popcorn chicken, baked beans, biscuit, Teddy Grahams and fruit punch, has 940 calories.
• Sonic's Wacky Pack with grilled cheese, fries and a slushie, has 830 calories.
Overall, the findings reveal that 93% of the kids' meals at McDonald's and Wendy's contain more than 430 calories, the average number of calories that children ages 4 to 8 should get at a single meal. The comparable numbers are 92% at Burger King; 89% at Dairy Queen; 69% at Arby's; 60% at Denny's. The latter's kids' meals don't include drinks.
On the healthful side, about 67% of the kids' meals at Subway have fewer than 430 calories.
Here's the stat that caught my attention:
The average child, under 18, eats 167 restaurant meals in a year, according to the NPD Group, a market research firm.
C'mon- most menu choices for adults are hideous. Portions are way too large- and the nutritional content (expecially fast-food) is questionable. Unless you really think about what you are ordering, and practice some self-control, it's very easy to make bad choices.
As long as parents are shoveling this junk into their bodies- does anyone think the kids will do any differently?
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