Kids Menus Fail Nutrition Guidelines

A new study of restaurant entrees for U.S. children finds the majority of offerings fail to meet basic nutritional guidelines. The study, published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, analyzed kids menu offerings from the 50 most popular US restaurant chains, including Chipotle Mexican Grill, Dairy Queen, Hardee’s, McDonald’s, Panda Express, Perkins Family Restaurants and Popeye’s. They concluded that 97 percent of the menu items fell short of the nutritional standards for children recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The CSPI researchers pointed out that the meals uniformly contained too many calories, too much salt, too much fat and routinely omitted fruits and vegetables. The news comes as no surprise to public health officials, who currently estimate that one-third of American children are overweight or obese. Kid entrees that were singled out for special attention included Ruby Tuesday’s macaroni and cheese and Applebee’s grilled cheese sandwich. The only national chain to meet the CSPI guidelines was Subway, whose ‘Fresh Fit For Kids’ combo meals offered children healthier sides choices like apple slices, and alternatives to soda, including low-fat milk or bottled water.