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Children’s menus behind the times

4 min read

Toddlers grow three to five inches and four pounds per year on average, and consume up to 2,200 mg of sodium in a kids’ meal at Applebee’s.

Wait, what?

Despite the clean eating, foodie and organic health movements, menu items for children at many popular chains lag far behind adult standards of nutrition.

The kitchen walls of health-conscious 20- and-30-somethings are smattered with the wisdom of Hippocrates – of “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” fame, among other things – and, while we order grilled fish with brown rice, we’re comfortable ordering deep-fried chicken fingers or mac ‘n cheese for our children.

Apparently, food only qualifies as medicine beginning at age 18? Probably not.

Imagine the leaps our collective health could take if our children’s food was taken more seriously. Even well-meaning parents who conscientiously chop pieces of avocado and bell pepper for their toddlers’ snacks (and for a little fine grasp practice, don’t you know) are eventually out to eat and often forced into these subpar options.

How far off the mark are these meals? Check it out. The average toddler requires 1,000-1,400 calories per day with a 1,000-1,5000 mg sodium limit.

Nine of Applebee’s and three of Olive Garden’s kids’ menu items blow this sodium allotment away, with a handful of others coming dangerously close.

You may have seen a recent Applebee’s commercial touting a new and improved children’s menu complete with squeezable applesauce and carrots with ranch dressing as possible side dishes. It’s a good step, but we’re talking about a menu that continues to carry children’s meals whose calorie totals soar into the stratosphere and meals with two days worth of sodium.

Applebee’s hardly stands alone. Menu items found at Olive Garden, Chili’s, Eat’n Park and more will cause nutritionists everywhere to fan themselves in and utter well-I-nevers.

Two kids’ mini-cheeseburgers at Applebee’s ring up 700 calories, while the children’s portion of fettucini alfredo and a meatball at Olive Garden tops 660 calories.

A 135-pound adult would have to run for one hour at an 8:44 minutes-a-mile pace to burn off those two mini-cheeseburgers.

More meals eaten at home may seem like a good alternative, unless your toddlers are consuming any of the 70 percent of packaged kids’ foods which also contain too much sodium, according to findings presented at the American Heart Association conference this past year.

The issue for children, wether eating at home or away, is no different than it is for adults. The issue is choice.

Right next to salty, fattening items are far more nutritious items such as breaded cod (Eat’n Park) or wheat linguine with tomato sauce (Olive Garden).

But, the presence of these items places parents in a wholly unenviable position. What is supposed to be a night out with the family can easily turn into a debate over hot dogs versus grilled chicken.

What about the well-meaning parents who understandably assume that no children’s item could possibly contain that much sodium?

These menus hang parents out to dry.

The reform so desperately needed on this issue extends far beyond carrot sticks and ranch dressing: Restaurants need to empower parents to make informed choices for their children.

Nutrition facts included on the menu? That might work. Reworking children’s dishes to simply not include befuddling amounts of sodium? Even better.

In a nation whose adults are riddled with hypertension, heart disease and cancer, increased mindfulness of childhood diets certainly couldn’t hurt.

Maybe “preventative health care” should begin at the family dinner table.

Abigail Mackey is a registered nurse. For more quips and tips refer to her blog, “The Written Remedy” (thewrittenremedy.blogspot.com). Abby can be reached at amackrn23@gmail.com or on Twitter at @AbigailMackeyRN.

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