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Eating Out Too High Calorie for Kids

in The Too Busy to Diet Blog on January 3, 2017

As a dietitian/nutritionist, my biggest complaint about restaurants for children is the frequency that families visit them. If its use is restricted to no more than once a week it should not be a game breaker. And restricting it to only when traveling on the road is even better.  It is difficult to find restaurants on the road that will meet your needs so that fast food choices will often fit the bill.
But one important fact to remember is that fast food restaurants generally have nutrition information available either on-site or on the internet to allow you to restrict your child’s intake. A good rule of thumb is to allow 350 calories for breakfast, 400 calories for lunch, and 600 calories for dinner. Then try to pack snacks for the day that do not total more than 100-150 calories for children’s afternoon snack. Those are easy to pack in the car. Having a snack bin is most helpful that is kept in the trunk of your car.
Remember that each child’s calories are dependent on their age, sex, and activity level. This is only a guide for traveling purposes.  It is also helpful to have healthy snacks in the car for weekly car-pooling when kids are hungry and you are short on time.

The real concern with eating out at chain restaurants, in addition to fast food restaurants is the fact  that the food is too high calorie and too high in fat. The biggest offender foods are fried potatoes, hamburgers, and macaroni and cheese. Restaurants are also not very good at providing nutrition information on foods served. But online searches before you go out are usually helpful.

Having three grandchildren who love to go to fast food restaurants, I find that I will sometimes bring some healthy options with me to supplement their meals. The toddlers are often not good eaters and concentrate on the French fries and the toys. I will often bring mozzarella sticks, cut up fruit, and healthy crackers to fill in the foods they miss. And I have them share their French fries to reduce the calories eaten.
Read this article for more information on eating out with children at https://goo.gl/RTwdBE to get more information on kids and restaurant eating.

And don’t forget to check out Too Busy to Diet at Amazon.com for more information on healthy eating with a busy lifestyle. There is also quick and easy information on eating out and healthy snacks.

Jacqueline King, MS,RDN, CDE, FADA
Author: Too Busy to Diet