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Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

| CWK Producer

Tonight, the Godo family is having dinner out. It’s a rare treat, and mom, Amanda Godo, is hoping for more than the standard fare on the kids’ menu.

 “Well, I notice that there’s a very set regiment almost for what foods are available,” says Godo. “Generally [it’s] macaroni and cheese, chicken fingers, french fries, a pizza slice, spaghetti with sauce.”

 “What you’ll often see at restaurants are the favorite kid foods on the menu which may not be the healthiest choices,” says Page Love, a registered dietician. “These restaurants have put items out there that will please a kid’s palette but with very little concern about nutritional content.”

The consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest surveyed 13 of the top restaurant chains in the country and found that most kids’ menus were packed with fat. In some cases, the food choices totaled more than one thousand calories per meal.

 “When we do go out, we’re very concerned about eating healthy,” says Mrs. Godo. “However, we never think to gravitate outside the choices that are offered us.”

Experts say parents sometimes feel almost forced to choose from the kids’ menus because the portions are smaller and they cost less.

Nutritionists say look beyond the kids menu for healthier choices – ask for substitutions.

“Add a dairy, add a fruit, add a vegetable,” or order from the main menu and split dinner with the child, says Love.

Amanda Godo was able to order a healthy meal for her two boys, Julien and Gabriel – ravioli and mixed vegetables. And they even loved the vegetables.

Tips for Parents

Concerned that you and your children are eating too much fast food? Then you might want to think about an international movement based mainly in Europe known as Slow Food.  The movement claims 85,000 members worldwide and, as you might expect, the principles behind Slow Food are the opposite of fast food. Here are a few excerpts from the movement’s manifesto:

“We are enslaved by speed and have all succumbed to the same insidious virus: Fast Life, which disrupts our habits, pervades the privacy of our homes and forces us to eat Fast Foods…. Our defense should begin at the table with Slow Food. Let us rediscover the flavors and savors of regional cooking and banish the degrading effects of Fast Food…Slow Food guarantees a better future.”

The Slow Food movement’s symbol? A snail. Maybe Slow Food is not for you, but what the manifesto says about modern life ‘forcing’ us to eat fast food—and often, large amounts of it—is worth considering. The Centers for Disease Control says more than 84% of children and adults eat “too much” total fat (more than 30% of daily calories).  The CDC also says:

• More than 91% eat too much saturated fat (more than 10% from saturated fat).
• On average, only 3.6 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and fried potatoes account for a large proportion of the vegetables eaten.
• One in five children eats five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
• 51 percent of children and adolescents eat less than one serving a day of fruit, and 29 percent eat less than one serving a day of vegetables that are not fried
• The number of children and adolescents who are overweight has more than doubled in the past 30 years.
• 18% of teens aged 12 to 19 are overweight.
• Obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese adults.

The American Dietetic Association doesn’t yet recommend joining the Slow Food movement, but dieticians do recommend that parents be positive role models.  If you want your children to enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, set a good example:

• Eat breakfast.
• Drink your milk.
• Allow children to participate in food selection and food preparation.
• Be mindful of the comments and criticisms you make that can shape a child’s image or view of healthy body weight.
• Turn off the television at mealtime.
• Complete a round of exercise, not the days when you miss.
• Purchase family gifts that encourage activity—croquet set, tennis racquets, basketball hoop, etc.
• Coach a youth athletic team.
• Encourage participation, not just performance.
• Attend children’s games and events.

 

The CDC offers these tips for promoting good nutrition among children:

• Serve food “family style” and eat as a group.  This gives the provider the opportunity to promote good table manners by setting an example and gives the children the chance to follow that behavior and talk with the other children.
• Serve small portions, but offer additional servings to meet individual needs.
• Don’t force a child to eat.  Young children vary the amount of food they consume from day to day and may also have very strong likes and dislikes.
• Don’t use food as a reward or punishment.

References

• American Dietetic Association
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Center for Science in the Public Interest
• Slow Food

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