Deep-fried chicken fingers, burgers and mac and cheese are the usual food finds on children’s menus, but a nationwide focus on obesity is prompting more chefs and restaurant owners to add healthier choices to kids’ menus. They are hungry for ideas.
At a recent Southeast Regional Conference of the American Culinary Federation held in Atlanta, I presented the basics on childhood nutrition and meal planning along with some comments on menu choices around the city.
For instance, at Marlow’s Tavern, families can start with a platter of raw vegetables and hummus, and parents can order their brood mini-burgers or kid-size versions of entrees such as grilled salmon with a side of fresh fruit.
More restaurants are willing to serve smaller portions that fit smaller appetites; and that’s for all age groups.
Another good trend for good nutrition: Eateries are offering whole-grain pastas and pizza crusts. California Pizza Kitchen has recently added a multi-grain penne pasta to its menu.
Wherever you dine with the kids, watch out for the 3 B's: The bread, butter and beverages you consume before you get your meal can pile on hundreds of extra calories.
What kids need
Children are not just small adults when it comes to nutrition. For instance, under age 2, they still need the essential fatty acids in whole milk to ensure proper brain development.
After that, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend skim, 1 percent or 2 percent milk to get kids the calcium they need for strong bones without the added fat and calories they don’t need. More restaurants today offer low-fat and skim milk.
Growing kids need a variety of nutrients, so it’s important that their daily calorie quota comes from a variety of sources. Here’s the daily meal plan recommended for an active child: Active is considered 30-60 minutes of physical activity a day.
1600 calories
Grain group: 5 ounces (1 ounce equals a slice of bread, ½ cup rice or one small roll)
Vegetable group: 2 cups
Fruit group: 1 ½ cups
Milk group: 2 cups (1 cup equals 1 cup milk, two pieces of string cheese or 1 cup yogurt)
Meat and beans group: 5 ounces (1 ounce equals a slice of cheese, ¼ cup beans or 1 ounce meat)
Small measures
How small is small enough when choosing restaurant portions for kids? Buying the small order of fries for the small fry in the family may actually be too large if you’re trying to follow the latest advice on childhood nutrition.
A typical small order of fast-food french fries contains about 230 calories and includes around 30 fries. If you’re counting these potatoes as a vegetable for your child, just 10 fries are considered a serving.
Eating more protein than they need is common for American kids, too. Margaret Condrasky, professor of food science and nutrition at Clemson University, informed chefs attending the culinary meeting, “Adult males need only about 60 grams of protein per day, so children need far less. That’s why a proper portion for children can be 2 or 3 ounces of meat.”
Condrasky added that kid-friendly foods such as peanut butter on whole-wheat bread, macaroni and cheese as well as Mexican beans and rice offer vegetable sources of good quality protein for children, too.
The secret to seeking the best children’s menus at restaurants wherever you dine today may be to find the staff most willing to split adult-size entrees for the family to share or to serve just part of an entree or pasta dish to a child and box up the rest to enjoy at another meal.
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