The 20 Worst Kids Foods in America
Well this is no big surprise!
I read an MSN article today named “The 20 worst kids foods in America” . It stated that the number one expense for parents is fast food and it gave examples of some fast food items at popular restaurants and their specific nutritional content… Well, I can’t say I was shocked.
Reading through this article, only one thought came to my mind: People really eat this or feed this to their kids? Considering the childhood obesity rates, I can’t honestly say that I am too terribly shocked by this fact. After all, for the first time in history, if this trend continues, children born now are NOT expected to outlive their parents. That’s really sad. And what’s even worse, it’s completely preventable!
Reading through the suggested ‘worst’ vs. ‘eat this instead’ in the article, I certainly do not agree with some of the alternatives offered. The alternatives mentioned still have fairly high saturated fat content and/or high sodium content. Everything mentioned was referring to fast food which should only be considered a highly processed convenience food choice. However, I can’t expect someone who regularly consumes fast food to simply quit from one day to the next. Therefore, one should look at it as making continuous choices. Even if we’re talking about fast food, there are always a variety of options to choose from. Out of all the options given, you just have to find the best one.
Are you surprised by the examples given? What have you done to improve your children’s nutritional habits? Post your comments below.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Oh my goodness,… crazy to think parents feed this stuff to their kids!!! What stood out to me is not only the calories and fat content, but the mere fact that its the convenience of feeding the kids garbage in place of taking the time to cook and give them healthy meals.
I put the blame on the parents! They are the adults that should know better!! Awareness and knowledge are power! Your website and blog are a great start!!!
November 21st, 2009 at 7:59 am
Unfortunately, I have to agree. Kids learn mostly by example and who better to set a good example than their own parents. The part that I question is, how much does fast food really serve as a convenience? You have to load up the whole family into the car, drive to wherever it is you choose to eat at, spend about $5 a person, and then drive back home. Wouldn’t it be easier to stay home? I know I can buy a lot of groceries for $5 a person that will last me far longer than just one meal. And then I also know how the food is prepared that I’m about to serve to my kids. On top of that, I don’t think you can even compare the quality time you have at home with your family at the dinner table over a loud, crowded restaurant.
It just takes effort. It takes effort to cook and it takes effort to educate your kids about healthy nutrition. In my case, I don’t just tell my kids yes or no to certain foods. I explain to them why something is healthy or unhealthy and what that does to their bodies. Reasoning and explaining can get you a long way with kids and they are never to young for that.
March 28th, 2010 at 5:45 am
Success is not measured by what you accomplish but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.