The Worst Things to Feed Your Toddler

on October 12, 2011 at 4:30 PM

kids meals unhealthy The lure of the drive-through window just got a little less tempting as David Zinczenko, of Eat This, Not That, unveiled the worst picks for kid meals in America. While most of us understand that you're not giving your kid health food when you head to McDonald's, some of these gut-busters are extraordinary in the amount of fat per serving. And totally dangerous, health-wise.

If you look at the calories per serving and compare them to the calories kids need to consume, some of these dishes are actually worse than the adult-sized portions. In fact, you might be shocked by the biggest offender on the list.

The Cheesecake Factory's kids' pasta with Alfredo sauce comes in at 1,810 calories and 89 grams of fat. That's an entire week's worth of saturated fat consumption for a child! A whole week! And the calorie count is more than any average 2- to 9-year-old should consume in a day. That's disgusting and should not even be considered as an every now and again treat.

While the philosophy in our home is that fast food is an occasional indulgence (In 'N' Out is just too tempting), this list of the worst offenders has convinced me to never, ever order the following for my kids:

McDonald's Mighty Meal with McDouble, fries, and chocolate milk = 790 calories and 33 grams fat

KFC's kids' meal with popcorn chicken, potato wedges, and Pepsi = 730 calories and 32 grams fat

On the Border's kids' cheese quesadilla with Mexican rice = 1,220 calories and 75 grams fat

These sick dishes, along with that pasta Alfredo, are on my restricted list for both myself and the kids.

Even though The Cheesecake Factory may not be considered fast food in that you don't drive through to order, it's of the same vein as Burger King. Restaurants like Applebee's, Chili's, The Cheesecake Factory, and others sell processed and not healthy foods. Which means when you process the vitamins and good stuff out, you have to add chemicals in to give this dead food flavor. Sure baby back ribs and cheesy three-layer dip taste delicious. It's because of all that salt and fat. Just because you ordered it from a waitress and not a metal box doesn't mean that it's any better for you.

Consider these numbers when you dine out with your kids, and don't forget that even though you're sitting down in a cushy booth, you're still eating "fast" food. Stay at home or study the nutritional information thoroughly before you head out to eat. At least you'll know how much exercise, or how many days you'll have to starve yourselves, to make up for the bad stuff.

Do you eat out a lot? Do these numbers surprise you?

Image via gadgetdude/Flickr

About the author April Peveteaux

writes about anything that gets stuck in her craw. A mom of two in Los Angeles, she can't believe she practically lives in the country now after attempting to raise kids in Brooklyn.

Filed Under: in the news, nutrition, toddler meal

Comments (18)

MrsCareBear

on Oct 12, 2011 at 4:45 PM

Yuck. I will admit that, in a rush, I have taked children through the drive-thru at McDonalds. But they always got apple slices and milk to drink along with their chicken nuggets. Sometimes its just plain easier to go through the drive-thru! But be smart about it. Choose the healthiest option, even if its the lesser of two evils.

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Melissa042807

on Oct 12, 2011 at 4:49 PM

The amount of saturated fat in those meals is what scares me. For kids AND adults. We're pretty careful when we eat out (most of the time) so right now we just feed the toddler off our own plates. He doesn't know the difference yet so we're milking it as long as possible!

Of course when we go to Souper Salad all he wants to eat is mass amounts of macaroni and cheese...go figure...

GlowWorm889

on Oct 12, 2011 at 4:53 PM

Meh. As long as it's not all day every day, who cares how many calories is in your kid's meal? Turn 'em loose when you get home, let them run it off. Most kids I know would burn that in a couple of hours, if not less. It's not child abuse or bad parenting to get fast food every once in awhile, nor is it going to kill your kids to eat it. If you really want a great calorie shocker, find out how many calories we eat during holiday meals...even though it's all "healthy" food. Think of food in balance with life, not as an entire entity unto itself.

Nonmember comment from Angel

on Oct 12, 2011 at 5:03 PM

While I agree with the fact that these menus are simply packed with fat and calories, do you really think that by "demanding" or "regulating" what restaurants serve, will take care of addressing the issue? Parents are the gatekeepers; they are responsible for what kids put in their mouth. If you as a parent think this is outrageous, simply stop going there. The serving sizes of The Cheesecake Factory are ridiculous all in itself. I am a 170 lb adult that lives an extremely active lifestyle. I can consume 3,000 calories a day and burn it all through exercise...however, I very seldom can finish the whole meal at that place. I usually take 1/2 of it home and then will eat the rest as another meal. The portion sizes of kids meas (in case of TCCF) are the same...simply too large to consume in one visit. However, kids are extremely active and will burn off more calories than the average sedentary adult. I am in no way defending their kids menu, nor I am demanding they do away with it. As a responsible adult (and if I were a parent), I should have the common sense to decide what I feed my kid. I am totally in favor of having restaurants disclose their contents, so that I can make a rational and educated decision as far as what I will eat and what I would allow my kid to eat. Education is better than regulation.

Nonmember comment from Lori

on Oct 12, 2011 at 5:14 PM

These numbers don't surprise me. Most restaurants serve huge portions and use processed ingredients. When it comes to eating out, I really think we just need to do things in moderation and stay active. In my family we eat relatively healthy, from scratch meals most nights of the week. My kids know french fries aren't a vegetable and that anything in nugget form is junk. But, we go out to eat at least once a week. And, when we're out, I have no problem with my kids ordering what they want off the menu -- sometimes, we even go crazy and get dessert!

ashjo85

on Oct 12, 2011 at 5:18 PM

I'm in tears laughing at the thought of my kid actually finishing a meal in a restaurant. Three noodles, two bites of meat and a gnawed on piece of broccoli. I'm full, thank you, off to the next task.

meatball77

on Oct 12, 2011 at 5:50 PM

All of those things are bad mostly because of their huge portions. I would never let my kid finish a meal of pasta in a restaraunt. It's a good chance to teach your kid to listen to their bellys and stop when they're full.

Sarasahmof3

on Oct 12, 2011 at 6:19 PM

The Mighty Kids meal is a "Double Cheese Burger" not a McDouble. The difference, the "Double Cheese" burger has 2 slices of cheese while the McDouble only has one. And a toodler should be getting a cheese burger one the double is just too large. I can barely eat a mighty kids meal, just too big.

RhondaVeggie

on Oct 12, 2011 at 6:48 PM

We very rarely order off the kids menu at all because it's generally full of crap. If we're lucky there might be pasta with marinara sauce but that's generally the only remotely healthy option and it gets boring very quickly. My son is more likely to order something off the appetizer or the sides menu or we will go out for a family style meal, something like Chinese or Indian. If a restaurant has a hummus plate on the menu he's in heaven.

NicholasMama608

on Oct 12, 2011 at 9:10 PM

See and this is one more reason why I don't feed my kid McDonalds. Ever. We also don't do Mexican because we don't like the food and he can't eat the breading on nuggets at KFC because of his allergies so he gets a piece of grilled chicken.