More than one-third of U.S. children are overweight or obese, according to the American Heart Association. If you want your children to eat healthy when dining out, the secret is not tofu and sprouts. Children like to eat familiar foods, and many cuisines offer healthy, kid-friendly foods by preparing everyday items like chicken, noodles and vegetables in low-fat, low-cholesterol recipes. Learning how to substitute, not forbid or replace, is the key to keeping kids happy and healthy when dining out.
Italian
Stay away from pepperoni, sausage and meatballs, which can be loaded with saturated fats and cholesterol. For pizza, go with a single cheese or veggies to significantly reduce the fat content. One slice of a Pizza Hut Veggie Lover's pizza contains 230 calories, while one slice of Meat Lover's has 330 calories. The Veggie has 80 calories from fat, while the Meat Lover's doubles that number. Cholesterol is almost triple for the meat pizza.
Pair pasta with a chicken breast or shrimp for lower-fat protein choices and stay away from white sauces, which are made with butter, cream and eggs. Stick with a meatless marinara sauce for a healthier plate of kid-favorite spaghetti.
Mexican
Mexican food adds fat and cholesterol via its condiments and accompaniments, such as cheese, sour cream and guacamole. Try a bean burrito with lettuce, tomato, onion, peppers and fat-free salsa. For protein, choose fish tacos, shrimp fajitas or chicken dishes. Ask the waitress to see if the chef will cut back on the amount of cheese, a staple of many Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes, in your child's meal.
Chinese
Due in part to their use of the Wok, a stainless cooking utensil that requires very little oil, Chinese restaurants offer a healthy way to dine. Since kids like familiar foods, focus on dishes with rice or noodles, recognizable vegetables like carrots and broccoli, and lean proteins like chicken and shrimp.
Hamburgers
Eventually, you're likely to find yourself at a fast-food hamburger chain. While you may not be able to find a "healthy" hamburger, you can make your choices "healthier" by ordering burgers with no mayonnaise or cheese. A Sonic cheeseburger with mayo, for example, is more than 700 calories with more than 50 percent of its calories from fat. Lose the mayo and you'll save 90 calories overall and 100 fat calories. Some fast-good chains now offer carrot sticks or apple slices as substitutes for fries and desserts.
Desserts
Finish your meal with a healthy, low-fat dessert of fruit, sorbet or frozen yogurt. The key to dessert is making it sweet, and the naturally occurring sugars in the fructose of fruit is one way to do this. Baked goods often contain trans fats, especially if they are purchased off-site from a large packaged goods vendor, so stay away from cakes and pies.
Member Comments