Nutritional Information For Cracker Barrel's Kid's Chicken N' Dumplins

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is a restaurant chain with over 600 locations across the United States. The menu and theme of Cracker Barrel restaurants is traditional Southern country cooking. The kid's menu offers burgers, chicken and dumpling dishes, alongside grilled cheese or mac 'n' cheese as vegetarian options. The kid's serving size of Chicken n' Dumplins is smaller than the adult version, and therefore has fewer calories overall.

Nutritional Data

Cracker Barrel Kid's Chicken n' Dumplins contains 370 calories per serving. There is a total of 6 grams of fat per serving, of which 2 grams is saturated fat. A single serving contains 55 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of dietary fiber and 22 grams of carbohydrates. Containing 27 grams of protein, a single serving of Kid's Chicken n' Dumplins contains over half the recommended daily protein intake.

Nutritional Benefits

Kid's Chicken n' Dumplins contains no trans fat. This is a nutritional benefit because trans fat -- like saturated fat -- is generally considered unhealthy. The protein content of the meal is high; protein helps kids build, grow, maintain and repair the tissues in their bodies. If only a single serving is consumed as a meal, the calorie content is not especially high.

Nutritional Disadvantages

The cholesterol content of Kid's Chicken n' Dumplins is relatively high, at 55 grams per serving. This quantity of cholesterol represents 18 percent of the adult recommended daily maximum intake. Cholesterol is a hard fat which can coat the arteries, increasing overall risk for heart attack or stroke. Also, the sodium content of the meal is quite high; with 770 milligrams of sodium per serving, one Kid's Chicken n' Dumplins meal contains a third of the maximum recommended daily sodium intake.

Adjustments

If you want to make your kid's meal more nutritionally balanced, order a side that provides additional dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals without additional sodium, cholesterol or carbohydrates. A side salad or a side portion of vegetables is a good option. A lot of the fat and calories in the meal are contained in the gravy sauce and dumplings -- if your child focuses on the chicken and doesn't eat all of the sauce or dumplings, this will make the meal more nutritionally balanced.