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Published July 06, 2012, 12:30 PM

5 worst ‘healthy’ kids’ meals at chain restaurants

Running to the drive-thru can seem like a great way to eat on the go with a busy schedule. It’s quick, you can order and get your food in minutes, and most of the time you can eat in your car on the way to any of the activities that keep you busy on a daily basis. While all of this sounds great, be sure to take a look at the nutrition facts before feeding yourself or your kids.

By: Jessica Ballou, Forum Communications

  • Healthy or not?
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    Burger King was one of many restaurants that announced last year they would offer more servings of fruit, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy to their children’s menus. However, adding healthy options does little to counteract the otherwise unhealthy menu options. (Associated Press)

FARGO – Running to the drive-thru can seem like a great way to eat on the go with a busy schedule.

It’s quick, you can order and get your food in minutes, and most of the time you can eat in your car on the way to any of the activities that keep you busy on a daily basis.

While all of this sounds great, be sure to take a look at the nutrition facts before feeding yourself or your kids.

Many restaurants tout healthy food options like apple slices, but how healthy are the sides if the main part of the meal is full of sodium and cholesterol?

Dietitians from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington analyzed different kids’ meals at various chain restaurants, and the results were surprising.

Here are the five worst “healthy” kids’ meals:

• Chick-fil-A Kids Grilled Nuggets Kids Meal: Research found this meal contains the same amount of cholesterol as a Big Mac. This proves that the word “grilled” doesn’t always mean healthy.

• McDonald’s Cheeseburger Happy Meal: Even if you added apple slices, this meal still has more sodium than 13 orders of McDonald’s kids’ fries.

• Sonic Kids’ Jr. Burger Meal: With more sugar than two Twinkies, this meal is full of unhealthy additives. Salads can be a better option, although less appealing to kids.

• Burger King Hamburger Kids Meal: A hamburger kid’s meal contains almost as much cholesterol as six slices of pork bacon.

• Denny’s Build Your Own Jr. Grand Slam: This contains almost 100 more milligrams of sodium than the government recommends children consume at breakfast. Save those milligrams and opt for fruit or whole-grain pancakes instead.

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