Outdoor sports season and vacation road trips are coming up.
Plan ahead, get a cooler and pack sandwiches, cut up fruits and veggies and bottles of water—it’s much cheaper and healthier for your family!
If you HAVE to eat fast food, here’s a few options/behavior changes that are healthier than other options.
Point of reference: A McDonald's Happy Meal cheeseburger, fries and soda has 650 calories. Preschoolers are supposed to eat about 1200 calories a day, elementary school children should eat about 1600 calories a day.
- Put your foot down, don't give in (to soda, choc milk, etc.)
- Bribes–for example, when you have to eat out–If the child doesn't eat chicken nuggets for ____trips to a restaurant, you can pay them ____ amount of money. Great for getting them to try new things.
- Order off the adult menu and split the meal with them–good for you too!
- No toys–lose the toys and they won't want the meal. Or tell child they can have the toy if they order a healthier option
- Fast food for only a very special occasion–that way they can have whatever–and don't eat out for a month
- Be a good example and order a healthy choice yourself.
Healthier Options:
- Subway Veggie Delite Sandwich–on wheat, no cheese and with apple slices–285 calories with juice or 345 calories with low fat milk.
- Subway Roast Beef–with apple slices, no caramel dipping sauce, no cheese-335 calories
- Burger King mac and cheese-with apples, no caramel and fat free milk-285 calories
- KFC grilled chicken drumstick-corn on the cob and cheese stick -270 calories
By Sharon Rink, MD, ThedaCare Physicians-Pediatrics in Darboy
