A healthy initiative kidscan sink their teeth into

On Wednesday, the National Restaurant Association announced a new initiative to help kids eat more healthily while dining out.   The "Kids LiveWell" program is based on restaurants creating healthy meal options for kids and clearly identifying those options on the menus.

The restaurants that are voluntarily participating in the program so far are Au Bon Pain, Bonefish Grill, Burger King, Burgerville, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Chevy's, Chili's, Corner Bakery Cafe, Cracker Barrel, Denny's, El Pollo Loco, Friendly's, IHOP, Joe's Crab Shack, Outback Steakhouse, Silver Diner, Sizzler, T-Bone's Great American Eatery, and Zpizza. 

In order for these restaurants to have the approved "Kids LiveWell" logo next to items on the menu, the items listed must meet certain nutritional requirements.  For instance, any entree must be under 600 calories, with less than 35% of calories from total fat, under 10% of calories from saturated fat, and less than 0.5 grams of trans fat (artificial trans fat only).  Additionally, each meal must contain less than 770 mg of sodium and less than 35% of calories from total sugar.  Each meal must also contain two sources of fruit, veggies, lean protein, low-fat dairy, or whole grains.  Any individual and side items must meet certain criteria, too--each must be under 200 calories, contain less than 250 mg of sodium, with less than 35% of calories from total fat, 35% of calories from total sugar, under 10% of calories from saturated fat, and less than 0.5 grams of trans fat.  All menu items must clear the approval of HealthyDiningFinder.com.

So what kinds of meals might you expect to find on the menu with the "Kids LiveWell" logo prominently displayed next to it?  At Chili's, your child can enjoy a grilled chicken platter with either celery, mandarin oranges or broccoli.  At Outback Steakhouse, eligible choices include the Joey Grilled Chicken, Joey Sirloin, or Joey Sirloin Medallions, each with unseasoned broccoli and 100% apple juice.  At IHOP, kids can enjoy a breakfast of scrambled egg substitute, a strip of turkey bacon, 5 silver dollar pancakes, and a fresh fruit cup.  At Burger King, kids can eat a Kid's Hamburger with whole milk, served with a side of Apple Fries--sliced apples made to look like French fries and packaged in a French fry-like container--with caramel sauce for dipping.

While in the past it's often been tough to figure out what items on restaurant menus are healthy choices for kids, "Kids LiveWell" attempts to demystify that and make it clear which menu options are both delicious and nutritious.