Who is Surprised?

Apparently the media and the researchers. But I’m willing to guess that most parents out there aren’t.

The recent article reported by Reuters -Fast-food kids’ meals heavy on calories-U.S. group- highlights just how unhealthy fast food is for kids.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest who conducted the research reported that “more than 90 percent of meals offered at hamburger chains would fill virtually all of a child’s calorie needs for the day.”

Well how many calories do kids need in just one day?

Here is a simple breakdown – the USDA has a general guideline of 1200 to 2000 calories/day for kids ages 5 and up.

So according to this article, at Chili’s a child could order country-fried chicken crispers, cinnamon apples and chocolate milk – all sounds yummi and sounds like something any kid would eat right up. Well at a whopping 1,020 calories that child just consumed 85% of their calories for the day!

We wonder why our children have weight problems. If they aren’t obese they are typically over weight.

Change needs to happen. Parents need to take seriously what they are feeding their children. Schools need to offer healthy choices. Children need to learn at an early age – AGE 2 – how to make the right choices in food. As Americans we need to all get off our butts and just walk! If you can’t run or bike or hike then just walk. We can all walk! Walking costs nothing. There are no gym memberships or fees. We just put on our sneakers and move our bodies.

One of best things we can do to get this change going is to cook at home. By cooking at home parents or caretakers can teach the child more than eating right. There are many educational opportunities hiding in the kitchen like reading and math skills.

Here is great low-fat, fun recipe you and your kids can make right in your own kitchen. Most of those chain restaurants offer dinosaur chicken nuggets – make fun shaped nuggets at home with your kids. This recipe suggest using cookie cutters shaped like a triangle, heart and star, but you can use any kind you may already have.

 

Triangle, Hearts & Stars Chicken Nuggets

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Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¾ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 eggs, beaten
1 heart cookie cutter
1 star cookie cutter
1 triangle cookie cutter
Non-stick cooking spray

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Using slightly frozen chicken breasts cut out chicken shapes with your cookie cutters. Once cut, let chicken pieces thaw completely.In a medium bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, and Italian seasoning.

Dip chicken pieces into the egg first, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture.

Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Place well coated chicken pieces on the cookie sheet in a single layer.

 

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

For extra crispy nuggets, bake for 15 minutes on wire rack, then broil for 5 minutes.

Servings: 4

If you have a SnackerTracker you child can check off:
Protein: 1 serving.