The U.S. is in full-out crises mode when it comes to obesity, and no one is paying a higher price than kids: More than one-third of U.S. children are overweight or obese. Many parents are trying to make better choices when it comes to their family's intake of fat and calories, but restaurant chains aren't exactly helping the cause.
Kids' menus, we're looking at you. These eight items—featured on menus at some of the nation's most popular casual restaurant chains—are actually worse for little bellies than wolfing down an entire Burger King Whopper, which weighs in at 670 calories, 40 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat and 980 milligrams of sodium.
It's shocking stuff, but our kids deserve better than this. Want to know which kids' meal tops the list with 70 grams of fat? Read on…
(Photo: Getty Images)
Old Spaghetti Factory’s Kids Fettucine Alfredo
Despite being lower in calories and fat, the Old Spaghetti Factory’s kids fettucine alfredo has more than twice the amount of saturated fat as a Whopper (23 grams vs. 11 grams).
At 580 calories, the Chili’s Pepper Pals grilled cheese sandwich may have less calories than a Whopper, but its other nutrition facts (43 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, and 1,040 milligrams of sodium) don’t make it any better.
The mini hamburgers at Applebee’s might as well be stacked to make a Whopper with their collective 680 calories, 42 grams of fat (14 saturated), and 1,090 milligrams of sodium.
California Pizza Kitchen’s Kids Curly Mac ’n Cheese
You thought pizza would be the biggest caloric doozy at CPK? Think again. The Kids Curly Mac ’n Cheese packs in 960 calories, 57 grams of fat (33 of them saturated) and 699 milligrams of sodium compared to a 600-calorie kids cheese pizza.
Just reading this may make your heart hurt. On the Border’s kids cheese quesadilla has 70 grams of fat (30 of them saturated) in addition to 940 calories and 1300 milligrams of sodium. Forget the Whopper—this one is almost as bad as eating a stick of butter at 810 calories and 91 grams of fat.
At first glance, P.F. Chang’s Baby Buddha’s Feast Stir-Fried appears to be a nutritious standout, boasting a meager 180 calories and 8 grams of fat. But then there’s its sodium content: 1,610 milligrams (higher than any other meal on this list).
