Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the National Restaurant Association (NRA) to speak about the Kids LiveWell Program. The thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.
We went out to a local restaurant for Mother’s Day and my children ordered off the kids menu. Mini corn dogs, French fries, tacos, mac ‘n cheese…not at all good for their little growing bodies. Dining out should not mean you need to sacrifice nutrition to taste good.
The National Restaurant Association (NRA) and McCormick For Chefs created the Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge to help better kids’ menus. The Kids Recipe Challenge is a fun and creative way to highlight healthy menu options accessible when eating out. It was held last month in Baltimore with approximately 30 kid judges ranging in age from 8-12. They sampled an assortment of food items made from recipes that were submitted by restaurants and food service companies from around the U.S.
The recipes submitted had to meet nutritional guidelines of the NRA’s Kids LiveWell initiative. This enterprise strives to find healthy menu options for children and parents alike. Check out the video to see some highlights from the Kids Recipe Challenge last year.
Almost 42,000 restaurant locations are part of Kids LiveWell. 🙂 Here is a list of the nutritional criteria set for Kids LiveWell menu items:Kids LiveWell Nutrition Criteria for Full Kids’ Meals (entrée, side option and beverage):
- 600 calories or less
- ≤ 35% of calories from total fat
- ≤ 10% of calories from saturated fat
- < 0.5 grams trans fat (artificial trans fat only)
- ≤ 35% of calories from total sugars (added and naturally occurring)
- ≤ 770 mg of sodium
- 2 or more food groups (see below)
Kids LiveWell Nutrition Criteria for Side Items:
- 200 calories or less
- ≤ 35% of calories from total fat
- ≤ 10% of calories from saturated fat
- < 0.5 grams trans fat (artificial trans fat only)
- ≤ 35% of calories from total sugars (added and naturally occurring)
- ≤ 250 mg of sodium
- 1 food group (see below)
Full meals must include two sources & sides must include one source of the following:
- Fruit: > ½ cup (includes 100% juice)
- Vegetable: > ½ cup
- Whole grains: contains whole grains
- Lean protein (skinless white meat poultry, fish/seafood, beef, pork, tofu, beans, egg): > 2 ounces meat, 1 egg or egg equivalent, 1 oz nuts/seeds/dry bean/peas (lean as defined by USDA)
- Lower-fat dairy (1% or skim milk and dairy): > ½ cup (while not considered low-fat, 2% milk is allowed if included in the meal and the meal still fits the full meal criteria)
Please follow Kids LiveWell on Twitter and Facebook to find a list of participating restaurants, news, and more. You can also check out HealthyDiningFinder.com and download the free smartphone app for a listing of all Kids LiveWell restaurants and menu items.
This Saturday, May 17th, the National Restaurant Association will have a show in Chicago. Bloggers in the area will meet the winners of these new healthy kid’s meal recipes at the event and you can come join me with hashtag #KidsLiveWell virtually on Twitter to share this exciting event.
I am so happy to see more restaurants embracing these options.