Comments on: Healthy + Kids + Restaurant: Can They Coexist?

By: Nour El-Zibdeh, RD

Nour El-Zibdeh, RD — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:01:44 +0000

Hi Maha, thanks for sharing…
There’s no real right or wrong answer here. We all want to do the best for our kids. I would like to point out that fish and chips in not a better option French fries are the same, and fried fish is not better than a burger… sorry for that…
Next time you go out, try to skip the pizza and order something else… they might feel like trying something new …it takes time, kids don’t accept new foods easily, and it takes multiple times of offering before they try… as parents, we have to keep trying …
Have a good day!

By: Maha

Maha — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:20:05 +0000

Hi, i don’t want to sound as a bad mom, but when we go out to eat , i allow the kids to have whatever they want.. But just to point out that we would do that once a week and sometimes it’d be every 2 weeks.. it’s more of a ritual; we go to the mall, stop by the play area, then have lunch (usually Mac meal and recently the kids started choosing fish & chips which is a better option), do some shopping that has to include something for the kids, and finish with an icecream or a biscuit.. but as i said going out is a treat for them, so i let them enjoy it all the way:D in decent restaurants, we would share the food and we usually order an extra pizza coz u can never go wrong with a pizza (in case they didn’t really like the food)..
i usually keep raisins, fruits, breaksticks and juice at all times when we r out

By: Stella

Stella — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:50:25 +0000

I don’t know about health in reference to eating out (I am always horrified at the kid’s menus even at upscale restaurants). I do notice that cooking with children makes them want to eat whatever was cooked, so I suppose having them help make the collard greens would be good???

By: Nour El-Zibdeh, RD

Nour El-Zibdeh, RD — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:23:00 +0000

Thank you all for your comments.

Tasteofbeirut: the abundance of food and its many variations is scary. I think kids can’t keep up with all they want to eat. It’s even scarier how much $$ is spent on marketing junk compared to how little there is to market fruits and veggies.

Nicole: you make sense. It’s an act of balance and parents are doing their best (the comments here show that!). It’s unbelievable how those little munchkins watch and copy what we do, so we have to be careful of our actions and attitudes towards food, nutrition, and health

Lina: yes, act of balance!

5 star foodie: I’m glad someone shares my opinion that adult food is healthier. I wish they would serve kids smaller portions of grilled chicken and sauteed veggies instead of fried chicken and fries and I’m glad fast food restaurants are offering fruit now

Rana: thanks… it’s the balance we’re talking about. I like your point that if you teach them to eat healthy at home, they will do it by themselves outside too. I started feeding my son before I go too–helps me enjoy my meal

By: Rana Mouti

Rana Mouti — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:36:43 +0000

hello
from my point of view ,let your child eat healthy food at home then he will eat healthy stuff at the resturant like sauted veggies or grilled chicken and fresh juices.
for me i stressed on making healthy food for the kids during the hole week so no matter if they took one nuggets or humburger with fries during the weekend .
when they where small 1 to 2 years i prefered to feed them before going out and it’s really comforting when you do this .

By: 5 Star Foodie

5 Star Foodie — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:22:13 +0000

We only go out casually sometimes and when we do my daughter does tend to get a kids meal (a burger or mac & cheese) but instead of french fries she gets an apple sauce or a veggie side. She always drinks milk. At fancier restaurants, either in US or in Europe, whether she shares with me or orders her own courses, the meals are always healthy and balanced.

By: Lina

Lina — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:00:59 +0000

usually I cook healthy food ,I do not fry food and do not add fat to the food, almost every 2 -3 weeks we take our child to restaurants, so I think there is no matter if he ate a little bit of junk food as a small portions

By: Nicole, RD

Nicole, RD — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:45:58 +0000

This is such an important topic! While I am not a mother, raising my kids healthfully is so important. I think it’s important, too, to find a balance between health and normalcy. I fear raising a child who fears anything not nutritious or fears weight gain. While I want to give my kids the tools to be healthy and successful, I never want it to go too far, if that makes sense.

By: tasteofbeirut

tasteofbeirut — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:51:23 +0000

My son used to eat double-decker burgers three times a day, despite my admonitions and then one day he stopped cold turkey (after gaining 30 pounds), became a vegetarian and lost all the extra weight and some. I was so relieved because for the longest time I felt like in the US I was fighting a losing battle: It is so hard to find places that offer healthy and fresh foods to kids, plus kids are conditioned to eat the junk, the campaign is insidious and effective, with TV ads and such.

By: Nour El-Zibdeh, RD

Nour El-Zibdeh, RD — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:21:24 +0000

Dalia: Thanks for the comment

Joie de vivre: nice to “meet” you too. Thanks for the recipe. Will check it out

Reham: thanks for the comment. I see your point. It’s really an act of balance. If we tell our kids they are never to eat one food (chicken nuggets or chocolate) they are going to crave it, get obsessed, and may eat it secretly. I’m glad you don’t do soda!!! I used to order soda sometimes, but now I stopped because my son wants it too…so we both get water now