Most of the kids’ meals offered at chain restaurants in the U.S. are unhealthy.

The finding came from a new report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) which showed that burgers, fried chicken fingers, French fries, and sugar drinks are still dominating kids’ menus, with 97% of the almost 3,500 meal options not complying with CSPI’s nutrition standards for children aged 4 to 8.

According to the National Restaurant Association (NRA), 91% of children’s meals at large restaurant chains in the U.S. do not fulfill the nutritional criteria of the industry lobbying group’s Kids LiveWell program.

“One out of every three American children is overweight or obese, but it’s as if the chain restaurant industry didn’t get the memo,” said Margo G. Wootan, CSPI nutrition policy director. “Most chains seem stuck in a time warp, serving up the same old meals based on chicken nuggets, burgers, macaroni and cheese, fries, and soda.”

Subway is one chain that has received the message, the authors said. All eight Fresh Fit for Kids meal combinations at Subway measured up to CSPI’s nutrition criteria, and it is the only chain that does not give kids the option of sugary drinks with the meals. As an alternative, they offer bottled water or low-fat milk along with apple slices with all of its kid-sized subs.

Subway restaurant

Subway, the only chain that does not give kids sugary-drink options with meals

Lanette Kovachi, corporate dietitian for the Subway brand, revealed:

“Our goal has always been to provide the most nutritious, balanced kids meals in the industry and we are proud to be recognized by CSPI for achieving that goal. As a mom and a dietitian I know that it’s not easy to get kids to eat things that taste great and include essential nutrients. Our menu can make both parent and child happy.”

In order to comply with CSPI’s nutrition criteria, children’s meals should not be greater than 430 calories, over 35% of calories from fat, or over 10% of calories from saturated plus trans fat.

Meals that measure up to the standards of CSPI must not have over 35% added sugars by weight and cannot have over 770 milligrams of sodium.

The criteria demand that meals offer at least half a serving of fruit or vegetable, including an item that is at least 51% whole grain, or contain specified levels of fiber or vitamins.

Sugar drinks are excluded from the CSPI’s criteria, and instead, call for water, low-fat milk, or juice. The NRA’s standards are fairly comparable, however, they permit more calories.

Some of the most unhealthy kids’ meals offered at chain restaurants include:

  • Applebee’s Grilled Cheese on Sourdough with Fries and 2 Percent Chocolate Milk – 1,210 calories (almost 3 times as many calories as CSPI’s criteria for 4 to 8 year olds)
  • Chili’s Pepperoni Pizza with Homestyle Fries and Soda – 1,010 calories
  • Denny’s Jr. Cheeseburger and French Fries – 980 calories (does not include beverage)
  • Ruby Tuesday’s Mac ‘n Cheese, White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, and Fruit Punch – 860 calories
  • Dairy Queen’s Chicken Strips, Kids’ Fries, Sauce, Arctic Rush (frozen drink) and Dilly Bar – 1,030 calories

At 19 restaurant chains, not one combination of the items offered to kids met CSPI’s nutrition criteria. At 9 of those restaurants, including Popeye’s, McDonald’s, Hardee’s, and Chipotle, not one kid’s meal even measured up to the NRA’s Kids LiveWell standards.

In 2011, McDonald’s announced that they were changing their meals to have a 20% decrease in calorie counts.

Just 5% of 40 possible kids’ meals at Wendy’s met CSPI’s criteria because the majority of items contained either too much sodium or saturated fat.

Only 20% of the 15 possible children’s meals at Burger King met CSPI’s standards.

The nutritional content of children’s meals at restaurant chains was last examined by the CSPI in 2008. There has been little progress since then. Only one percent of kids’ meals met CSPI’s nutrition criteria in 2008, compared to 3% in 2012.

Just one-third of the chains had at least one meal that conformed with the nutritional standards in 2008, compared to 44% in 2012. Although more meals met CSPI’s sodium and calorie standards, fewer complied with the limit for saturated fat.

A different report from 2008 showed that only 3% of kids’ meals served at fast-food restaurants met the National School Lunch Program’s (NSLP) guidelines.

The CSPI experts suggest that companies think about making many alterations. They encourage chains to take part in the NRA’s Kids LiveWell program and to fix their kids’ meals to meet those standards.

Ameena Batada, assistant professor in the Department of Health and Wellness at the University of North Carolina Asheville, said:

“The chain restaurant industry is conditioning kids to accept such a narrow range of foods. More chains are adding fruit, like apple slices, to their menus, but practically every chain could be adding more vegetable and whole grain options. And given the impact of sugar drinks on children’s health, those should be eliminated from kids’ meals at restaurants.”

Written by Sarah Glynn