A morning at the playground can work up an appetite, but you could do better by your family than taking them to the nearest burger joint or ice cream shop.
“While I don’t encourage fast food, it’s a reality for most families,” says Elisa Zied, a registered dietitian and author of “Feed Your Family Right!” (Wiley, $16.95).
The trick is finding healthy options and getting children to eat them, she says. Fruit, low-fat yogurt and low-fat milk are among the items that are good alternatives to fatty or sugar-filled choices like fries, shakes and sodas. Ditto for grilled chicken and veggie burgers.
Portions come into play, too. “Choose the smallest size available and keep all the condiments on the side so you can control the amount used,” Zied says. Watch the sodium content too. “For the rest of the day, cut back on salt,” she says.
Ordering a la carte rather than getting meal “deals” can keep portions in control as well. “Order medium fries and share them with the family rather than everyone having their own,” Zied says.
The juice or ice cream shop also holds its share of nutrition minefields. Calories from food are more filling than from liquids, so it’s easy to overindulge in smoothies. Again, watch the serving size.
As for ice cream, fresh fruit would be more healthful, but if only dairy will do, get a a single small scoop, or a kid- sized cone. Don’t worry about extra calories in the cone unless it’s a giant waffle one.
For add-ins, fresh fruit or nuts are better choices than candy or cookie bits. Limit the syrups and whipped cream.
Finally, don’t think you’re doing yourself a favor by getting frozen yogurt rather than ice cream, Zied says. “The calories add up in either case, so just get what you want and watch the portion size.”
– Suzanne S. Brown
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Read about their favorite meals Wednesday in Food
