You can't always rely on the
calorie count to figure out the healthiest option.
You’re aware that you should feed your grandkids healthy, balanced meals, but
sometimes the ease of a drive-thru and fast food wins. And that’s okay - as long
as it’s not all the time. “You should be going infrequently to fast food
[restaurants],” says Kristin Kirkpatrick, M.S., R.D., Manager of Wellness
Nutrition Services at Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. When you do visit a
fast food restaurant, however, you can make healthier choices for your
grandchild and yourself - and the best choices might surprise you. “There’s a
very big difference between the quality of calories [in a meal] vs. the
quantity,” Kirkpatrick says. Find out the best choices at popular fast food
chains here >>
KFC: Worst
Chicken Little Meal
Calories: 1,050
Fat: 42 grams (10g saturated)
Sugar: 41 grams
This chicken sandwich meal is one of the worst picks of the bunch. A chicken
little sandwich with mayo, applesauce, potato wedges, and two-percent milk packs
a whopping 1050 calories, 42 grams of fat (10 grams saturated), 132 grams of
carbs, and 41 grams of sugar into one kid’s meal. It also contains 1,870
milligrams of sodium, more than the 1,500 mg that the American Heart Association
recommends for an entire day.
KFC: Best
Drumstick Kids Meal
Calories: 200
Fat: 4 grams (1g saturated)
Sugar: 21 grams
This kid’s meal contains grilled chicken drumsticks, applesauce, a choice of one
side and a drink. If you choose green beans and a Capri Sun Roarin’ Waters
Tropical Fruit drink, your grandchild will consume just 200 calories, 4 grams of
fat and only 1 gram of saturated fat, and 21 grams of sugar. Swap the Capri Sun
for water and it’s just 13 grams of sugar.
Wendy's: Worst
Chicken Nuggets, Fries, and a Jr. Classic Chocolate Frosty
Calories: 650
Fat: 28 grams (8g saturated)
Sugar: 36 grams
Wendy’s 4-piece chicken nuggets have just 230 calories on their own, but they
also have 13 grams of fat in a serving. Adding fries and a Jr. Chocolate Frosty
brings this meal up to 650 calories, 28 grams of fat and 8 grams of saturated
fat. This is not to say that you can never give your grandchild a Frosty or
fries for a treat, but opt for just one (not both) and pair it with apple slices
and a lower-calorie main meal, like the grilled chicken wrap without cheese or a
hamburger (240 calories, 9 grams of fat).
Wendy's: Best
Grilled Chicken Wrap (without cheese) with apple slices and water
Calories: 240
Fat: 7 grams (2g saturated)
Sugar: 10 grams
Wraps are tricky: Although many parents will say they’re the healthier option,
says Kirkpatrick, it’s not always true. Sometimes wraps contain sugary,
fat-laden sauces and fried chicken instead of grilled chicken, which tacks on
calories and fat. In fact, Wendy’s grilled chicken wrap with cheese has 10 grams
of fat, slightly more than a kid’s hamburger. Remove the cheese, however, and
add tomatoes for some extra vitamins (if your grandchild will eat them) and the
wrap has just 240 calories, 7 grams of fat (2g saturated), and contains healthy
fats - polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Add apple slices for an extra
35 calories and 7 grams of sugar and water for a low-cal meal.
McDonald's: Worst
Cheeseburger Happy Meal with Fries
Calories: 590
Fat: 18 grams (7g saturated)
Sugar: 35 grams
The McDonald’s cheeseburger Happy Meal with fries, Go-Gurt, and fat-free
chocolate milk contains 590 calories, 18 grams of fat (7g of that is saturated
fat), and 35 grams of sugar. If your grandchild won’t touch a burger without
cheese, sub the fries for apple slices and forgo milk or juice in favor of
water. These swaps save 220 calories, cut the sugar content almost in half, and
lower total fat by 5 grams.
McDonald's: Best
Hamburger Happy Meal
Calories: 400
Fat: 9 grams (3.5g saturated)
Sugar: 35 grams
"A small burger is sometimes actually the best choice," Kirkpatrick says.
Although the chicken McNuggets meal with apple slices, yogurt, and one-percent
milk has slightly fewer calories at 340, the hamburger meal has less fat because
it hasn’t been fried. Kirkpatrick advises to always choose a non-fried option,
like a burger, because frying can elevate the saturated fat content and,
depending on the frying oil, add trans fats, both of which can raise the risk of
heart disease. The hamburger meal with apple slices, Go-Gurt strawberry flavored
low-fat yogurt, and apple juice has 400 calories, 9 grams of fat (3.5 saturated
fat), and 35 grams of sugar. Opting for water over juice brings this meal down
to just 320 calories and 16 grams of sugar. The hamburger meal with apple slices
and fat free milk is the best option at Burger King, as well, with 350 calories
and 9 grams of fat.
Chipotle: Worst
Kid's Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla with Chips
Calories: 1090
Fat: 41 grams (11g saturated)
Sugar: 23.5 grams
In terms of calories, this option is the worst on our list. With a chicken and
cheese quesadilla, brown rice, black beans, chips, and a chocolate milk, this
meal tops out at 1090 calories and 41 grams of fat. The chips, which go in the
fryer, significantly raise the fat levels. The takeaway: You can add chicken or
other meat and even treat your grandchild with a chocolate milk (which has 130
calories and 2 grams of fat), but stay away from the chips.
Chipotle: Best
Kid's Cheese Quesadilla with Fruit and Milk
Calories: 485
Fat: 13 grams (7g saturated)
Sugar: 17.5 grams
Chipotle's kids meals come with either tacos or a quesadilla with a side of rice
and beans, fruit or chips, and a drink. The healthiest option here is a corn
tortilla with brown rice, pinto beans, mandarins, and regular milk for 485
calories and 13 grams of fat.
Chik-Fil-A: Worst
Chick-n-Strips Kid’s Meal with Waffle Potato Fries and Chocolate Milk
Calories: 700
Fat: 31 grams (7g saturated)
Sugar: 24 grams
The two-piece fried Chick-n-Strips contain 12 grams of fat on their own. Pair
them with waffle potato fries and a chocolate milk and this meal weighs in at
700 calories, 31 grams of fat and 7 grams of saturated fat. If your grandchild
refuses the grilled nuggets, the regular nuggets kid’s meal is a slightly better
option with 200 calories and 10 grams of fat on their own.
Chik-Fil-A: Best
Grilled Nuggets Kid’s Meal with Fruit Cup
Calories: 145
Fat: 3 grams (1g saturated)
Sugar: 11 grams
Kirkpatrick recommends avoiding the fryer by opting for grilled chicken without
breading. Chik-Fil-A is the only fast food restaurant to offer grilled nuggets,
one of the healthiest kid’s meal choices. Choosing a 6-piece grilled nuggets
kid’s meal with a fruit cup and water amounts to only 145 calories, just 3 grams
of fat, and 1 gram of saturated fat.
Subway: Worst
Roast Beef Mini
Calories: 455
Fat: 8 grams (4.5g saturated)
The mini sub alone contains 200 calories and 3 grams of fat (1g saturated). The
addition of apple slices and a reduced-fat chocolate milk brings the total meal
up to 455 calories and 8 grams of fat with 4.5 grams of saturated fat. If the
grandkids are dead set on roast beef, you can make it healthier by swapping the
milk for water and forgoing any unhealthy add-ons, like mayonnaise, bacon,
cheese, or dressings. “Avoid BBQ sauce, sweet and sour, ranch, and honey mustard
dressings since they contain high amount of sugar and fat,” says Kirkpatrick.
The best option choosing some lettuce, tomato, and yellow mustard, Kirkpatrick
says.
Subway: Best
Turkey Breast Mini Sub with apples and low-fat milk
Calories: 315
Fat: 4.5 grams (1.5g saturated)
Sugar: 24 grams
While Subway's best choice for kids is the Veggie Delite mini sub (just 285
calories with apple slices and a low-fat milk), most kids probably wouldn't
touch a veggie-laden sub. The next best option is the Turkey Breast Mini Sub
with a side of apples and a low-fat milk for a total of 315 calories. Replacing
milk with water shaves off 100 calories and 2.5 grams of fat.