Let’s Eat Out! Healthful Fast Foods

Most fast food meals and snacks are:

• High in fat, calories, sodium. 
  However, you need to limit these.
• Low in fiber, calcium, other nutrients. 
  However, you need to get enough of these.
• Short on fruits, vegetables, or calcium-rich foods (like milk). 
  However, you may need more of these.

Super-size fast foods may not be a good deal!

Instead, big portions may:

• Overwhelm young children, who have small appetites.
• Provide more than your family needs.
• Encourage people to eat until they feel stuffed, not just satisfied.
• Set the stage for overeating and weight problems. With big portions, children lose their natural ability to follow hunger signals and their appetite.

Choose smaller portions.

• Look for small and regular-size foods. For a young child, even a small portion may be too much.
• Decide how to handle the portion before ordering. Split it with your child.
• Skip value meals. They may provide more food than your family needs.

Choose more bone-building calcium.

• Drink milk with fast food.
• Order cheese on a burger or sandwich.
• Buy yogurt if your family likes it.

Choose less added sugars.

• Skip soda. Order milk, juice, or water.
• Order a regular, not super-sized, soda.
• Skip fruit pies. Bring an apple, banana, or grapes for something sweet to eat.

Choose more fruits and vegetables

• Ask for tomato, lettuce, and other vegetables on sandwiches.
• Get salad, not fries.
• Load pizza with veggies.
• Order fruit juice to drink.

Choose less fat

• Order regular-size burgers, burritos, and tacos, not deluxe-size.
• Split a small order of fries, or skip them.
• Order grilled chicken, not fried.
• Skip extra cheese on a pizza.
• Go easy on mayonnaise, tartar sauce, special sauces, sour cream, and butter.

Nibbles for Health Nutrition Newsletter for Parents of Young Children, USDA, Food and Nutrition Service