Today CSPI released a new report evaluating the types of children’s menu items and the nutritional quality of children’s meals served at the nation’s top chain restaurants (see http://cspinet.org/new/201303281.html). The disappointing news is that of the thousands of meal combinations analyzed, only 3% met expert nutrition standards for children’s meals. Children’s meals have too many calories, saturated fat and sodium, and not enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The percentage of children’s meals that are healthy increased by only two percentage points between 2008 and 2012, from 1% to 3%.



The report was released today at a 1pm EDT press conference, with live-tweeting during the press conference, We hope you will share the report results with your colleagues and members. Below are some model tweets and Facebook posts (see photo below, though if you would like other photos of kids' meals, please email Lindsay at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>):



Twitter:



• New study of restaurant kids’ menus: unfortunately, 97% of #kidsmeals are unhealthy.

• Restaurants need to get serious about cutting calories, sodium, fats & adding fruits, veggies, whole grains http://bit.ly/kids-meals

• Time for restaurants to help parents feed their children healthfully. They should provide better #KidsMeals http://bit.ly/kids-meals



• Urge restaurants to offer more fruit & veg options and make them the usual side dishes with #kidsmeals http://bit.ly/kids-meals



Facebook:



Healthy kids need healthy kids’ meals! Urge restaurants to cut calories, sodium, sat fat & add more fruits, veggies & whole grains to their kids’ menus http://bit.ly/kids-meals



New study of restaurant kids’ menus: unfortunately, 97% of kids' meals are unhealthy. Please ask restaurants to do better: http://bit.ly/kids-meals



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. 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. Please ask restaurants to do better: http://bit.ly/kids-meals





(See attached file: kidsGroup_small.jpg)





Margo G. Wootan, D.Sc.

Director, Nutrition Policy

Center for Science in the Public Interest

1220 L Street, NW, Suite 300

Washington, D.C. 20005

202-777-8354

202-265-4954 (fax)

[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>

www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy<http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy>



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