What about the kids?

Everyone knows that a kids best friend is a Happy Meal- and they would probably eat one every chance they get! But, as adults, we know that this is probably the farthest thing from healthy that we could ever give our children.  In fact- one of my favorite books pointed out a terrible truth about McDonalds.  In The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, Michael Pollan describes how many ingredients are in a McDonalds chicken mcnugget. Take a guess.... I thought 3 maybe 4. I mean it's just the chicken and the breading right? Wrong. Thirty-eight. No, I'm not kidding. Thirty-eight. Here I will write it as a numeral so it can really sink in: 38. Unbelievable. 

So maybe now is the time to rethink what the kids are having for that special night out. I thought of a few suggestions that might make a night out with the kids a little healthier.

Here are my top 5 kid-friendly healthy restaurants:

5. P.F. Changs. Although this is a bit pricier than McDonalds- we have already learned to "Make the Investment" so if we are wanting to splurge P.F. Changs is a great place to go. They have a gluten-free menu as well as a vegetarian menu and all of their kids meals are under 200 calories per serving! (Another slightly cheaper version of this is Pei Wei! Pei Wei is great because it has tofu and lots of vegetables. They also have a gluten-free menu and all of their nutrition info is online. I personally get the Ginger Broccoli with vegetables and tofu and it's only 150 calories a serving.)

4. Subway. Subway has great subs that are healthy and filling! They have chips or apples or even yogurt and low-fat milk. This is a great place for a cheap price!

3. Big Al's. Big Al's healthy food is my favorite place to eat in Tulsa! They have delicious sandwiches and wraps that are filling and all made fresh. It is a little bit more expensive than Subway but it is so delicious.

2. Jason's Deli. This is such a great place for fresh healthy food. Their salad bar is delicious! They have lots of fresh sandwiches and soups and they also have frozen yogurt for the kids after the meal.

1. Chipotle. This is one of my favorite places to eat also simply because it is local. All of the meat is antibiotic and hormone free and comes from local farms. One burrito is enough to feed two kids or even three if they are small! The kids feel like they are eating "fast food" but this is one healthy fast food trip!

One final rule about eating at fast food restaurants- don't ever feed your kids something you wouldn't eat yourself. You have very high standards for your health- so keep those for your kids too!