Healthy Eating Out with Chick-fil-A® New Grilled Chicken Options
A Review by Laura Erickson, editor, LaGrange Moms
© 2014 – Muscogee Moms LLC, muscogeemoms.com
For families with school-age children, the end of the school year is one of the busiest times of the year. With school activities, sports, recitals, church programs, and more, many families who try hard to have sit-down meals with each other just can’t seem to make it work. And for those of us who strive (not always succeeding) to provide healthy meals for our families, healthy eating on the go can be a real challenge.
When the area Chick-fil-A restaurants invited LaGrange Moms to try their new improved grilled menu items that are healthy options for eating on the go (so that we could share the news with our fans), my family jumped at the chance.
Let me preface this article by saying that this is a quick look at healthy eating and obesity issues. We plan to publish more blog articles on nutrition and health for kids, but it’s way too much information to put into one piece.
In recent years, many fast food chains have added healthier options to their menus, including kids’ meals. Many fast food meals are off the charts when it comes to fat, calories, sugar, and sodium. The CDC reports that in 2012, ONE-THIRD or more of children, adolescents and adults were considered overweight or obese. Being overweight as a child can lead to a lifetime of health problems that affect every aspect of life, from finances to ability to work and have children of their own. And studies say that even if children aren’t overweight, they can still suffer negative effects from an unhealthy diet, including sleep problems, behavioral issues, learning difficulties, and lack of energy.
Of course, the food pyramid is a great start. But when eating out, foods that are considered the best of the pyramid can be prepared with additional salt, sugar, and fat. Knowing approximately how much of each of these ingredients, as well as calories, is recommended for kids and adults can help parents make more informed choices for their families (as long as the nutritional information is provided for the chosen foods). Recommended daily amounts of ingredients can be found on a number of web sites, and some restaurants, including Chick-fil-A, provide nutritional contents for their menu items. A little research can give parents the basic information needed to make those informed choices.
Chick-fil-A is making a dedicated effort to provide lighter options for a healthier lifestyle. In fact, the Web MD website lists the Chick-fil-A grilled sandwich with a fruit cup as their number one choice for their top ten list of healthy fast food meals.
Combine that with the introduction of their NEW grilled chicken, which is available in a sandwich, in nuggets, and on salads. The company’s website states that, “Chick-fil-A’s new recipe features an unmatched backyard grilled taste. Each grilled chicken breast is freshly marinated with a blend of sea salt, lemon, garlic and savory herbs, and cooked on a state-of-the-art, proprietary grill developed by Chick-fil-A. The technique creates a tender, juicy filet with just the right amount of smoky flavor.”
Between the four of us, my family tried it all….grilled nuggets, grilled chicken sandwich, and salad with grilled chicken strips. The vote was unanimous….we all love the new flavor! It’s especially great for my oldest daughter, who can’t have the fried version because of food allergies, but the rest of us prefer the new grilled option for most of our meals there (although sometimes we’ve just got to have the spicy chicken!).
So though it may be difficult to resist the little voices in the backseat pleading for the one meal on the menu with the highest amount of calories and fat, we have more options available for providing healthier choices for our grab-it-and-go meals. Yes, we do get the burger/fries/sweet tea meals on occasion, but the more options we have, the more we can limit the meals we may not want them to have.
Resources:
- http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
- http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html
- https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/12/cover-obesity.aspx
- http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/10-best-fast-food-meals
- http://fast-food-nutrition.findthebest.com/d/a/Kids-Meal
