Better kids' meals top trends list

If you think pizza, hot dogs and hamburgers are the only choices offered on children’s menus today, think again. Now you might find dishes adapted from adult menu items with more adventurous flavor profiles than traditional kids’ fare, and more healthful, too, new National Restaurant Association research finds.

Some of the restaurant industry’s hottest trends involve children’s items, according to the NRA’s 2015 What’s Hot culinary forecast. Topping the list: Increasingly sophisticated foods and flavors in kids meals, along with more healthful ingredients, such as whole grains, vegetables, oven-baked items and entrée salads. The survey was conducted with approximately 1,300 professional chef-members from the American Culinary Federation.

Joy Dubost, the NRA’s senior director of nutrition and healthy living, said the restaurant industry is making big strides in providing children with balanced choices. She cited the success of the NRA’s Kids LiveWell nutrition program, which now includes more than 150 brands at approximately 42,000 locations.

“The industry is committed to offering an array of nutritious and delicious options for children,” Dubost said. “That’s a top priority among many chefs and restaurant operators.”

Healthful kids’ meals ranked fourth among the survey’s top 20 food trends. Whole grains in kids’ meals came in 14^th and fruits and vegetables as kids’ side items ranked 19^th. Three-quarters of respondents rated healthful kids’ meals a hot trend. Among the other items ranked as “hot” for 2015: whole grains in kids’ menu items (cited as a hot trend by 68 percent of respondents), fruits and vegetables as kids’ meal side items (cited by 65 percent), and entrée salads as kids’ meals (cited by 61 percent).

“Though pizza, hamburgers and other kids’ menu staples aren’t going anywhere, we are seeing increasingly sophisticated dishes being offered to our youngest diners,” said Annika Stensson, the NRA's senior manager of research communications. “Children are more ‘food-experienced’ than ever before because they see parents satisfying their own more adventurous palates. At every age, we’re seeing an increased willingness to try new things.

“The restaurant industry is starting to commit itself to serving kid customers in the same way they do their adult patrons: by appealing to their taste buds while providing more nutritious options.”

Re-engineering your kids’ menu? Try these 8 healthful tips

The National Restaurant Association's Manage My Restaurant has articles in categories such as Marketing and Sales, Workforce Engagement, Food and Nutrition and Operations. Visit Manage My Restaurant here for this and other helpful tips.

Get input from parents and children to design kids’ meals that are nutritious, satisfying and tasty. The payoff: options that appeal to children are good for your sales.

Three participants of the National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell program share how they developed winning kids’ meals. Discover best practices from Arby’s, Applebee’s and bd’s Mongolian to get started:

Make sure your menu evolves to keep pace with kids’ changing tastes. Applebee’s started with what seemed fun for kids and added a few “stealth healthy” options, says Darin Dugan, senior vice president of marketing and culinary. “We approached the new menu by asking what kids and parents wanted and let that steer our development,” Dugin says. “The result has been very encouraging.”

McCormick chef shares secrets of healthful kids’ meals

According to Gary Patterson, executive chef/culinary for McCormick & Company, developing tasty, healthful kids’ meals takes as much work and creativity as preparing fine-dining dishes. “They've got to be appealing and have flavor,” he says.

Patterson recently oversaw the food preparation for the National Restaurant Association’s second annual Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge, of which McCormick is a founding partner. He said he was impressed with not only the sophistication of this year’s recipes, but also the more mature palates of the young children judging the contest. He talked about the importance of the competition and the future of kids’ meals at restaurants.

Why is it important for restaurateurs to offer more healthful meals for kids? Consumer demand for more healthful meals is a trend that’s maturing. We've all known for some time that we've needed to eat healthfully, and right now more people than ever before are aware of what they’re putting into their bodies and the way they eat.

What should restaurateurs understand about child nutrition and creating healthful kids’ meals? It’s more than just creating a recipe that looks nutritiously sound. The food has to be appealing. The children or young adults need to feel that the food has flavor, that it’s not just something that’s ‘good for them.’

How do you do that? You have to work as hard as any chef working on an international recipe. When you focus on children, you have to understand what it is that kids enjoy eating. Sometimes it’s about stealth health. For example, think about using spaghetti squash in a dish that may normally have pasta in it. Maybe you can add it in with the pasta and keep your traditional sauce. It’s really a little bit of everything; there’s no straight line to the target.

Do you think chefs and restaurants are succeeding? Absolutely. Ten or 15 years ago, if you had healthier items on the menu, it was a real challenge to keep them in the menu mix. Parents were so drilled into giving their kids what they wanted: fried chicken nuggets and French fries or a burger. And all of those are fine in moderation, but at the end of the day, you have to get parents eating healthfully and help them teach their children, too. It’s great that when they go out to eat now, there are all of these menu selections to point to, instead of having them go the easy route and get the meal that comes with some toy.

Do you think kids are more sophisticated now about what they want to eat? How do you appeal to that, and what makes a successful kids’ meal? That’s a double-edged question, because when you talk about children’s appetites and how what they will eat is changing, it really depends on the sophistication of the parents. I’m not a psychologist, but if parents are willing to try and eat new things and are always open, the children are going to do the same thing. I think it’s about every restaurant at every level having opportunities to present healthful options for children. That way, it’s not just the high end, fine-dining restaurants; it’s quickservice, counter service — those kinds of restaurants, too. All of them need to reach and strive for the same thing.

Is the Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge a good idea? Is it making strides? I think it is. I don’t know the exact number of entries we had last year, but I understand we had more this year. And these are top-of-the-line, large restaurant companies joining in — especially on the contract foodservice side. Those companies are really focused on this wholeheartedly and have really embraced it. They know that healthful eating is just going to become a part of the maturing of children’s and young adults’ appetites.

At the end of the day, what should chefs and restaurateurs seek to achieve? If we’re talking in general about offering healthier options, we should be thinking about moderation, understanding that flavor doesn't just come from fat and cream and salt. There are a lot of places it does come from: cooking techniques, caramelization, slow cooking and roasting. It also comes from cooking with herbs and spices. Looking in different places for all of those flavors, whether it’s from an acid or vinegar or lemon or lime juice, or just using herbs and spices, whether they’re fresh or dry, they’re all going to work in some way in a soup or salad or pasta dish.

The Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge, held this year April 4-5 in Baltimore, showcases creative, healthful kids’ menu items at restaurants and foodservice operations. All of the recipes must meet the criteria of the NRA’s Kids LiveWell program as well as the USDA’s MyPlate nutrition guidelines.

Chef Robert Irvine: Make healthful choices easy for kids

With more than 25 years of experience in the culinary profession, Chef Robert Irvine has cooked his way through Europe, the Far East, the Caribbean and the Americas. Today he is host of The Food Network’s Restaurant: Impossible and Restaurant ExpressTV shows. The author of two cookbooks, Mission: Cook! And Impossible to Easy, Irvine, also a spokesman for Sysco Corp., is passionate about providing more healthful kids’ meals. A champion of the National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell and Kids Recipe Challenge initiatives, the celebrity chef will participate in the World Culinary Showcase at NRA Show 2014 in Chicago, May 17-20.

How is the restaurant industry doing in offering more healthful choices for children? Kids’ nutrition continues to be a top trend in the industry. There’s increasing interest from restaurant operators and chefs in serving better-for-you kids’ menu items, for business reasons and because they are truly concerned about what children are eating. It’s great that an increasing number of quick-service and fast-casual restaurants are coming up with kids’ meals that are lower in calories, salt and fat, and higher in nutrition. I think we’d all be surprised at how often kids really like the better-for-you options.

What should restaurateurs focus on when creating healthful menu options for kids? Let’s face it, kids gravitate toward what they know and like and that oftentimes means foods that aren’t the best for them. So the idea is to take popular foods, but make a few important tweaks to enhance the nutritional value and control the calories. The key is to develop dishes that aren’t necessarily labeled healthy, but are nutritious, appealing and delicious.

Why are the Kids LiveWell and Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge programs integral to providing more nutritious kids’ options? Restaurants participating in the NRA’s Kids LiveWell program make it more convenient for busy parents to identify dining locations that offer healthier, more nutritious meals. That’s what’s great about the program.

Where do you see this movement headed? What would you like to see? Behaviors change slowly, so we can’t just make this about pleasing Mom and Dad. Kids need to be engaged in the process, too. They’re good learners, but you have to make it fun for them. Their education needs to include food lessons as well as information about exercise. There seems to be an education void about these topics at home and at school. To fill that void you’ve got to make it a priority and you’ve got to make it fun. I think the focus on healthier eating and lifestyles, including kids’ nutrition, will continue to be top trends, so restaurant operators and chefs who anticipate and meet this growing interest among their patrons will see the payoff. It’s great when doing the right thing can grow business and customers.

You will be participating in a live demo/presentation at NRA Show 2014 in Chicago on May 17. What is your goal? I’m on a mission to help kids eat well and get healthy – it’s one of the best and most important things I do as a chef. Families are busy and oftentimes convenience takes the place of healthy eating, but it doesn’t have to. You can still eat out, but make smarter, healthier choices. The NRA’s Kids LiveWell program promotes that mission – helping to educate families about good nutrition and eating well, while helping restaurants easily incorporate nutritious, kid-friendly recipes into their menus. Getting that important message out and having some fun working with creative, delicious recipes, is a win-win for me.

Healthful foods, child nutrition tops on NRA's trends survey

Providing more healthful and flavorful menu options for children has ranked as a top culinary trend in the National Restaurant Association’s 2014 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast.

According to this year’s survey about 1,300 professional chef-members of the American Culinary Federation, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and oven-baked items all ranked as top trends in the category of kids’ meals. This year’s respondents further noted they make strong efforts to ensure their dishes and recipes are more healthful.

Additionally, the survey determined that in the categories of healthful dining and child nutrition, five trends in particular ranked as Top 20 trends overall. They were:

4. Healthful kids’ meals
7. Children’s nutrition
12. Whole grain items in kids’ meals
13. Health and nutrition
19. Fruits and vegetables as children’s side items

“The What's Hot survey confirms the enthusiasm we are hearing from chefs and restaurants participating in the Kids LiveWell program,” said Anita Jones-Mueller, founder and president of Healthy Dining., the California-based nutrition consultant and co-creator of the NRA’s Kids LiveWell child nutrition initiative. “The Kids LiveWell choices emphasize lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy -- the ingredients that help our nation’s children grow, thrive and be their best.”

Thomas Macrina, the ACF’s national president, agreed, saying, “The American Culinary Federation chefs who took part in this survey understand that…ongoing efforts to provide more healthful foods –especially for children benefits everyone. Chefs recognize that nutrition is a vital component of the foodservice industry, and constantly revise and update recipes to reflect the concerns and desires of a diverse group of consumers who are looking for good food choices to best meet their nutrition and other needs.”

Joy Dubost, the NRA’s director of nutrition and healthy living, added that the information contained in this year’s survey is encouraging because “it shows this is a true trend and not just a fad.”

Chefs say 'Recipe Challenge' a great platform for healthful kids' meals

Creating great tasting, healthful meals for kids can be challenging, but more chefs are saying the rewards are great.

The National Restaurant Association is collecting entries for its second annual Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge. The competition is open to chefs and restaurateurs committed to providing healthful children’s menu items.

Finalists will be announced this spring and the winners will be feted at an awards ceremony during NRA Show 2014 in Chicago in May. Chefs interested in showcasing their healthful kids’ menu options can apply here. Deadline for submissions is Dec. 15.

"We encourage Louisiana Restaurant Association members to get creative a submit a recipe to the challenge. Eating healthy at Louisiana restaurants, regardless of age, is possible and several members participate in the Eat Fit NOLA program with Ochsner to raise awareness of steps they are taking to offer lower calorie meals for their guests," said Wendy Waren, VP of Communications, LRA. 

Created by the NRA in partnership with McCormick for Chefs, the Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge follows the criteria of the Association’s Kids LiveWell initiative. The program was developed in partnership with nutrition consultant Healthy Dining Inc. To qualify, menu items must consist of 600 or fewer calories and include such ingredients as low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains.

The contest involves an “industry-tested, kid-approved” approach. A panel of industry professionals selects finalists in four categories and 30 kid judges choose the winners at a cook-off event at McCormick’s flagship World of Flavors store in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

Keith Esbin, corporate executive chef for Orlando, Fla.-based Boston Lobster Feast Restaurants and a winner of the inaugural Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge last year, said the contest showcases the potential for good, healthful kids’ meals at restaurants.

“Kids are being exposed to things that are healthy for them and that they are really excited about it,” he said. For operators, he noted, this is “the socially responsible thing to do. Not only that, kids today tend to dictate what and where their families and parents are going to eat. They are open to more healthful suggestions, which gives parents an opportunity to try different things and dine at different restaurants.”

Esbin, whose chicken Parmesan with spaghetti squash won last year in the category for independent restaurants or companies with fewer than 20 units, said the item was featured as a kids’ menu option at four of the company’s restaurants.

“Some of our adult customers ordered the dish, too,” he said. “We went through about 50 of them a month at each of the units, which is pretty good when you consider that this [concept] is an all-you-can-eat, buffet-style restaurant with 150 different offerings. Most people don’t come here to eat just one item, so to have them [choose] this one thing [represents] a pretty good performance.”

Jennifer Brower, regional executive chef for Compass Group’s Chartwells School Dining Services, said winning last year’s Kids Recipe Challenge in the managed-foodservice category made her feel like a celebrity.

“We got some really great PR out of this, and a lot of my schools have been running the recipe,” said Brower, who represents the Great Lakes region. “The whole experience has really put some new air in the tires. People may not realize this, but school systems hire a lot of chefs, and more than anything they have to learn all the rules and regulations we have to follow. You have to find ways to make it work.”

Brower, who won for her Chix-N-Cheddar Snappy Jalapeño Wrap, said she is most proud that Chartwells submitted the recipe into the company’s national database and more than 180 schools in her area are now using the recipe in their schools.

“I really wanted to make something I knew my grandchildren would like,” she said. “When you create recipes, you have to find ways to make them healthy and great tasting. People think the food [at contract companies] is cookie-cutter-like, but it’s not. We always make sure the food tastes great.”

Brower said that after she won last year’s Challenge, Chartwells sent her to several schools to sign autographs. Those schools used the recipe on their menus for the day.

“I got to talk with the kids, and that was really fun,” she said. “I got to be a celebrity for a few days. With all the cooking shows on TV today, the kids … look at chefs as rock stars and want to be one, too. I say, ride the ride.”

Kid's LiveWell Recipe Challenge Application

Children’s nutrition is a top trend on restaurant menus. To shine the spotlight on the industry’s commitment to providing healthful menu options for children and inspire others to do more, the National Restaurant Association and McCormick For Chefs created the Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge.

The challenge is a fun and creative way to showcase healthy menu options available when dining out and will build on the spirit of innovation and creativity to encourage others to adopt similar practices.

The Louisiana Restaurant Association encourages you to get creative with your children’s menu in a healthy way. To read about the criteria, who’s eligible to enter and what the winners receive, click here.

NRA launches second annual Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) is now accepting submissions for its second annual Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge, an initiative aimed at showcasing restaurant and foodservice companies’ culinary ingenuity of creating healthful options for children. Sponsored by founding partner McCormick For Chefs®, the Food Away From Home Division of McCormick & Company, and Healthy Dining’s team of registered dietitians, the Challenge takes an “industry tested, kid approved” approach with a panel of food and nutrition professionals selecting finalists and elementary school students choosing the winners.

“We received a tremendous response for the inaugural year of the Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge,” said Joan McGlockton, vice president of industry affairs and food policy for the National Restaurant Association. “This contest is a great way for restaurant and foodservice companies of all sizes to receive recognition for their important efforts in kids’ nutrition. As this top trend in the restaurant industry continues to grow, we are looking forward to building on last year’s success.”

Megan Ford, vice president, sales and marketing US Industrial Group, McCormick & Company noted, “Actively supporting the Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge again with the NRA is fully in line with our company’s commitment of ‘Inspiring Healthy Choices.’ This contest reflects an important industry movement and dovetails perfectly with our desire to celebrate foodservice professionals who are passionate about creating healthful and flavorful menu choices for kids.”

To participate in the Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge, restaurant and foodservice operators should submit one or more recipes from their children’s menus that meet the nutrition criteria from Kids LiveWell, which are based on the USDA dietary guidelines. Operators/chefs may participate in four categories: Independent restaurant or company with fewer than 20 units; Multi-unit company with more than 20 units; Contract Managed Food Service; and Independent Noncommercial Food Service.

The deadline to submit recipes is December 15, 2013. The winners will be recognized at the 2014 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show (May 17-20, 2014 in Chicago).

The Challenge is a complement to the Kids LiveWell program, which the NRA launched in collaboration with Healthy Dining to help parents and children find healthful menu options when dining out. To date, more than 140 brands representing over 41,000 restaurant locations nationwide are participating in Kids LiveWell.

“Food preferences are established at a young age and continue to expand as children grow, so the restaurant industry is playing an important role in developing new enticing Kids LiveWell recipes and menu choices that ultimately contribute to a healthier generation of kids,” said Anita Jones-Mueller, MPH, president of Healthy Dining. “It is exciting to see the number and variety of Kids LiveWell choices continue to grow on HealthyDiningFinder.com.”

For details on submitting recipes, nutrition criteria and contest rules, visit Restaurant.org/Recipe.

LRA invites restaurants to compete in Kids Recipe Challenge

Access to healthy menu options is a growing concern for diners and is a top trend on restaurant menus across the country. To add a dose of excitement to the standard grilled chicken, garden salad and steamed vegetables menu options, the National Restaurant Association has launched its Kids Recipe Challenge. The competition will showcase restaurants’ culinary ingenuity for creating healthful menu items for children.

In partnership with McCormick For Chefs, the food-away-from-home division of McCormick & Company, the NRA will recognize the best recipes used on children’s menus at restaurants around the country.

"The Kids Recipe Challenge is another great example of galvanizing the restaurant and foodservice community around the importance of ensuring that American families have ready access to nutritious food," said Dawn Sweeney, the NRA's president and CEO. "We designed the initiative to be a fun and creative way to showcase healthful menu options, and a source of inspiration for foodservice operators and chefs to continue to add those options to their menus."

Phil Kafarakis, McCormick For Chefs vice president of foodservice, said supporting operators and chefs who provide nutritionally balanced kids' meals that are great tasting is a key aspect of the company's mission.

"Kids' palates are evolving and they want food choices that are authentic and globally inspired," he said. "McCormick For Chefs helps meet demand and deliver the flavors that kids love. Partnering with the NRA to conduct the Kids Recipe Challenge provides the ideal way to showcase recipes that combine our passion for flavor and nutrition."

Restaurant and foodservice operators that are interested in participating in the Kids Recipe Challenge can submit one or more recipes from their children's menus that meet the nutrition guidelines of the NRA's Kids LiveWell^SM initiative and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate program. Participants can compete in four categories: independent restaurants or company with fewer than 20 units; multi-unit company with more than 20 units; contract-managed foodservice; and independent noncommercial foodservice. A panel of industry professionals will select the contest's finalists and elementary school students will choose the winners. The deadline for recipe submissions is Jan. 7, 2013.

Winners of the contest will be revealed at the 2013 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, May 18-21 in Chicago.

The Kids Recipe Challenge is a complement to Kids LiveWell, which the NRA launched in July 2011 in collaboration with Healthy Dining to help parents and children find healthful menu options when dining out. To date, more than 100 brands representing nearly 30,000 restaurants are participating in Kids LiveWell.

For details on submitting recipes, nutrition criteria, and contest rules, visit http://restaurant.org/recipe/.

Diabetic ProStart student finds healthy eating a must

The Spring 2012 issue of the Louisiana Restaurant Association's A La Carte magazine featured several Q & A style articles designed to provoke, and perhaps inspire restaurateurs, to consider their own meal choices and what they offer on their menus for their health conscious patrons.

The LRA is a supporter of the National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell which has seen an outstanding number--96 to date representing 15,000 locations--of restaurants sign on and commit to offering parents and children more healthful options and information so they can make choices that are right for their families.

Launched by the National Restaurant Association in 2011,
the program Kids LiveWell received the Gold Circle Award
by the ASAE for media relations campaign. More than 15,000
restaurant locations have signed on, committing to
offer more healthy options for children.

The focus on obesity is nearly fanatical in its media coverage in American these days. A quick Google news search this morning using the keyword “obesity” yielded 67,000 recent articles on the topic.

Leading the search was articles covering the potential link between childhood obesity and bullying followed by New York City Mayor Bloomberg’s crusade against sodas exceeding 16 ounces in size.

A new study released today by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine states that the average global body weight is 137 pounds, with North America’s average weight topping the scales at 178 pounds. The study finds that although the U.S. accounts for only a five percent of the global population, our collective weight is that of a third of all human beings walking the earth. On the global scale, the population is 17 million tons overweight, which has the same impact on our global resources as an extra half a billion people.

But where does the nanny state end and one’s personal responsibility to one’s own health and well-being begin. Aren’t we all responsibility for our health and happiness?

Through the LRA Education Foundation's ProStart program, offered in nearly 50 high schools in Louisiana, food and nutrition are explored as part of the dynamic curriculum. Meet Ben Eckelson. We learned of Eckelson in researching this topic who is a ProStart student at Hammond High Magnet School. Eckelson was diagnosed with diabetes and at his heaviest weighed 275 lbs.

Now, after exercise, a diet plan and work with a dietician, he's down to 180 lbs and has found his new lifestyle offers diversity and excitement.

Ben Eckelson has committed himself and
his health to a new lifestyle
given his diabetes diagnois.

ALC: How has healthy eating changed your life?

BE: Being a diabetic, I have a specialized diet plan that includes reading nutritional information and keeping track of my carbohydrate intake.

ALC: Where your motivations for health or lifestyle reasons?

BE: I am motivated to stay healthy because of my diabetes, but have also found motivation because I want to make a difference in the way my generation treats their bodies. My dream is to see people living a more healthful life. My choices have given me a greater self-worth. It’s helpful for those struggling with weight and their choices to know that they are not alone.

ALC: What are your favorite healthy items to eat at home and in a restaurant?

BE: It may seem cliché but I am a fruit and vegetables guy! My ideal meal includes whole wheat pasta tossed with an oil-based dressing with grilled chicken, a tossed blue cheese and spinach salad and a grilled fruit salad. But I do occasionally splurge and indulge in white chocolate bread pudding. In moderation, my diet is really easy.

ALC: Do you feel restaurant menus are limited in their healthy menu offerings?

BE: Many restaurants have made an effort to provide targeted health conscious food options, however without moderate portion sizes, most options are worse than the food they may already serve. I applaud the effort of restaurants that promote healthier choices.

ALC: When a server offers side items, do you think that offering healthy options first prior to French fries results in you ordering the healthy option?

BE: I definitely think that would make a great difference in my selection. 

ALC: How has the ProStart program raised your awareness of healthy eating and wellness?

BE: The ProStart program has given me such great opportunities which have led to my passion for making the world a healthier place. I would like to thank my ProStart teacher Mrs. Johnson for guiding me through the best experiences I have had in my life. Her selfless dedication has made an immeasurable impact in my life and she has inspired me to be a better person and embrace healthier living.

Do health concerns factor into your menu item selections?  Does personal responsibility factor into your choices of foods you eat?

Jr. Food Critic shares thoughts on healthy eating

The Louisiana Restaurant Association's recent A La Carte magazine featured four Q & A style articles designed to provoke, and perhaps inspire restaurateurs, to consider their own meal choices and what they offer on their menus for their health conscious patrons.

The National Restaurant Association launched Kids LiveWell last July and has seen an outstanding number--96 to date representing 15,000 locations--of restaurants sign on and commit to offering parents and children more healthful options and information so they can make choices that are right for their families.

Twelve-year-old Michael Prados launched his blog, jrfoodcritic.blogspot.com, three years ago. It features his dining adventures, both in restaurants and at home, and has garnered attention from local Baton Rouge media and delivered some 57,000 visitors to his site.

Michael Prados, the Jr. Food Critic, cooks with
Chef John Folse in 2011.

Prados shared what's important to him and how he balances his dining out with his desire to be healthy.

ALC: What are your goals as Jr. Food Critic? JFC: I love food and consider myself a foodie. I love to cook and to eat out in restaurants across the state with my parents. The site allows me to share the meals and experiences with others.

ALC: What are some of your preferred healthy items?
JFC: At each meal, my family includes a meat, a starch and vegetables. I really enjoy broccoli and asparagus, as well as spinach salads. At school, we have a salad bar so I try to eat salad often.

ALC: When you dine out in restaurants, are you conscious of ordering healthy menu items? JFC: Yes, I try to consider the healthy aspect of what I order. However, I don’t eat out but once or twice a week, so I do splurge on some things that don’t fall in the healthy category.

ALC: Do you think that restaurants do a good job offering healthy menu options? JFC: Yes, I do. It really just depends on what someone orders, but restaurants do offer healthy options.

ALC: What else do you do to live a healthy life? JFC: I work out three days a week with my dad at 4:30 a.m. Because he’s so busy with his job and I’m busy with school, getting up early and getting our work out in is important and something we do together. I’m looking forward to going to camp this summer and there’s a big focus on being active and eating healthy.

Do you consider the healthfulness of the food you eat? Are you more conscious of your caloric intake now than in previous years? Does your age factor into what you consume?

Delicious nutrition doesn't have to be an oxymoron

Restaurants do their part to offer healthy menus

There was once this popular saying in Louisiana, “If it’s good with a pat of butter, it’s better with a stick of butter.” But with soaring American obesity rates in recent years, that saying isn’t even comically muttered, especially in reference to our rich sauces and our cultural affinity to fry everything from delicious Gulf seafood to cupcakes.

The industry is taking active steps to assist restaurant patrons in making wiser ordering decisions, while still appreciating the need to treat ourselves. While some restaurants don’t always offer a large array of healthy options, we should all take responsibility for what we put in our mouths and how much exercise we partake in each day. Recently, though, restaurants have been doing more.

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) teamed up with Healthy Dining Finder last summer to launch Kids LiveWell—a voluntary program to help parents and children select healthful menu options when dining out. Yesterday at the NRA Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago, President/CEO Dawn Sweeney announced that Kids LiveWell restaurant participation has increased to 25,000 restaurants, up from 15,000 in July 2011; a 40 percent increase.

“Participation in the Kids LiveWell program has exploded in a short period of time, with restaurant companies from across the industry eager to showcase their healthful choices,” said Sweeney. “As a result, parents are finding a growing selection of healthful children’s menu options of fruit and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.”

With more than 96 restaurant brands now taking part in Kids LiveWell, many of those have locations in Louisiana such as Chick-fil-A, Applebee’s, Sonic, Burger King, Chili’s, IHOP, Cracker Barrel and Outback Steakhouse.

“We are working to increase Kids LiveWell participation by our independent restaurants to help further their marketing efforts and increase traffic from diners looking for healthy menu offerings,” said Pam St. Pierre, Louisiana Restaurant Association VP of Member Services. “As a mother of three, I consider the healthfulness of everything my children eat. When we dine out at a restaurant, it’s important to me that they have healthy options.”