Health Watch: Chain Restaurants To Offer Healthier Meals For Kids

PHILADELPHI (CBS) - A new initiative to provide healthier choices for kids at major restaurant chains was unveiled today.

Americans eat about a third of their meals at restaurants, and that's often blamed for the growing obesity epidemic, because the food is often very fattening. Now there will be better options for kids.

Nineteen restaurant chains will be offering healthier kids' meals, including Burger King, Chili's and Denny's.

It's something the Hanby family is applauding.

"We actually don't eat at the major chains because we don't find a healthy option there. So if there's a choice, we might be more inclined to try them again," said Valerie Hanby, a mother.

Under the National Restaurant Association's new program, called Kids LiveWell, the chains will still feature traditional less healthy items, like the standard burgers with fries. But they'll also offer at least one healthier choice for kids with 600 calories or less, and that limits fats, sugars and sodium.

"Having the option to get something healthy is great," said Tricia Broussard, a mother.

The healthy kids' meals will have to include servings of items like vegetables or apple slices, and restaurants will flag these options on their menus.

"Seventy percent of adults are saying, 'I want to make more healthful choices for myself and my family when we dine out,'" said Dawn Sweeny, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association.

First Lady Michelle Obama has made it a priority, and the government will soon require chain restaurants to post calories on their menus.
But there are still plenty of skeptics.

"It's still going to be something like a chopped up chicken that you don't know what's in it, like a chicken nugget," said Byron Hanby, who is 15-years-old.

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McDonald's has not signed on to the program so far; the company says it will evaluate participation in the future.

The consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest says most restaurants already offer one or two healthy kids' meals, but that isn't enough.

For more info on the Kids LiveWell program, click here.

Reported by Stephanie Stahl, CBS3