Careful Choices and Nutritional Supplements Modify the Pitfalls : You Can Help Your Kids Avoid the Health Hazards of the Fast-Food Diet

Mom, Dad. You have a message from your friendly California Dietetic Assn.-registered dietitians.

The road to most fast-food dining is paved with health hazards, if you don’t know how to control or modify what and how much your children eat.

Many fast-food meals may be made up of 40% to 60% fat. Most of them also contain far more sodium than is considered safe while the amount of vitamins A and C and fiber may be seriously lacking.

Those could be dangerous signs if your children eat fast foods on a regular basis, according to Evelyn Tribole, registered dietitian and consulting nutritionist for Consulting Nutrition Services in Irvine.

“There has been a staggering 52% increase in obesity among children and 39% among adolescents in the last 15 years. And that’s only part of the picture. The New England Journal of Medicine reported that fatty streaks in the blood stream which may lead to heart disease in later years are starting to show up among children as young as 7 years old,” said Tribole.

Tribole points out that while snack foods cannot be blamed solely for increases in obesity and early signs of heart disease, parents would be wise to teach children how to modify their intake of snack foods because of their excessively high fat and sodium content.

‘Trend Is Here to Stay’

“We say this in light of the fact that with hectic family schedules and dual working parents who have little time to prepare healthful home meals, it’s estimated that one-third of all meals are eaten away from home. That’s a 300% increase in 10 years, and the trend is here to stay,” said Tribole. Tribole went on a media tour to alert parents to some of dietary pitfalls when their children dine on fast foods.

Tribole also pointed out that because most fast-food hamburger outlets offer little or no choice of vegetables, parents who rely heavily on fast-foods meals for their children should also consciously include fruits and vegetables in the diet of their children every day, whether at home or carried to the fast-food place. “Although some fast-food chains boast about including lettuce and tomatoes on the hamburger, one could hardly consider a lettuce leaf a serving of vegetable,” said Tribole.

Most nutritionists would agree that the bulk of responsibility in feeding children rests with parents. However, dietitians also urge the industry to help parents do their jobs better by offering more fruits and vegetables with the fast food, since that fast food may be the only food eaten by youngsters for dinner or lunch.

Some members of industry have attempted to include salad bars, reports Tribole. “That’s good, and we hope the trend continues,” she said. However, salad bars, too, are fraught with danger if a heavy hand is applied to dressings and cheese sauces, which add excess fat calories to the meal, said Tribole.

Nine Calories Per Gram

Chicken outlets often include side dishes such as corn, potatoes and coleslaw that provide necessary nutritional balance to the meal. Pizza, too, may contain vegetables and cheese, making it a self-contained, balanced meal-in-a-dish.

“Watch the fats,” cautions Tribole. More calories are derived from fat than those from any other food. Fats contain nine calories per gram compared with four calories per gram for fruits, vegetables and grains (carbohydrates).

Cholesterol content may be higher in some fats than others, as well. Some fast-food outlets fry foods in coconut oil, which contains 92% saturated fat compared to 41% saturated fat for animal lard. “Even though coconut oil is derived from plant and not animal, which one usually associates with high saturated fat content, it is extremely high in saturated fat,” Tribole said.

Many non-dairy creamers and other products, incidentally, are made with coconut oil, so it is wise to check labels before buying, cautions Tribole. Also watch for products made with palm oil, which contain about the same amount of saturated fat as coconut oil.

Most of the calories in a baked potato topped with cheese can come from the cheese alone, so hold the cheese if you are concerned about calories, advises Tribole. In one fast-food baked potato stuffed with cheese listed on the chart on Page 18, the cheese content is equivalent to nine pats of butter. Total calories for this cheese-stuffed potato comes to 590 calories--mostly from the cheese.

“Hold the mayo,” Tribole also advises. Mayonnaise and most salad dressings can increase calories because of their high fat content. “Go for the runny instead of thick dressings, such as Italian dressing. You are less likely to overdo thin dressings. If you must use thick dressing, add it separately, dipping a fork in the dressing to limit the amount added,” Tribole said. Adults might consider diet salad dressings for their own meals, as well.

Milkshake Substitutes

Fast-food milkshakes are high in calories, about 300 to 400 calories per serving. “That’s too many calories when you add them to calories consumed at breakfast, lunch and dinner. In light of increasing obesity in children, it would be better if the child substituted fruit juice or nonfat milk,” said Tribole.

Also hold the olives, adds Tribole, because olives are 80% fat.

Compare the fat content in the fast foods listed on the chart to help you make wiser menu selections in the future.

Excessive sodium in fast foods can play havoc on a healthful diet, so beware, cautions Tribole. It has been estimated that Americans consume about 10 to 12 grams of salt daily, (about 2 1/2 teaspoons), yet only 1.1 grams to 3.3 grams is considered a safe and adequate daily dietary salt intake, according to The National Research Council. Salt is usually added to processed foods to enhance flavor, as well as to preserve texture and freshness. Although many segments of industry voluntarily have reduced salt in processed foods, others lag behind because of public demand for taste enhancement. Check the chart on Page 18 for the sodium contents of fast foods for each chain and compare. You will find that some fast foods contain more sodium in a single hamburger than the total amount of sodium required from all foods each day.

What should the fast-food diner do to curb intake of excessive fats and sodium and increase intake of fiber and vitamins A and C?

Guidelines for Parents, Children

Here are Tribole’s fast-food guidelines for parents and children:

--Drink orange juice instead of malts. A glass of orange juice will provide 100% of the RDAs for Vitamin C.

--Choose whole-grain buns when possible. The whole grain will provide extra dietary fiber.

--Watch out for greasy buns, such as biscuits and croissants, which are higher in fat content than regular breads.

--Choose the salad bar if available. Stick to “nutritionally dense” vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, celery, zucchini, tomatoes, spinach, beets and carrots because they contain high levels of nutrients for the amount eaten. Go lighter on lettuce. If you use lettuce, use the dark green varieties such as Romaine, which contain higher amounts of iron and other vitamins and minerals than pale lettuces.

--Add garbanzo beans, kidney beans and white beans to the salad for an extra protein lift.

--Go light on bacon bits or skip them all together since they are loaded with sodium and fat.

--Choose vinegar or lemon juice and go lightly on oil.

--Avoid heavy, creamy dressings, which are more caloric than lighter oil-vinegar dressings.

--Choose low-fat or nonfat milk over milkshakes. Nonfat milk is relatively low in calories yet high in calcium, protein and other vitamins and minerals.

--For adults, diet beverages, tea or coffee have less fat and calories than regular sodas and milkshakes.

--Go for charbroiled meats. Griddled, pan-fried or fried meats require fat for cooking, thus adding calories and cholesterol to the diet.

--Go for the smallest hamburger size to save on calories, fat and cholesterol.

--Avoid heavily battered fried chicken, which increases surface area of meat and absorbs more fat.

--Choose baked potatoes over French fried potatoes. Eat the baked potatoes plain--without excessive butter, cheese or sour-cream toppings that add fat and calories.

--Supplement fast foods with fruits and vegetables. Bring the fast food home and add your own salad and fruit to the menu. Or carry a bag of fruit and vegetables to the restaurant.