Fast food 'provides half of kids' calories'

Published on 27-09-2009

Summary:

A fast food meal can contain half of a child's daily calorie intake, it has been found, which may concern parents searching for health lunch options for day camp lunchboxes.

According to a new report by consumer watchdog Which?, the average child will consume 947 calories when dining at Burger King, 912 at KFC and 868 at McDonalds.

Furthermore, the study discovered that kids who eat McDonalds and Burger King receive half of their recommended amount of sugar in one meal, while two-thirds of their advised daily salt intake is found in a meal from KFC.

Martyn Hocking, editor of Which? magazine, commented: "We'd like to see all fast food restaurants providing nutritional information at the counter so that parents and older children know what they're eating."

Earlier this month, it was revealed that smoothies do count as part of children's daily fruit and veg allowance, which could increase the options for healthy day camp lunches.

However, Sian Porter, a dietician and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, recommended that parents check the labels of individual products, as not all contain the same ingredients.