The meals are part of its Positive Steps program and brings the number of choices to four, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Wednesday.
Meals in the program must have no more than 560 total calories, with no more than 30 percent of those calories from fat and 10 percent from added sugars. The amount of sodium must be less than 600 milligrams.
The new meals include two bite-sized hamburgers with fresh apple slices, low-calorie dipping sauce and calcium-fortified apple juice. Another meal includes a hamburger plus the apple slices and juice.
The third, which has less sodium, is chicken tenders accompanied by apple slices and fat-free milk, Burger King said.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International.
Comment re: Burger King's new kid meals
I am writing to comment on Burger King's new "healthy" kids' meals. I am a registered dietitian and mother of two.
Come on......calcium fortified apple juice??? In this case, why don’t we just put a vitamin pill on the tray next to the meal? This actually would send a much clearer message to the consumer. I like the idea of the apple wedges added to these meals, because this is an appropriate use of fruit in the diet. However, apple juice, on its own has no nutritional value, so why do people feel so great about adding calcium to something that never was a calcium source and has no other nutrients to encourage calcium absorption. It would make a heck of a lot more sense to fortify the milk with vitamin C! Oh, and we could enhance its creaminess with milk of magnesia and then it could be a fiber source and you may not even need the apple!
Low-fat and fat-free milk are the appropriate beverages in meals intended to offer the consumer healthy options. You acknowledge the 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Report when you list the nutrients of concern for children. Did you also know that children drinking milk consume more nutrients than non-milk drinkers. Milk has nine essential nutrients for health; calcium fortified apple juice may have calcium, but does not have the other naturally occuring nutrients found in milk to aid in the absorption and availablity of that calcium. I applaud your efforts to offer consumers this option in your restaurants. I simply cannot get past apple juice being part of this project.
Thank you.
Post new comment