Boycott French Fries for Kids
Posted by Kelby Carr on Kids Cuisine.
I found it disturbing, although sadly not surprising, to read in this recent post on new diet guidelines for children under age 2 that the most common vegetable for toddlers is French fries. How insane is that?
So it got me thinking that perhaps it’s time we parents just boycott French fries for kids. We will have healthier children for it, and perhaps a few fast food chains will get the hint and offer more healthy options in kids’ meals.
In case you need a little inspiration, I dug up some interesting facts about the health hazards of French fries:
- A study of the correlation between foods eaten by small children and breast cancer later in life found that French fries were the biggest culprit, according to the Holistic Pediatric Association. “For one additional serving of French fries per week consumed during ages 3-5 years, the risk of breast cancer increased by 27 percent,” the article states.
- The California Attorney General sued manufacturers of French fries and potato chips seeking a warning about the high levels of a chemical they argued is a carcinogen, according to ConsumerAffairs.com. The defendants included McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s.
There are many great options besides French fries for kids, and especially for toddlers. Here are some healthy finger foods for toddlers. You can also find some great suggestions for alternatives to French fries if your kids already love them.
There are lots of fresh vegetables that you can serve with just a couple minutes of washing and perhaps some dicing, such as cucumbers, grape tomatoes, grapes, bananas, apples, peaches, pears, avocado, and so on.
Help spread the word! Link to this post, or tell your friends.
Photo of diced cucumbers, © Pontus Edenberg.
