Letting kids eat at popular fast-food and chain restaurants can be downright dangerous because the servings are far too high in calories, said a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) on Monday.
The center, a U.S. consumer group, examined the menus at 13 popular restaurants that promote children's meals.
It found in most chain restaurants more than 90 percent of the kid's menu meals packed way more than the recommended 430 calories per meal.
"Nearly every single possible combination of the children's meals at KFC, Taco Bell, Sonic, Jack in the Box, and Chick-fil-A is too high in calories," the group said in a statement.
More than 90 percent of meals offered at hamburger chains would fill virtually all of a child's calorie needs for the day, CSPI said.
The findings showed that overall 45 percent of the meals are too high in saturated (animal) and trans fat and 86 percent too high in sodium.
CSPI nutrition policy director Margo Wootan said that most of these kids' meals appear to be designed to put America's children on the fast track to obesity, disability, heart attack, or diabetes.
(Agencies via Xinhua August 5, 2008)