// BEGIN editorial data var i = 0; var TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder = new Array(); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.ID = "TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder"; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.ID_WB = 26335181; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.sPubDate = "8/22/2008 10:18:37 PM GMT"; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.navsectionID = "3032632" TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.appFmt = 2; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.itemsPerPage = 1; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.appWidth = 460; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.appHeader = "Fact file| Decode your child's menu"; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.appDeck = "No matter what cuisine, help your kids choose the healthiest meal options"; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.appFooter = "Excerpted from \"Eat This, Not That! for Kids\" by David Zinczenko. Rodale, Inc., 2008"; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.appNavStyle = 3; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.bDhtml = 0; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.appLayout = 3; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.copyHeight = 400; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.copyWidth = 375; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder.copyMargin = 9; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Guilt-free eating","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Sections/TVNews/Today%20show/Today%20Health/2008/08-August/ETNT-for-Kids.htease.jpg","","", "sub", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "110", "110", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "Whether you’re enjoying a family night out at your favorite restaurant or ordering in from the local pizza shop, there are a myriad of meals from which you and your children can choose. In the world of Big Macs, Bloomin’ Onions and supersized portions, parents need to make sure their kids are getting good nutrition in addition to satisfying their taste buds. Unfortunately, many of the most popular restaurant foods for children (and adults) are sodium-soaked and can pack almost a day’s worth of calories in just one serving.

So how do you navigate mouthwatering menus without putting your kids on the fast track to obesity? In \"Eat This, Not That! for Kids,” Men’s Health editor David Zinczenko provides a food guide so you can decide when to let them indulge and when to just say no. This excerpt uncovers the truth about some of the most common restaurant fare for kids: Pizza, Chinese takeout and Mexican food. All of these cuisines have meals that should be avoided at all costs and meals that prove eating healthy or, at least, healthier, doesn’t have to be a drag.
"; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Pizzeria","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Breadsticks","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "Skip ’em. First of all, you’re already eating pizza, so what’s the need for another version of oil-soaked bread? On top of that, the tub of garlic sauce the pizza places so thoughtfully provide for dipping is really just a slurry of trans fat–bearing partially hydrogenated oils. That one tub has as many calories as two slices of pizza. Which would you prefer?"; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Mozzarella sticks","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "Few things on this planet are worse for you than breaded and fried cheese. They might be a kid favorite, but at 125 calories and a heap of saturated fat per small stick, they are a parent’s nightmare. Curb the cheese craving with an 80-calorie string cheese."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Calzone","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "These football-size dough pockets hold an ungodly amount of cheese and toppings; even a small hunk of calzone could run up to 500 calories and 25 grams of fat. If it’s cheese and sauce you seek, stick to pizza."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Kids pizza","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "It’s almost always better to give your kids a slice or two from a large pizza than it is to order the kids’ pizza. That’s because kids’ portions are often the same exact serving as a personal pizza that any adult might order on his or her own -- and those pack anywhere between 550 and 750 calories."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Veggie pizza","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "Consider this a vegetable-eaters starter kit, complete with enough cheese and sauce to make those veggies go down easier. Seriously, considering the lack of vegetables in most kids’ diets, you need to take advantage of any opportunity to slip in a serving of produce."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Sicilian pizza","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "Don’t be fooled by the authentic-sounding place of origin: This is just a code word for a thick, oily crust with little of the stuff -- marinara, vegetables -- that your kid actually needs."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Thick crust","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "Not only does the extra dough mean a 75-calorie premium on every slice, it also lends the pizza the structural integrity to withstand a heavier bombardment of toppings. In total, figure double the calories for thick over thin crust."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Chicken and broccoli","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "Broccoli contains sulforaphane and chicken is packed with selenium. While both have been shown to be potent cancer- and disease-fighters on their own, studies show that eating the two together may multiply their beneficial effects by as much as 13 times."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Chinese takeout","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Dumplings","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "Filled with vegetables, chicken, pork, or some combination thereof, these make a much more suitable start to a meal than the old standby, the egg roll. Just be sure to ask for your dumplings steamed; otherwise they’ll come fried in an inch of oil."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Sesame/orange/General Tso's","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "These three popular dishes have a few unfortunate traits in common: They’re all fried; they’re all covered in a viscous, sugar-spiked sauce; and they’re all incredibly appealing to kids. Oh, and at around 1,300 calories and 70 grams of fat per order, they’re part of an unholy trinity comprising the worst of the Chinese takeout menu."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Kung pao chicken","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "One of the better options on the menu. Yes, there is still the issue of excessive oil (anything that goes into the wok will have this problem), but its grip on this dish is nowhere near as pronounced as in most others, and it’s offset by a slew of vegetables -- onions, zucchini, and peppers. If your child is sensitive to spice, ask them to go easy on the dried chiles."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Fortune cookies","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "They’re not technically Chinese (they were invented in San Francisco), but at a mere 30 calories a serving, they make an authentically safe ending to a meal."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","\"Light on the sauce\"","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "You won’t see this phrase anywhere on the menu, but it’s one you should rely on when ordering Chinese food. Real Chinese food comes lightly sauced, not drowning in a gloppy tide of sugary goo. Employ this phrase for a touch of authenticity and a savings of hundreds of calories for your family."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Beef and broccoli","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "Not the healthy dish it pretends to be. That’s because the thick brown sauce brings a dangerous amount of saturated fat and sodium to the plate."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Steamed mixed vegetables","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "Expect broccoli, carrots, and snow peas, a potent mix of nutrient-dense vegetables. Make a simple rule in your house: Every time you eat Chinese, everyone (including you) must eat at least one portion of this healthy side."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Rice","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "The most seemingly innocent part of the meal is actually one of the most problematic. A single scoop could add 300 calories to a meal, and all of those calories come from fast-burning carbohydrates. If you can’t imagine a Chinese meal without rice, try a small scoop of brown rice, which at least brings some fiber to the table."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Mexican","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Chips and salsa","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "Salsa is the world’s greatest condiment, with only 15 calories and 0 grams of fat in a generous scoop, plus a ton of lycopene from the tomatoes. Problem is, a basket of chips will cost you at least 600 calories, and when they’re complimentary, those calories can pile up quickly. Limit the family to one basket and save any leftover salsa to lavish generously on your entrées."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Tortillas","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "No, not all tortillas are created equally. In fact, the wrong tortilla can be your worst enemy at a Mexican restaurant, packing up to 400 calories on its own. To dampen the damage, have all tacos and fajitas made with corn tortillas; they’re lower in calories and higher in fiber than standard flour tortillas."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Fajitas","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "The sizzling skillet has a magical way of making onions and peppers more appealing to veggie-phobic kids. Because the serving size is so massive, it’s a great dish to split between two kids, which cuts the 900-calorie entrée into a reasonable 450-calorie portion for each. You can knock off another 150 calories each if you ask the server to hold the cheese and sour cream."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Quesadillas","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "Mexico’s thin, crispy answer to that American kid favorite, grilled cheese, has nothing even closely resembling nutrition to offer your loved ones. Whereas a homemade quesadilla might contain 1⁄2 cup of shredded cheese on a small tortilla, the restaurant equivalent is a hubcap-size wrap housing up to 2 cups of Cheddar and Jack cheeses. The damage? 700 calories and 40 grams of fat."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Guacamole","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "Yes, avocados are loaded with heart-healthy fats, but they’re also stuffed full of belly-expanding calories, making a small bowl of guacamole a 400-calorie proposition. Go ahead and order the guac -- just make sure it’s shared with the rest of the table, okay?"; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Empanadas","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "This South American staple has migrated onto many a Mexican menu in this country. Which is rather unfortunate, considering that it’s a fried meat-and-cheese filled pastry. Ouch."; TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i++] = new Array("","Refried beans","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TODAY_080825_MH_MenuDecoder[i-1].body = "Don’t be scared by the name: While this popular Mexican staple carries a bit of fat with each serving, refried beans also come with a big dose of protein, fiber, and antioxidants. (Yes, refried beans pack quite an antioxidant punch.) All of these factors make the beans considerably better for you than the rice they’re served with."; // END editorial data