Parenting is rife with important decisions. If you’re not choosing schools or parenting styles, you’re thinking about things like when to get them their first mobile or, as we’ll be discussing in this article, when to buy them their first fast food takeout.
After all, while you would probably stick to home-cooked goodness if it were down to you, takeout food is a pretty integral part of our culture. And, while your child may remain unaware of that until they’re old enough to notice what their friends are doing, there’s going to come a time when they’ll ask if they can have a burger or a dreaded Happy Meal.
Unfortunately, there’s no set ‘right’ time for when your child should be initiated into the world of fast food. Ideally, it’s worth waiting as long as possible for health reasons. That said, with children who are entirely forbidden from bad foods often overindulging when they do finally get the chance, continuing to hold out after your child begins requesting these food items could backfire.
Instead, it’s worth recognizing when your child shows a desire for these foods, and ensuring the healthiest options within a potentially unhealthy industry by considering –
Nutritional information
Fast food outlets are now pretty good at providing nutritional information for all of their dishes, and looking at this in advance is the best way to ensure the healthiest takeout choices at all times. Given that options like poke bowls, falafel wraps, and other healthy fast food selections are now pretty common, you may even find that this research allows you to ensure your child’s getting essential nutrients despite them eating so-called ‘naughty’ stuff. Even within something like a Happy Meal, the salt and sugar content of options like fish fingers is significantly lower than in foods like chicken nuggets, so if you can steer your child towards those options, you can take away a whole load of the health risks inherent with fast food.
Company ethics
Unethical companies that keep their animals poorly are typically more likely to use things like hormones and other nasty stuff to grow and preserve their foods. By considering company ethics, you can choose the best, healthiest options overall. Companies like Tex’s burgers are a great example of this with their halal meats, which you can learn more about here. Generally speaking, though, it’s worth picking eateries that promote healthy, natural processes and priorities to improve the quality of their food.
Comfortable frequencies
Around 36.3% of US children consume fast food at least once a day. This can lead to obesity and other health issues, and it highlights the importance of settling on a comfortable takeout frequency for your family. Remember that being too strict here could backfire, but allowing takeout something like once a month ensures that your children enjoy those treats, without the risk of excessive unhealthy consumption. Either way, balance is key, and you should make sure to break up these unhealthier meal choices with plenty of nutritionally-packed home-cooked food at all times!
