Early Start's new website
New report reveals fast food kids' menus that aren't meeting calorie standards – Elizabeth Cohen breaks it down
It's no secret that fast food isn't exactly healthy food for your kids. But a new report reveals that even some restaurants with so-called "healthy meals," have their fair share of kiddie calorie bombs on the menu.
Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen breaks down the stunning numbers and the possible good options out there. “They took a look at 50 big restaurant chains and found 91% of them don't meet the nutritional guidelines of their own association, of the National Restaurant Association,” Cohen reports. “They don't meet those nutritional guidelines for kids. And in fact, some of the meals have more than twice as many calories as a child is supposed to get, depending upon the age of the child.” Cohen says the only restaurant that gets an “A” for doing a great job is Subway.
Moms say two ingredients in Kraft Mac and Cheese pose potential health risk – Elizabeth Cohen investigates
A health story that has two moms are taking on food giant Kraft. They started a petition online calling on Kraft to remove two ingredients from its "Mac and Cheese," a staple in the diets of thousands of children. These mom food bloggers say the ingredients that give it its bright yellow food color are dangerous.
Now more than 220-thousand people have signed on, asking Kraft to take out the artificial colorings yellow #5 and yellow #6. They point to studies linking artificial food colorings to hyperactivity in children, and cancer in mice. Kraft has already removed them for the European versions of the popular food. Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth investigates the story.
The science behind the findings is inconclusive, Cohen reports. “There was a study done in England where they gave some kids food with these dyes in it and then gave some kids food without," Cohen explains. "And they said that they then observed that the kids who had the dyes were more hyperactive." This resulted in the ban in the United Kingdom. But other scientists claim it wasn't well done study, because the hyperactivity could have been due to other ingredients.
Cohen advises concerned parents to make their own decision or their own mac and cheese.
Debating ban on BPA in food
NRDC's Jennifer Sass on the FDA rejecting a petition to ban a controversial chemical in food packaging.
