Keep your kids away from these unhealthy meal options. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for those kids meals that may seem like good ideas at the time, but end up packing an unhealthy wallop.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 "Your kids will love McDonald's Happy Meal!"
00:02 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for those kids' meals that
00:06 may seem like good ideas at the time, but end up packing an unhealthy wallop.
00:10 "Tasty burgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, chicken strips!"
00:14 Number 10 - Burger King Hamburger Kids' Meal
00:18 Parents have a lot of options when it comes to fast food kids' meals for their children,
00:22 but they're not always good ones.
00:23 "Only at Burger King! Ha ha!"
00:26 Some, like the Burger King Hamburger Kids' Meal, come in under par when it comes to calories
00:30 and fat.
00:31 The burger itself provides a good source of protein, which is good.
00:34 "Fuel for wishful thinking!"
00:37 However, where this kids' meal fails is with cholesterol, containing 40 milligrams of the
00:42 stuff.
00:43 Additionally, the Burger King Hamburger Kids' Meal also comes in with 615 milligrams of
00:48 sodium, and that's assuming that you stick with the apple slices instead of a side of
00:51 fries.
00:52 "Have it your way!"
00:54 Number 9 - Wendy's Cheeseburger Kids' Meal and Frosty
00:57 Okay, so we get it.
01:00 The average Wendy's Kids' Meal doesn't necessarily need to come with a junior-sized
01:03 Frosty.
01:04 "Summer, a Wendy's Frosty is just 50 cents!"
01:07 But where are we kidding?
01:08 Have you ever dipped one of your french fries in the stuff?
01:11 They're glorious!
01:12 And most parents are probably willing to let their little ones enjoy these sort of indulgences
01:15 while they're young, with that crazy fast metabolism.
01:18 "Try and hang on to your hamburger!"
01:20 That said, adding a Frosty to a Wendy's Cheeseburger Kids' Meal will result in close
01:24 to 700 calories.
01:26 But the real kicker will be all of that unhealthy sugar content from that delicious, sinful
01:30 confectionary.
01:31 "Wendy's Kids' Meals are just for kids, and so is what's inside!"
01:34 Number 8 - Jack in the Box Chicken Sandwich Kids' Meal
01:37 Nobody ever claimed that being a parent was easy, and this goes double at dinner time.
01:41 "Tell your mommy to be happy with who she is!"
01:44 It may sometimes feel like a balancing act, juggling fat and calorie content versus sugars
01:48 and sodium.
01:49 The Chicken Sandwich Kids' Meal from the Jack in the Box chain does offer 17 grams
01:53 of protein, which is good.
01:54 It's also not super high in calories.
01:58 "Mini Buffalo Ranch, Mini Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich!"
02:04 However, it's the sodium that's the kicker with this undoubtedly tasty sandwich.
02:09 We're talking 1320 mg when ingested, if the kids' meal is prepared with a side of
02:14 curly fries.
02:15 "Better than the other one!"
02:17 Number 7 - Popeye's Chicken Leg and Fries Kids' Meal
02:20 Calorie needs certainly vary from person to person, and it's important to monitor
02:23 the quality of one's caloric intake with each meal.
02:26 "Enjoy your meal, enjoy your meal!"
02:29 This Chicken Leg and Fries Kids' Meal from Popeye's isn't the largest out there, yet
02:32 it contains 1047 mg of sodium, as well as 9 grams of saturated fat.
02:38 "We're gonna open it."
02:40 We're not denying that this kids' meal does provide 18 grams of protein, but the
02:44 portion size is fairly small, and it only contains 428 calories, meaning that the average
02:50 child is probably going to be hungry again fairly soon after devouring this one.
02:53 "I don't think a kid would be extremely excited about this."
02:57 Number 6 - Chick-fil-A Grilled Nuggets Kids' Meal
02:59 On the surface, the Grilled Nuggets Kids' Meal from Chick-fil-A doesn't seem like
03:03 too bad an option.
03:04 "Stop!
03:05 Nugget time!"
03:06 After all, the nuggets are grilled, not fried, which is already half the battle, right?
03:11 However, we also have to take into account that this meal is armed with a side of waffle
03:15 fries and chocolate milk.
03:16 "We stand on one foot, balance a glass of chocolate milk on our heads."
03:21 Sure, the beverage may be the low-fat kind of chocolate milk, but the 23 grams of sugar,
03:26 combined with the sky-high sodium and cholesterol numbers, 1150 and 75 respectively, make this
03:31 Chick-fil-A choice one that we can't recommend.
03:34 "I will finish those off later as well."
03:38 Number 5 - KFC Popcorn Chicken Kids' Portion
03:41 Don't think for a second that this "kids' portion" of popcorn chicken from KFC is
03:45 going to make a lick of difference in your child's health.
03:47 "Every piece is unique."
03:49 That's because ordering this meal with potato wedges and a cola soft drink will rack up
03:52 the fat and carbohydrate content real quick.
03:55 "Finally a kids' meal that's fun for kids and moms."
03:58 Additionally, the overall fried nature of this entire meal will result in over 1500
04:02 mg of sodium, 730 calories, and a whole lot of regret for the parents who have to take
04:08 care of their child's food coma after the fact.
04:10 "Square meal in a fun box, only at KFC."
04:13 Number 4 - Dairy Queen's Kids' Meal Combo
04:16 Let's be clear for a second - we're actually not going to condemn this meal for its inclusion
04:20 of a small ice cream cone in the mix.
04:22 "Pick the food you like to eat."
04:24 "Pick a cool DQ treat."
04:27 After all, the proof is just sort of in the pudding, or make that name of the restaurant.
04:31 The Dairy Queen Kids' Meal Combo contains a small, appropriately sized portion of fried
04:35 chicken tenders, which delivers some protein.
04:37 "Crispy strips of all white meat chicken."
04:40 There's also protein to be had in the side of low-fat milk, which begs the question - why
04:44 would Dairy Queen serve their dairy with another side of dairy?
04:47 At the end of the day, this kids' meal is a sugar and carb bomb, and delivers an unfortunate
04:52 amount of sodium to boot.
04:53 "I pick the kids' meal that lets you pick your treat."
04:56 Number 3 - Potbelly's Sandwich Shop PB&J
04:58 Look, we possess absolutely no doubt that this big honkin' PB&J sandwich from the Potbelly's
05:04 Sandwich Shop is frickin' delicious.
05:06 "I feel a nice crust on this."
05:08 After all, just look at that crusty bread.
05:11 That said, this sandow is loooaded with calories and fat, thanks to the peanut butter, not
05:16 to mention sugar.
05:17 How many calories, you may ask?
05:19 Well, how about 1340?
05:21 How does that grab ya?
05:22 "Now the calories must, of course, come from the peanut butter, 'cause that's pretty
05:27 calorically dense."
05:29 Beyond this, the carb content of the bread clocks in at 199 grams, and a sodium number
05:34 that stretches just 10 milligrams shy of the 1400 mark.
05:37 This PB&J may be a banger, but it's not gonna be doing any child favors when it comes
05:42 to their health.
05:43 "Yeah, that's hard."
05:44 Number 2 - McDonald's Cheeseburger Happy Meal
05:47 Believe it or not, McDonald's, as well as Taco Bell and Subway, stand among some of
05:51 the better options for fast food kids' meals.
05:53 "It all comes in a Happy Meal box, with games, puzzles, jokes, and a prize!"
05:57 "A prize?"
05:58 This comes down primarily to the portion sizes of their four-piece nugget options, which
06:02 pack a good amount of protein to offset the bad stuff.
06:04 The OG Happy Meal with a cheeseburger, however, is more in line with what our parents and
06:08 grandparents warned us about when we were young.
06:11 "Half-rindles, stay light!"
06:12 We're down with the apple slices and milk, but the burger and fries pack over 900 milligrams
06:17 of sodium, which is way too much when measured against other, healthier options.
06:21 "Nobody can do it like McDonald's can!"
06:25 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
06:29 about our latest videos.
06:31 You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
06:34 If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
06:41 Number 1 - Sonic Wacky Pack Kids' Meal & Junior Burger
06:44 Do you hit up your local Sonic for the quality of their food or the nostalgia of the experience?
06:48 "I'm gonna try to chow this thing down before I get to the wrapper."
06:52 The answer could be either, or both.
06:53 But we're also willing to bet that the hopes of eating healthy never come into play.
06:57 This is particularly true with Sonic Kids' Meal options, such as their grilled cheese
07:01 or Wacky Pack combo with a Junior Burger.
07:03 "With fries or tots and a cool Sonic drink!"
07:06 The most glaring offender here is trans fat, which is a huge no-no.
07:10 Additionally, the side of tots assist in lifting this Kids' Meal to over 1000 milligrams
07:15 of sodium.
07:16 This isn't even mentioning the sugar contained in the optional applesauce side, the 31.5
07:21 grams of fat, and 710 calories.
07:24 This meal is just a bad choice all around.
07:26 "Sonic Wacky Pack."
07:27 Will any of this information dissuade you from choosing any of these Kids' Meals?
07:30 Do you save fast food trips solely for special occasions?
07:33 Let us know in the comments.
07:34 "Um, yeah, I'll have three cheeseburgers."
07:37 "Peter, for God's sake, she's having a baby!"
07:39 "Oh, that's right.
07:40 And a Kids' Meal!"
07:41 Did you enjoy this video?
07:43 Check out these other clips from WatchMojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell
07:47 to be notified about our latest videos.
07:49 [Music]
07:55 [Music]