Many Americans don’t get enough of the vitamins and minerals they should, but the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is now concerned that children and other vulnerable populations are exposed to excessive and unhealthy amounts in the foods they eat. The EWG report out Tuesday highlighted the levels of vitamin A, zinc and niacin in breakfast…
Taco Bell to Cancel Kids' Menu
Mexican-style restaurant chain Taco Bell says it will begin phasing out its children’s menu, and will no longer have one by January. The company announced Monday that it will no longer offer separate options for kids, but will instead incorporate its crunchy taco, soft taco, bean burrito and other kids’ items into its regular menu.…
Nutrition Standards Won't Fix Big Food's Worst Child Marketing Tactics
Last month, I participated in an important panel at a childhood obesity conference to discuss the current strategy backed by some advocacy groups: asking industry to market “healthier” foods to children. But as Susan Linn and I recently argued, any marketing to children is harmful, regardless of the product’s nutritional content. Instead of begging…
Most Kids' Meals Served at Restaurant Chains Unhealthy, Study Finds
More than 90 percent of kids’ meals offered by the nation’s chain restaurants fail to meet the National Restaurant Association’s definition of a healthy meal for children, according to new study released Thursday by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Researchers analyzed 3,498 meal combinations on kids’ menus at eateries across the country,…
For Fruits and Veggies, the Choice Should Be Easy
Choosing healthy food is complicated for consumers when they are faced with conflicting recommendations. In the case of the healthiest foods – fruits and vegetables – the choice should be very easy. Consumers simply should be eating more. Whether organically or conventionally grown, consumers can choose either with confidence. Unfortunately, this very simple “eat more”…
Disney Bans Junk Food Marketing from its Network Kingdom
Over the next three years, the Walt Disney Company will phase junk food advertising out of its TV and radio programming targeted at kids. Under the new plan – announced Tuesday – all foods marketed on Disney’s channels will have to meet the company’s nutrition guidelines, created in 2006 and recently updated to align with…
USDA Revamps School Nutrition Standards
In an effort to lower childhood obesity rates – which have been climbing rapidly over the past 3 decades – the Obama Administration is raising the bar on school nutrition.
With the help of First Lady Michelle Obama, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wednesday revealed a new set of regulations for school meals, marking …
Popular Kids Cereals as Sugary as Desserts, Review Finds
Few parents make a habit of feeding their kids Twinkies for breakfast. But children who eat some of the leading brands of cereal are getting just as much or more sugar as is in one of those dessert snacks, according to a new study.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) reviewed 84 brands of children’s breakfast …
Obama Urged to Push Kids' Food Marketing Regs
Academic experts from across the nation are calling on President Obama to ensure that his administration establishes guidelines on marketing food to children.
In a letter to the President Tuesday, more than 75 researchers in the fields of nutrition, marketing, medicine and public health asked that the Obama administration finalize its proposed guidelines on nutritional …
Encourage an Earlier Taste for Healthy Foods
The frontier in the fight against childhood obesity should be pushed back to toddlers and preschoolers, a new study suggests. The researchers found that kids ages 3-5 already have developed a taste for sugary, fatty, and salty foods, and easily recognize the brands that offer these options.
The university researchers found that very young children, …