Most kids receive unhealthy items with fast-food kids’ meals

A study of parents’ fast-food restaurant purchases for their children finds that 74% of kids still receive unhealthy drinks and/or side items with their kids’ meals when they visit one of the four largest restaurant chains—McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Subway—despite restaurants’ commitments to offer healthier options with kids’ meals. This finding is part of a report from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut.

“While most fast-food restaurants do have healthier kids’ meal drinks and sides available, many do little to make parents aware of the healthier options or to encourage parents to choose the healthier options instead of unhealthy ones,” said Jennifer Harris, director of marketing initiatives for the Rudd Center and lead author of the report.

The study surveyed approximately 800 parents in 2010, 2013, and 2016 about what they ordered for their children (aged 2–11) in the past week from one of the top four fast-food restaurants. Since 2010, the four largest fast-food restaurant chains have pledged to offer healthier drinks and side options in kids’ meals, and not list sugary soda as a kids’ meal option on menu boards.

The study found that children are eating fast food more often. In 2016, 91% of parents reported purchasing lunch or dinner for their child in the past week at one of the four largest chains, up from 79% in 2010. Families visited McDonald’s the most. Study authors say low cost and/or increased value of fast-food meals, convenience and easy access, and a documented increase in fast-food advertising to children could account for the increase in consumption of fast-food meals.

One-third of parents who purchased lunch or dinner for their child at a fast-food restaurant did not purchase a kids’ meal, and this was true for both younger children (aged 2–5) and older children (aged 6–11). They purchased regular menu items, which include adult-sized portions and tend to be less nutritious than kids’ meal items.

In general, parents are purchasing healthier options for their younger children (aged 2–5) than for older kids (aged 6–11) at fast-food restaurants. Across all three years studied, parents were significantly more likely to buy only a kids’ meal, and not another menu item on top of it, for a younger child than for an older child (64% versus 46%, respectively). Parents were also more likely to receive a healthier drink when purchasing a kids’ meal for a younger child than for an older child (66% versus 50%, respectively).

“Fast-food restaurants have said they want to be part of the solution to childhood obesity,” said Harris. “They can start by making the healthier drinks and sides the default options in kids’ meals and introducing healthier kids' meal main dishes, which remain high in fat, sodium, and calories.”

Study (pdf)