Insights \ Health Hits

In an effort to improve the healthy options they offer to children, 19 chain restaurants are adding lower-calorie meals to their kid's menus.

The new selections, part of the Kids LiveWell initiative from the National Restaurant Association and Healthy Dining, must meet strict nutritional criteria, including:

• The entrée, sides and drink must be 600 calories or less.

• Meals must also include two servings of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and/or low-fat dairy.

• The overall sodium, fat and sugar content must be limited.

The chains must also promote the new, healthier options and also offer at least one other individual item with 200 calories or less, with limits on fats, sugars and sodium, plus contain a serving of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein or low-fat dairy.

The chains, which have more than 15,000 locations, include: Au Bon Pain, Bonefish Grill, Burger King, Burgerville, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Chevys Fresh Mex, Chili's Grill & Bar, Corner Bakery Cafe, Cracker Barrel, Denny's, El Pollo Loco, Friendly's, IHOP, Joe's Crab Shack, Outback Steakhouse, Silver Diner, Sizzler, T-Bones Great American Eatery and zpizza.

"Eating well--especially when eating out--is the road much less traveled in America today, by children and adults alike," says Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, editor-in-chief of Childhood Obesity and a member of Everwell's Medical Advisory Board. Instead, it should be the path of lesser resistance."