Eroski Consumer has visited 180 catering establishments in Galicia, Catalonia, the Basque Country, La Rioja, Madrid, Andalusia, Murcia, Asturias, Navarra, Cantabria and the Valencian Community. The objective? Know the nutritional quality of children's menus in the restaurants of our country.
In general, it has been observed that the analyzed children's menus do not offer varied or balanced dishes
Food should not only be taken care of at home, and although exceptions can be tolerated, when a family eats frequently outside the home, it is necessary that the chosen 'children's menu' be balanced, unless it is clear that we ask for a dish of homemade food that the kids like (option that is often more successful, according to my experience).
What criteria have been followed to evaluate children's menus in restaurants?
The method of analysis has been to assess, according to the dietary-nutritional recommendations of the NAOS strategy and the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP), the composition of the dishes (vegetables, farinaceous, fish, meat, desserts and bread) of each children's menu, as well as their side dishes (if they included vegetables and were varied).
They have also checked the culinary techniques used (with more or less fat) and if they offered fresh dessert fruit and whole wheat bread to accompany. In addition, the possibility of accessing a special dietary menu without salt, gluten, vegetarian and / or low calorie was consulted. Total, each of the analyzed menus could obtain a maximum of fourteen points (also taking into account the price).
Nutritional assessment children's menusAlmost half of the establishments visited fail to pass the dietary test proposed by Eroski Consumer: there is no variety of foods and there is an insufficiency in legumes and vegetables. Side dishes and sauces (fried potatoes and fried tomatoes) are repeated, and fatty culinary techniques such as fried, breaded and battered are overused
The 'ideal' children's menu when eating out?
At least one plate of salad or vegetable should be included, and those establishments that offer legumes and / or a variety of other farinaceous (rice, pasta, potatoes) get a higher score.
The menu is even healthier if the offer of this type of dishes does not abuse the ingredients of animal origin (sausages, eggs, minced meat, tuna, cheeses, etc.).
In the study, of the 180 children's menus analyzed, only 22% included at least one vegetable or salad dish, while 66% of them could find pasta and / or rice, the most common resource: macaroni Bolognese and rice with fried tomato. In addition, despite the recognized benefits of legumes, only 7% included them as a dish in the menu offer (in Bilbao, Logroño, Málaga and Oviedo).
It has been positively assessed that children's menus offer at least one serving of fish. However, it was found that less than half of children's menus
Another of the incidents found is that - despite the recommendations -, only one in four children's menus offered mixed garnishes and sauces. The usual thing is to find fried tomato sauces and frozen french fries. They highlight in a positive way 8 of the 12 children's menus analyzed in Murcia: one of them offered a dressing of Modena vinegar and caramel, fried croutons with parsley and garlic, a mushroom sauce with onion and potatoes fried with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and White wine.
A dish is healthier when cooking without fat
When preparing food at home we try to follow the recommendation to use the techniques that provide less fat to food: those that use water (cooked or boiled, steam), the use of an iron or oven is recommended. On the other hand it is due monitor using fried, battered, breaded, stewed and stewed less than three or four times a week (more fatty, energetic and more difficult to digest).
But nevertheless, In 43% of the menus analyzed, more than 50% of the dishes that made them were cooked with fatty culinary techniques: especially fried, breaded and battered. Specifically, in Oviedo, in all the analyzed menus the fried, breaded and battered exceeded the plate or the oven. Unlike those of San Sebastián, where he sent the iron, the oven and the cooked food.
At the time of cooking influences the approach made of the children's menu. One in ten establishments offers mixed dishes, usually a mixture of fried and breaded. While they are dishes that children love, they are too fatty and high in calories.
Average price children's menusGood news
One of the most positive conclusions of the study is that As a dessert, 82% of the children's menus analyzed included fresh fruit and in all those evaluated, water was always an option. Finally, another added value is that hotel and restaurant establishments offer the option of 'dietary' menus adapted to special needs such as food allergies and intolerances.
Three out of every five children's menus analyzed included this type of dietary menus. Of course, in most of them they requested that they notify in advance to be able to prepare it properly, without haste and with the appropriate food
It is clear that offering a healthy and balanced diet to our children also goes through inform us about the foods that are included in the 'children's menus' of restaurants and bars when we eat out, paying attention also to the culinary techniques used. After all, let's think that our behaviors in the face of food are decisive, and we act as a model for children.
