Eating out is one of life's great pleasures, but if you're anything like me, every meal out involves a hefty dose of denial. I've been a waitress. I've watched the guys in the kitchen lay a "low-fat" grilled chicken breast onto a steaming pile of lard, drop whole cups of butter into vats of "healthy" rice, and marinate "nutritious" vegetables in more oil than I have in my whole apartment -- and yet I still order the grilled chicken with rice and vegetables because it's the "healthy" option.
Of course, when it comes to my kid, I'd rather have the blinders lifted.
That's why I'm fascinated by the new Eat This Not That book, which gives a restaurant-by-restaurant run-down of the healthiest and least healthy things to order for your child. Some of the revelations are surprising: at Chick-Fil-A, the nuggets with BBQ sauce have 200 fewer calories than the Chicken Caesar wrap.In the yogurt aisle, Stonyfield O'Soy has almost 3 times as much sugar as Yoplait Kids. And that frozen pizza with Elmo on it? It actually is better than the non-Elmo variety.
Obviously this book is more useful for parents who visit restaurant chains and big grocery stores, as the corner Thai place and local gourmet market aren't listed. But even if you're a dedicated organic food hound, it's pretty eye-opening to see how many calories are actually in that Amy's frozen entree from Whole Foods. Helpful guides to lunch-packing and making square meals round out the offerings, along with lots of Denny's menu-style food photos. -- Gwynne Watkins
Eat This Not That for Kids! (Rodale 2008) is available for $11.97 on Amazon.
Book of the Week appears every other Friday. Sometimes every
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