• |       
  • Create an account

    *

    *

    *

    *

    *

    *

    Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

    • Home > Restaurant Operations > Operations > Food & Healthy Living > Healthy Kids

    Healthy Kids

    • Print

    Nutrition tops the list for many parents when dining out with the family. According to WhyMomsRule.com, a blog published by Bohan Advertising and Marketing that tracks trends affecting moms and their buying habits, 70 percent of mothers are demanding healthy kid’s items on restaurant menus. And based on figures from Mintel Menu Insights, moms are getting what they want: Restaurant menu items listed as “healthy” grew by 65 percent between 2009 and 2010.

    PorVida

    porvida-175The San Antonio Restaurant Association, a Texas Restaurant Association chapter, partnered with the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District to create PorVida, a program to identify items on restaurants' menus that meet general standards for good nutrition. Restaurateurs work with registered dieticians to modify or create menu items that offer nutrient dense foods with minimal saturated fats, trans-fats and sodium. Once an item meets the PorVida standards, restaurants can advertise that by placing the PorVida logo next to the menu item. PorVida is also working with restaurants to modify kids menus, offering more healthy choices to familes. 
    www.sanantonio.gov/health/porvida

    Kids Teaching Kids

    Medical City Heart in Dallas began working with the Texas Restaurant ASsociation Education Foundation and the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association (a TRA chapter) in 2010 on a program that would get kids to teach kids about eating healthy and making smart food choices.  The Kids Teaching Kids programs connects high school culinary arts students with 4th and 5th grade students in their school districts.

    kids-teaching-kids

    The high school students, who are all part of Texas ProStart programs, create healthy snacks that a 4th or 5th grader could make by themselves when they get home from school. The culinary students must follow certain dietary and safety guidelines. Their recipes are evaluated by nutritionists from Medical City Heart and judged on taste and creativity by a select group of elementary students.

    The winning recipies are collected into a booklet, designed and produced by the high school's photojournalism and graphic design students, and then printed and distributed to all 4th and 5th grade students in that school district free of charge through the PTA. Funding for the printing and other minimal expenses comes from local restaurant sponsors.

    Since the launch in Dallas, Kids Teaching Kids has expanded to four Texas ProStart high schools in the Austin area and preliminary planning is beginning to introduce the program in San Antonio.

    Kids LiveWell kidslivewell 300

    Join the thousands of restaurants who have joined the national Kids LiveWell program and are making “the healthful choice the easy choice” for parents!

    Surveys of restaurant operators and consumers tell the same story — when families dine out, parents are increasingly looking for healthier options for their children. The National Restaurant Association created the Kids LiveWell program to help restaurants highlight those healthful meal choices, and to connect consumers with Kids LiveWell restaurants.  Kids LiveWell can showcase your existing healthful kids’ options or help your company innovate to create more healthful, delicious children’s meals.

    The Kids LiveWell program was developed by the National Restaurant Association, in collaboration with Healthy Dining, a group of registered dieticians who have worked closely with the industry for two decades. Healthy Dining provides reputable third-party verification, as well as consultation services to help restaurants create items that meet the Kids LiveWell criteria. The program also provides an array of promotional materials to help identify and market Kids LiveWell menu items, both in store and online.

    Through your participation in the Texas Restaurant Association, we can offer you special discounted pricing on top of the wide-ranging program benefits!

    To learn more about Kids LiveWell, including enrollment and fees, please contact Joy Dubost, Director of Nutrition & Healthy Living, at the National Restaurant Association via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 202-973-5361.