Chick-fil-A Courts Your Babies, As Long As They're Straight

By Scott Reitz Thu., Jan. 12 2012 at 4:05 PM

Test

Chick-fil-A is rolling out a new Kid's Meal, according to a recent news release, aimed at fighting childhood obesity and promoting good nutrition. Comprised of grilled chicken nuggets, low-fat milk and fruit, either in a cup for finger-eating, or pureed in a bag for squeezing, the meals tally just over 200 calories and are very low in fat.

Marketing material on the company's website compares their leanest meal (210 calories, 3 grams fat) against a typical fast food meal clocking in at 540 calories and 20 grams of fat. Woody Faulk, Chick-fil-A's vice president of brand strategy and design, says the new meal options reflect the company's commitment to helping parents strike a balance between nutrition, convenience and price. "We want parents to know that they do have a choice at Chick-fil-A," Faulk says in the release.

Kids entering the restaurant have a choice between the meal pictured above and this ...

Click to embiggen ... it looks delicious!

Sure, the advertised meal is in fact low in calories and fat, but what's a child really going to order (or at least want to order) when they arrive at Chick-fil-A? Choosing between pale, lifeless pieces of chicken protein with caramel color grill marks (the pre-cooked nuggets are actually reheated on a plastic non-stick sheet) and golden fried, deliciously juicy chicken bits freshly emerged from the frier is an easy one: gimmie the grease, Mom.

I used the website's nutrition calculator to build the meal I would have eaten as a kid, including fried chicken nuggets, juice and waffle fries. Here's a screen shot of the results:

And this looks good, even as an adult.

This is, of course, before dipping those delicious little oily nuggets into a plastic tub of Polynesian sauce. As a child I remember strategically using nuggets to make sure I mopped of every drop of that neon orange sweet and sour crack. The sauce adds an additional 110 calories to the meal.

Undoubtedly some parents will be thankful they can force their children to eat low-fat food when they drag them into a fast-food restaurant, but billing the new offering as a potential solution to the nation's childhood obesity problem is just dumb. Kids will never make healthy choices in a den of grease. The solution to our obesity (and other) food problems will never be solved inside a corporate restaurant. We'll have to go to the grocery store. We'll have to go to the kitchen.

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TexMarine

"but what's a child really going to order (or at least want to order) when they arrive at Chick-fil-A? "

You assume that a parent would give the child a choice. May I suggest that part of the reason that American restaurant have to fight childhood obesity in a fast food meal is 1) it's fast food, and 2) parent's are giving their kids a choice. I assume that I'm old than you, solely based on your memory of eating Chick-fil-A nuggets as a kid; I come from the pre-nugget generation that could manage to actually eat a chicken sandwich without choking. We waited until our adult years before we became obese, like any greasy blooded American should.

Phelps

Left wing rag prints any story, as long as the headline is gratuitously slanted.

Scruffygeist

As far as fast food chicken goes, Chick-fil-a is pretty much top of the list in least-unhealthy terms.

Does it matter what kind of fast food they eat as long as they're getting enough exercise? We children of the 80s ate like crap too and it never mattered because we ran around like idiots all day.

ScottsMerkin

As a family that had my dad travelling for work, and my mom running my brother and I between sports practices, games, and other various activities, during the week we ate either grilled cheese, mac n cheese, hot dogs, or fast food. I ate like shit but being active, in shape and not sitting on my ass playing video games or watching 5 hrs of TV everynight prolly had a lot to do with the shape I was in. My evening TV watching was limited to KU basketball games during the week.Now that I know the greatness of Chic-Fil-a its a shame they just got into Kansas in the last few years.

Darren Schmits

I tried them in the 12 pack meal on MacArthur in Las Colinas. They were, in a word, weird. Like the fried version, they were whole breast, not processed. But they didn't seam natural. And weird shapes. Felt better about myself eating them, but probably would not order them again. They are very flat, so calling them a nugget is a little misleading.

Guest

They should be eaten with the eyes closed. Or, blindfolded.

Halldecker

Friend in the fast food industry tells me the chicken nuggets are actually from the breasts of chickens.

What's not said, the meat has been whirled and mixed into a slurry, then extruded into "nuggets."

That's why the cheapo brands have much higher levels of fat and gook.

And the occasional beak and claw.

Chik Filet was founded and operated by Shiite Babtists, they don't open Sunday, won't hire preverts.

They aren't the first, Uncle Tiny had the first food product ever for Born Again Christians.

Cheeses of Nazareth.

TheRealDirtyP1

Thanks for luring me in with the headline Scott.Like Kergs said, you tell your kids what they're eating. Don't worry about the kids sitting at the next table over with 12 nuggets, fries, Dr. Pepper, ketchups and sauces, and chasing it with an ice cream. Those other kids might be happy and love their parents more, but your kid won't be obese from the meal you just bought them.

therrick

Or you could just cook your kids a more nutritious meal.

TheRealDirtyP1

after a long day for the wife and I, the last thing we have on our mind at 630 at night is cooking. I'll grab some chick fil a for the kids; mine have never had McD's.

Nic Rodriguez

I prefer to just not have kids...

Kergo 1 Spaceship

That meal sounds like a good option to me, and is better than anything else on the run. Scott, you obviously don't have kids.....number one rule is YOU tell Them what they will be eating; and if you are smart, you help them make good choices. But that would mean you actually have to spend time with them......which people don't like to do. Here' what a friend of mine does:

-drop kid off at daycare at 7, pick up at 5-buy something like Macdonald's-go to sleep.....repeat-on the weekend, send to grandma's

I think this is indicative of most parents today. My kid goes nearly everywhere with me; and I love it! Love it.

ps-The headline......come on! If Jake's had a sign out front that said "we don't serve Republicans"; I'd still go in and eat.

LesliO

I respectfully disagree that your model is indicative of "most" parents.

Kergo 1 Spaceship

Really? Do you live on the Happy Days set, or something?

TheRealDirtyP1

I hear ya Kerg.We're lucky in that my wife has stayed home with the kids until they started elementary. They've never known the 7-5 life that a lot of kids go thru from infant to elementary. Having kids takes sacrifice, it's not like getting a kitten or puppy.

Marvin Lee

For once Kergo said something cogent.

Kergo 1 Spaceship

For once, a story that is not nonsense....besides LDD's stories.

Josh's broken records

Wasn't the first time, but liked what he had to say. (Scott doesn't have kiddoes, would take time away from PBR/Bud and high fiving his broskies..not that there's anything wrong with that in Biggest o D's)

TLS

I "liked" your response for the parents are in charge of what their kids eat part, not the Republicans part. Your party is in T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

Phelps

Well, since his party is having lots more kids, it sounds like your party is the one in trouble, long term.

Guest

I do not get the Headline. Does Chick-fil-a not serve gay children?

foodbitch

Chick-fil-a says now there's a CHOICE to feed your kids weird "grilled" nuggets rather than deliciously fried nuggets, just like the gays have a choice to be gay rather than straight. Yep.

Guest

They don't serve the children of gay parents. Sorry, Rosie. Looks like MacDonald's for your kids.

Phelps

Nah, when Rosie's executive chef has the night off, she sends her armed bodyguards out to pick up the chick-fil-a.

ChrisYu

most gay babies claim they're born that way

cynical old bastard

895mg sodium, as pictured above, is about 75% of the daily recommended amount for a child 4 - 8.

primi_timpano

Hard to beat the salt. Was traveling and bought a six inch roast beef Subway, no cheese, no mayo, no pickled anything, no olives, no salted anything but still 700+mg of salt. It's in the bread.