Kids LiveWell and Celebrity Chef Marc Murphy

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of the National Restaurant Association. I attended a live event and received a gift bag and promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Today I have something special to share with you!  A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend the National Restaurant Show here in Chicago at McCormick Place.  What is the NRA you might ask?  Well for me its super special because it’s entirely about FOOD!  From cleaning to dishes to kitchen equipment, you’ll find practically everything there you’d need for a restaurant or that might be on a food blogger’s wish list.  :)

Not my best photo, lets just say the NRA show is exhausting!

If you’re not associated with the restaurant industry it’s almost impossible to get a ticket.  I’d almost despaired that I would not get to attend this year, until Mom Central asked if I’d like to attend the Kids LiveWell Event and meet Celebrity Chef Marc Murphy.  Of course I jumped at the chance!

 

It didn’t hurt that the Kids LiveWell program is fantastic.  Here’s the basics of the program, the NRA has partnered with restaurants to help them create healthy menu choices for kids.  I know not everyone has the time or inclination to cook like I do and the Kids LiveWell program makes it easy for parents to have healthy options for their kids.  Kids LiveWell entrees need to be less than 600 calories and include two sources of either fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein or low-fat dairy among other requirements.

You can find a list of participating restaurants on Healthy DiningFinder or by using the Kids LiveWell App on your smartphone.  To date there are 40,000 restaurants participating with more being added.  It’s super easy to find the items on the menu because they are marked with this apple icon.

I bet you could even make it a game with your kids when going out to eat.  For example, offering a treat (non-food) to see who can find the apple icon first would be a great way to get them interested.  The apple icon is used in almost all the participating restaurants menus.  Once your kids learn to look for it, they will know those are things you will let them order when you go out to eat.  If this had been available when I was growing up it would have saved many a battle on what to order at the restaurant!

I hope you check out the Kids LiveWell program and download the app to find restaurants that offer healthy menu choices for your kids.