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Jul 9, 2008 2:23pm
The absurdity of the situation sometimes make me question the intentions of certain establishments. When parents take their children out to Museums, Theme Parks or Restaurants, most of time, their only choice to feed them is fast food. The idea that chicken fingers and french fries are the only thing children eat have led a society that believe they are actually the definition of “Children Menu”. Whether being at the Bronx Zoo, The Museum of Natural History, the Brooklyn Museum, Central Park Zoo, the reality is depressing. It is even more wrong when it is a Museum for Children, like the National Museum for Play, or the Children Museum in Houston, or the one in Indianapolis, where the food court filled with Fast Food giants. The photo above was taken from the website of the National Museum for Play. Notice the food the child will have for lunch, oversized soda and a pizza! How can we teach children and parents about healthy nutrition when institutions that are suppose to show and lead by example are making the situation worst? Why is it that the Association of Children Museum does not take this reality seriously? Will someone, somewhere take the responsibility to change things? It is refreshing to see places like the Children Museum in Boston which, in its list of food options, offers first of all to bring your own picnic, that you can eat either inside or outside. But then the 3rd options is Au Bon Pain which feature a nutrition kioks, which with a little research turns out not to be better than anything else - their kids menu has chicken nuggets, buttered pasta, grilled cheese, amongst others boring and un-healthy solutions.

The absurdity of the situation sometimes make me question the intentions of certain establishments. When parents take their children out to Museums, Theme Parks or Restaurants, most of time, their only choice to feed them is fast food. The idea that chicken fingers and french fries are the only thing children eat have led a society that believe they are actually the definition of “Children Menu”. Whether being at the Bronx Zoo, The Museum of Natural History, the Brooklyn Museum, Central Park Zoo, the reality is depressing. It is even more wrong when it is a Museum for Children, like the National Museum for Play, or the Children Museum in Houston, or the one in Indianapolis, where the food court filled with Fast Food giants. The photo above was taken from the website of the National Museum for Play. Notice the food the child will have for lunch, oversized soda and a pizza!

How can we teach children and parents about healthy nutrition when institutions that are suppose to show and lead by example are making the situation worst?

Why is it that the Association of Children Museum does not take this reality seriously? Will someone, somewhere take the responsibility to change things?

It is refreshing to see places like the Children Museum in Boston which, in its list of food options, offers first of all to bring your own picnic, that you can eat either inside or outside. But then the 3rd options is Au Bon Pain which feature a nutrition kioks, which with a little research turns out not to be better than anything else - their kids menu has chicken nuggets, buttered pasta, grilled cheese, amongst others boring and un-healthy solutions.
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