Note: I am thrilled to join the Center for Science in the Public Interest to pressure Chuck E. Cheese to improve their menus. This post, along with a version in Spanish, was published on my blog last week. Please join us in pressuring Chuck E. Cheese's to take our kids' nutrition seriously! 

As a mom, I am very concerned about the nutritional value of kids' meals. I have been interested in this for a long time, even before Enzo was old enough to be aware of ads on television. Mostly, I find that kids' menus are lacking in the nutrition department and are RIDICULOUS in their portion sizes. Just as an example, I have been to restaurants where the “kid’s” plate is BIGGER than my own. It’s absurd.

To date I have been successful of steering clear of fast food restaurants with Enzo, who is now three. But the older he gets, the more difficult that will get. Why? Because he watches TV and food ads are everywhere. He says “Look mama, pizza!” He gets excited about it, but he is too little to say “Take me there.” I’m bracing for when that time comes!

One of the most recent ads I see constantly on TV are the ads for Chuck E. Cheese’s.  Chuck E Cheese's ads appeal to Enzo. The games are what draw him in.

Unfortunately, Chuck E. Cheese’s is not a place I would take Enzo to. Why? Because I have been there, and I remember thinking that the food was not great...that was before becoming a mom. Now that I'm a mom, I'm even more aware of the kind of food I feed my son.

I recently discovered that I was right about the nutritional value of Chuck E. Cheese's menus. It turns out, it was worse than I thought...

Read more here: Call to Action: Tell Chuck E. Cheese's: Enough with the JUNK!