This has been one crazy and fun summer: a seemingly endless parade of summer fun filled with beach trips, splash parks, library visits and day trips. We're making memories and having fun on these adventures, but my kids, tiny humans that they are and all, well, these they gotta eat. Hungry kids are cranky kids and when the kids get hangry, the carefree summer fun is over. I am usually pretty good about packing lunches because I know my kiddos will be "starving" if we have to wait until we get home to eat. It would be so nice just to get up and go out the door without spending time packing a lunch, but it is important to me to pay attention to the food I'm putting in my kids' bodies and that I help them develop good food habits. In trying to eat healthy, we've never really made it a habit to visit drive-through restaurants or get fast food. I just found out that there really are some healthier fast food choices and Wendy's has several healthy options that look really good. Wendy's kids meals come with a choice of Shamrock Farms milk (locally sourced and no added hormones) or Honest Kids juice. Options also include a kids' chicken wrap or chicken tenders and the meal is rounded out by a fruit cup-- a REAL fruit cup with fresh fruit like cut-up strawberries & blueberries, not a bunch of mystery fruit drowned in heavy syrup. I think a little less prep time and a little more adventure time is worth the $2.99 splurge on occasion, plus it's real food that I can feel good about giving my kids.
If I'm grabbing kids' meals for the kids, I've got to eat too. Kids don't get to have all the fun. Wendy's has healthy options for us grown-ups too! Their new Berry Burst Chicken Salad is surprisingly similar to my favorite make-at-home salad, except I don't have to take the time to buy ingredients, blueberries & strawberries, almonds, feta cheese and spring mix, and prepare the salad. They even top it with chicken breast and my favorite salad dressing, Raspberry Vinaigrette Simply Dressed by Marzetti. Seriously, has Wendy been spying on me in my kitchen?
Summer is almost over, but I'm pretty sure the kids and I will be grabbing lunch at Wendy's before you can say, "Back-to-School."
I received compensation for the purpose of this article. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
