It's a Kid - Friendly Kitchen in Zoe's Kitchen

It's been a long day filled with work, errands, sports practices or games and now it's 7:00 p.m. and there is nothing planned for dinner.  Everyone is hangry - the crew needs food and they need it fast.  The obvious choice is the fast food drive - thru... you're in, you're out, you're home.  Seems fine, right?  Not necessarily - especially if your kids just finished their (insert your kids' sports of choice here) game or practice.  This meal is crucial.  It's the one that refuels them, restoring depleted energy reserves, repairing torn muscles, and fueling the brain for the dreaded homework that is probably to follow.  I have always liked Zoe's Kitchen for a quick and easy meal.  It has your soups and salads and sandwiches, but it also has great family style meals.  THEN... I discovered, upon walking into the Zoe's Kitchen on Oaklawn the other week, that they have marked healthy options on their kids menu as well.  Just when I thought it couldn't get any better...


Menu Mentions:
I really want to focus on their kids menu here.  Zoe's, I have discovered, is part of the Kids Live Well program, an initiative carried out by the National Restaurant Association and Healthy Dining.  Their designated healthy options have been marked with an apple.  These items have been analyzed by Healthy Dining's team of Registered Dietitians and are recognized for meeting the nutrition qualifications that you can read by clicking here.  Currently, the "healthy items" on their kids menu include:  Grilled Chicken Fingers, Kids Roll-up and Kids Fresh Fruit Cup.

On walking in, the employees greeted me warmly and showed no concern over me ordering from the "12 and under menu" (they even happily let me snap some photos of their menu).  I opted for the Grilled Chicken Fingers and got the side of fruit with it.  Knowing that this was not going to fill me up, as I'm actually an adult, and wanting to get my 3 out of the 5 food groups at the meal I added a side Greek salad.  This gave me vegetables to add with my protein and fruit.  This was a great decision - one that I will probably repeat on future visits, whether I'm with kids or friends.  The "chicken fingers" are actually their grilled chicken breast cut into strips- tender, juicy and full of flavor. Depending on the age of your child, the serving of chicken may be even more than they can eat and able to be split between two.  I got the fruit cup as my side and then they give you several packets of ketchup for dipping.  Fun for the kids, but still keeping things light and fresh.  My side salad was a pretty decent size and a perfect accompaniment.  I ended up turning the whole thing into one larger salad.  It was light and simple and fresh.  Kind of dual purpose dish - good for kids and good for adults.


Nutrition Notes:

Vitamin C... tomato, pineapple, oranges... helps the body produce collagen and protects against infection and cell damage (promotes healthy looking skin).  Aids in iron absorption when plant - based sources of iron are consumed.

Vitamin B12... chicken & cheese... helps the body make energy, keeping metabolism and energy levels up (vegan & vegetarian athletes and those whose small intestines cannot absorb B12 run the risk of B12 deficiency anemia and may benefit from supplementation).

Iron... dark leafy greens & chicken... Important for red blood cells to be able to transport oxygen to all of our tissues (such as skin & muscles).

Lycopene... tomato... powerful antioxidant that helps prevent hardening of the arteries and may protect against certain cancers.

Resveretrol... red grapes... may decrease LDL (bad cholesterol) and risk of blood clots.  May help maintain a healthy blood pressure.

Vitamin K... dark leafy salad greens... an important factor in helping our blood clot.  Be careful about consuming too much vitamin
K if you are taking any type of blood thinners as it will inhibit the effects of the medication.
And make sure you get some of their olive oil Greek vinaigrette dressing on their (remember moderation though) to help the body absorb the fat - soluble vitamin K!


Side Note:  The Big Deal with B12
Is your child athlete tired on and off the field / rink / court?  While it could be due to a number of reasons such as lack of sleep, over-training or under-fueling, it could also be due to a lack of vitamin B12.

B12 is necessary for production of red blood cells (RBC's) and tissue repair - obviously key components to a top-performing athlete.  For these reasons, a deficiency can cause anemia leading to poor performance during high - intensity exercise and it may decrease the body's ability to build and repair muscle.

Young athletes (or really any individuals) who are vegan or vegetarians or who eat too few calories, whether from calorie restriction or skipping meals, run the risk of B12 deficiency.

So, where can we find B12 in our diet?

Animal sources include:
     - Beef liver, clams, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy
Non - animal sources include:
     - fortified breakfast cereals, nutritional yeast, fortified soy products, soy milk, & B12 - fortified meat
        analogues

* Individuals with a condition that prevents their small intestine from absorbing B12 also run a high risk for deficiency and should speak with their doctor about supplements.