# Children's Calorie-Comparing Charts BuzzFeed Contrasts Fast Food Kids' Meals Based on Calories By Alyson Wyers | Published 2014-09-29 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fast-food-kids-meals References: [designtaxi](http://designtaxi.com/news/369668/Best-And-Worst-Kids-Meals-From-McDonald-s-KFC-Other-Fast-Food-Chains/) & [buzzfeed](http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/best-and-worst-fast-food-kids-meals) This list from BuzzFeed compares the best and worst fast food kids' meals in terms of caloric intake. According to the [American Heart Association](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/balance-bowls), children 4 to 8 years old need 1200 to 1400 calories a day and youth 9 to 13 should consume around 1800 calories. For each chain restaurant listed, BuzzFeed explains the lowest amount of calories you can order in a fast food kids' meal and the highest. It also offers tips on eating healthier at each of the included establishments. From McDonalds to Subway and Dairy Queen to [Kentucky Fried Chicken](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kfc-x-stranger-things), 13 different places are covered. While at KFC you can get a kid's meal with 205 calories, at DQ you can order a 1080 meal consisting of a cheeseburger, kid's fries, Dilly's Bar and [Arctic Rush](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/arctic-decaf-caf-latte) drink. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.4/10 - Popularity: 53% | Activity: 41% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Gen Alpha - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Health](https://www.trendhunter.com/health) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Healthy Fast Food Options for Kids:** Opportunities for fast food chains to innovate by developing more healthier meal options for kids - **Increasing Awareness of Children's Nutrition:** Trend towards more data-driven and educational tools to help parents make informed decisions about what their children eat - **Growth in Online Nutrition Resources for Children:** Opportunities for online platforms and apps to provide nutrition information and guidance specifically tailored for children ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Fast Food Industry:** Need to pivot towards offering more healthy food options and educational materials for parents to appeal to families' growing concerns about childhood nutrition - **Online Nutrition Education Industry:** Increasing demand for digital resources and tools that provide authoritative nutrition information specifically for children - **Children's Health and Wellness Industry:** Growing focus on the nutritional needs of children presents opportunities for companies that offer healthy food and fitness options, as well as educational resources for families ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Fast Casual Kids Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/freddys-kids-meals.md) - [Kid-Friendly Asian Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/panda-cub-meals.md) - [Kid-Friendly Stir-Fry Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kidsized-stirfrys.md) - [Low-Cost Adult Meal Deals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grownup-meal.md) - [Kid-Friendly Combo Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/combo-meals-for-kids.md) - [Kid-Friendly Salads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/green-machine-salad.md) - [Child-Targeted Fast-Casual Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pepper-lunch-kids-menu.md) - [Health-Minded Fast Food Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/olivers-real-foods.md) - [Spooky-Fun Fast Food Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/frosty-frights-kids-meal.md)