For children between 4 and 8 years of age, the recommended amount of calories per meal, assuming three meals a day, is 430. If the child is active, the amount goes up to 565. Using these numbers as a guide, the CSPI looked at the biggest restaurant chains in the country, then whittled their list down to the ones that offer dedicated kids' menus and provide nutritional info. This meant the following were left out of the study because they won't provide nutritional info:

We don't need no stinkin' nutrition
• Applebee's
• T.G.I. Friday's
• Outback Steakhouse
• Olive Garden
• Red Lobster
• IHOP

Here's what the CSPI has to say about those restaurants that do provide nutritional info:

Chili's has 700 possible kids’ meal combinations, but 658, or 94 percent, of those are too high in calories, including one comprised of country-fried chicken crispers, cinnamon apples, and chocolate milk (1,020 calories) and another comprised of cheese pizza, homestyle fries, and lemonade (1,000 calories).

Burger King has a “Big Kids” meal with a double cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate milk (910 calories)

Sonic has a “Wacky Pack” with 830 calories worth of grilled cheese, fries, and a slushie.

KFC has a wide variety of side items, but there are few meal combinations that keep a reasonable ceiling on calories, according to the study. One example of a high-cal combo KFC kid’s meal (the chain calls them “Laptop Meals”) has popcorn chicken, baked beans, biscuit, Teddy Grahams, and fruit punch, which has 940 calories. (KFC has since dropped Baked Cheetos from its kids’ meals, and some outlets vary the number of chicken strips or sides.)

Most of the kids’meals (93 percent) at McDonald’s and Wendy’s are too high in calories, as are the possibilities at Burger King (92 percent), Dairy Queen (89 percent), Arby’s (69 percent), and Denny’s (60 percent—though its kids’ meals don’t include drinks). (Since CSPI’s study was completed, Burger King has introduced one new children’s meal with macaroni and cheese, apple “fries,” and 1 percent milk, which has a reasonable 420 calories.)

Subway’s kids’ meals came out on top. Only a third of its Fresh Fit for Kids meals, which include a mini-sub, juice box, and one of several healthful side items (apple slices, raisins, or yogurt), exceed the 430-calorie threshold. Subway is the only chain that doesn’t offer soft drinks with kids’ meals.

So how do you improve the nutrition of your kid's meal the next time you eat at a restaurant? A spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association gave the following advice:

"Don't be too alarmed even when [studies] come out and seem hopeless," said Dawn Jackson Blatner, an American Dietetic Ass>ociation spokeswoman. "With a few swaps and switches, people really can make healthier choices at these fast-food joints, especially when the decisions are made before going in.

"Many of these restaurants have the nutrition information online that you can print out and go over with your kids even before you go, so that everybody is on the same page before they pull up to the drive-through or [head] to the counter," Blatner said.

She also suggested that "instead of getting the fries, go with the apple slices. Many [restaurants] offer carrot sticks or apple slices or no-sugar-added applesauce or oranges, which make a big difference over deep-fried fries."

And pay attention to how food is cooked. "Instead of the deep-fried nuggets, go for something like the grilled chicken, and you will save fat grams and calories," Blatner said. You'll also save calories by switching the soda, she added: "You can't go wrong with unsweetened iced tea, water or a skim milk."

As for the restaurants that refuse to provide nutritional info, maybe you should just eat elsewhere.

Click here for some specific replacement suggestions from the Chicago Tribune.

You can download a copy of the full CSPI report here.
(Photo: Getty)

When Ms. Slaughter's flight from Detroit to Phoenix landed, she was met by police who escorted her and her family from the plane. Police detained the family, and explained that they were simply too unruly to board their connecting flight to Seattle.

Ms. Slaughter admits her kids were out of control on the plane, getting up and wandering around, but says that two of them have disabilities (one is autistic and another has cerebral palsy) and that "they are kids."

“The children were out of control on the flight you know, they were restless, excited and worked up and they are kids,” Slaughter told KIRO tv. "I am furious about it. I can’t believe they could do something like that and then leave us completely stranded with no money no way to get anywhere."

According to Slaughter, sympathetic police officers donated money for a hotel for the night and some food. The family is asking for compensation and a public apology.

Southwest Airlines is standing by their decision, claiming that the family was being threatening:

"They were being disruptive and unruly on the plane, and for the safety of our customers and the flight crew, we decided to not allow them to travel on to Seattle at that time. Typically if it's a threatening behavior, it's not safe to travel 30,000 feet in the air in a contained environment."

Family Says Airline Left Them Stranded At Airport [KIRO](Thanks, James!)

Three USA Today money columnists argue that the key is structuring the deal so that everybody wins:

...if you are looking at mortgages with interest rates hovering just below 7 percent while your parents are struggling to find a CD or other safe investment that pays more than 5 percent, you can satisfy everyone's needs by structuring a private loan in which you make monthly repayments at 6 percent.

If you still blanch at the thought of asking for a private loan, approaching it as a business proposition may be a wise strategy. Suggest setting up a time to talk, even if you see your parents (or brother or old roommate) regularly and the formality seems odd.

If you get a positive response, prepare a one-page list of things to discuss, including how much you want to borrow, the interest rate you're offering to pay, your proposed repayment schedule, the legal and financial protections you'll offer to the lender and how much you have available for the down payment for the item you are looking to finance.

Hitting up family, friends for a loan [Mercury News]
(Photo: Getty)

The current administration has cut back the agency's budget during the past seven years, down to $62 million last year.

When Suzanne Barone, the CPSC former poison prevention head, quit in frustration, she said, "Buyer beware, — that is all I have to say."

Safety Agency Faces Scrutiny Amid Changes [NYT]
(Photo: Damon Winter)

The X-MET3000TXR+ is a X-ray fluorescence scanner. By examining how much the x-ray excites the particles, it can identify an object's chemical structure. No word on price, but a tool like this can give more accurate readings than rub-on home-based test kits, and significantly faster determinations than waiting for lab test results. UPDATE: A reader says these will cost you about $30,000.00. Excellent, now the rich can make sure the silver spoons they're birthing their children with in their mouths are unleaded.

X-MET3000TXR+ for RoHS compliance screening and QC of different components and materials [Oxford Instruments via The Raw Feed]

His Excel sheet has two pay periods for each month and is pre-set up for two people. First, enter both paychecks into the column B. Then, put expenses in their respective categories. Make sure to change the tax formula (line 37) to reflect your income bracket.

The formulas then tabulate how much money you have left over. You can plug and play with the numbers to see the effect adjusting various expenses, like getting rid of cable, can have on your budget. By adding in additional items, you could even set budget goals for different discretionary categories, like movies, music, binge drinking, etc.

It's nothing fancy, but for a household trying to get a handle on their cash flow, Lyn's spreadsheet could be a great starting point for building a personal family budget system.

Download Lyn's budget here (XLS)

(Photo: Getty)

Marlo & Elaine spent $5.25 and got back $4.60
Jill spent $3.03 and got back $1.81.
Carolyn spent $8.23 and got back $5.30.
Jeff spent $5.00 and got back $1.81.

Seems like RC2's shipping clerks may have gotten exposed to too much lead paint dust in the course of fulfilling their recall duties!

Types of kits vary, but most work by applying a substance or swab to a suspected object, then watching for a color change.

Deborah Reff, manager of the health education unit of the childhood lead poisoning program at the county health department, told the Los Angeles Times she recommended LeadCheck Swabs and Lead Inspector.

However, if it shows up positive, it doesn't mean it has lead, and if it shows up negative, doesn't mean it doesn't either.

Blood tests are the only fool proof method to test for lead poisoning. Some local health departments offer free blood tests.

Likewise, professional labs are the best determinants of lead contaminated toys. Watch CPSC.gov for recall updates.

Concerned parents may not feel like waiting for the government to tell them what has lead in it. Children absorb up to 50% of the lead they encounter, vs. 10% for adults. Exposure to lead can lead to long-term neurological defects, and in extreme cases, death.

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