Subway: A Healthier Option for Kids…Also a Dangerous One
Posted on 01 20, 2008 under Current Events, Doodads by Noodad | Comments
On a Saturday filled with errands, my wife and I decided to stop for lunch at Subway with the kids. From a marketing perspective, Subway has done a pretty good job differentiating themselves from the generic sandwich shop market by being the healthier option. “Eat Fresh” certainly keeps Subway above the “Mmmm…Toasty” and “Funny name, great sandwiches” that Quiznos and Schlotzsky’s provides.
We bought our daughter a turkey and cheese sandwich with apple wedges and an apple juice. That’s no comparison to the 5 piece chicken McNugget Happy Meal with french fries and a Hi-C orange drink.
My son got a salami sandwich with no cheese (milk allergy) and even though the meat was greasier than his sister’s turkey, compared to a hamburger, we were feeling pretty decent about our healthier choice for them.
Here is what Subway says on their website about their kids meals:
INTRODUCING SUBWAY FRESH FIT FOR KIDS™
Now you don’t have to compromise nutrition when you need convenience.
Choose a Mini sub, add a better-for-you side, like apples or raisins. Then select 1% low fat white milk or 100% juice for a tasty, better-for-them meal that kids will love.
But as happy as we were for the healthier QSR food options, we were equally disappointed with what came in the bag. This is what my daughter and son got for a kids meal toy:
Here’s the problem with this toy. It is a piece of plastic that is utterly useless, completely inappropriate, and just plain dangerous. Sponsored by Trek bicycles, this is basically what the pictures describe: a red plastic box that shoots out round cardboard discs.
The only thing that even remotely relates to Trek is the logo ont he box and the images of bikes and bike parts on the disc.
Although I am conscious to not confuse healthy initiatives with educational ones, it does seem to be disconnect. Almost as if Subway is saying: “Let’s keep our kids healthy so they can go and shoot their eyes out.”
In this case, we would have been better off not getting a toy at all. Come on Subway, you can do better than that.
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