The Mickey Check is starting to appear on kid’s menus all over Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort as well as on packaging in your local stores. The Mickey Check is part of the Magic of Healthy Living Initiative that Disney announced in 2006.
This week we’re analyzing the meats and protein portions that earn the Mickey Check. Remember, these could be counter service or table service meals in the Disney Theme Parks and Resorts, they could be Disney-licensed food items found at your local grocery, or they could be recipes on Disney.com or Family.com.
Mickey shaped turkey meatloaf earns the Mickey Check
Shaped/prepared nuggets & meatballs to earning the Mickey Check must be
serving size 3 ounces
no more than 250 calories
have no more than 1.1 gram of saturated fat per 100 calories
have no more than 2.5 grams of ADDED sugar per 100 calories
have no more than 480 milligrams of sodium
have no ADDED trans fat
Sausages & hot dogs earning the Mickey Check must be
serving size 1 ounce
no more than 80 calories per ounce
have no more than 1.5 gram of saturated fat per 100 calories
have no more than 200 milligrams of sodium per ounce
have no ADDED trans fat
Cooked, cured, & sliced meats earning the Mickey Check must be
serving size 1 ounce
no more than 80 calories per ounce
have no more than 15% total fat by weight
have no more than 350 milligrams of sodium
have no ADDED trans fat
Raw and cooked meats earning the Mickey Check must be
(the photo here is sushi/chopsticks)
serving size 3 ounces
no more than 250 calories
have no more than 15% total fat by weight
have no more than 350 milligrams of sodium
have no ADDED trans fat
The Disney Nutrition Guideline Criteria says that lean meats are recommended and Disney defines lean as less than 15% fat by weight. Also, vegetable proteins such as soy are acceptable to reduce fat content. Under the heading “considerations and exceptions” the Disney Nutrition Guideline Criteria also says that larger serving sizes are permitted, such as a 4 ounce filet, however the product may exceed the nutrition criteria as listed above. This last part is a bit confusing to us – either something meets the criteria or it doesn’t.
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published by the US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health & Human Services, lists protein needs of the average one to three-year-old as 13 grams of protein per day. Needs for four to eight-year-olds are 19 grams of protein per day. If we use the rough shortcut that one ounce of meat contains about 7 grams of protein, children consuming 3 to 4 ounces of meat and protein portions earning the Mickey Check will be meeting their daily protein needs.
This is a multi-part series of blog posts taking a closer look into the Mickey Check from the perspective of a mom who is also a registered dietitian. Click here to see part 1 and part 2.