Let’s be clear about a couple of things. First of all, these fast-food changes are business decisions, not public health ones. Second, the food still isn’t healthy.

It all does sound encouraging. Burger King is taking soft drinks off of the Kids Menu. McDonald’s, which has already added apples to Happy Meals, is not only switching to chicken raised without antibiotics, but is apparently planning on adding kale to the menu!

These are the latest in various changes fast food restaurants are making to improve the nutritional content of their foods–and they are absolutely welcome, given that 33 percent of children and 41 percent of teens eat fast food each day, according to Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.

But let’s be clear about a couple of things. 

First of all, these changes are business decisions, not public health ones. This is about marketing: Of course each chain wants to be able to say that their food is healthier than everyone else’s.

Second, the food isn’t healthy. It’s cool that they are making changes to kids’ meals, but the reality is that most kids don’t eat them–only 44 percent of kids under 6 and 31 percent of older kids get kids’ meals at fast food restaurants. Even if they did buy them, less than 3 percent of kids’ meals meet nutritional standards for children.

And while adding kale or apples to the menus is great, it doesn’t change the fact that the vast majority of items on fast food menus aren’t healthy. They are highly processed and full of fat, sodium and sugar. Not to mention a whole lot of calories.

Now, I get the appeal of fast food. It is, well, fast–and for busy families, fast is good. It’s also cheap. And kids like it. I don’t think it dooms your child to obesity and poor health to zip through the drive-through lane occasionally.

But when occasionally becomes regularly, it really is bad for them–and you.

Here are some ideas for avoiding the dangers of fast food:

-Do some meal planning ahead of time. On weekends, put together a lasagna or a casserole. You can even cook it the night before and then heat up portions (I’ve done this a lot–it works fine).
-Use a slow-cooker. Throw stuff in before you leave for work, and serve it when you get home.
-Frozen french fries can actually taste nearly as good as the fast food kind–and be kid pleasers–and you can combine them with healthier foods for a better meal than you’d get at the drive-through.
-When you do go to a fast-food restaurant, make healthier choices: smaller size portions (check out the snack menu), salads with low-fat dressing, and water (not soda or shakes!) to drink.

I look forward to seeing where this who’s-the-healthiest competition will lead.