Pizza, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese: These are the four building blocks that make up the average kids menu at a chain restaurant, no matter the style or genre. Italian? Add some spaghetti and meatballs. Tex-Mex? Mix in a soft taco plate.

To combat the perception that restaurants and their unhealthy offerings are contributing to childhood obesity, the National Restaurant Association unveiled the "Kids LiveWell" campaign this week. The program is a voluntary effort by NRA members to add healthy and well-balanced offerings to kids menus. Nineteen national chains that comprise 15,000 restaurants nationwide are currently participating, from Chili's and Burger King to Denny's, Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's and Joe's Crab Shack.

The requirement for "Kids LiveWell" is to offer one complete kids meal — entreé, side and beverage — that has less than 600 calories as well as two or more servings of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein or low-fat dairy and limits sodium, fat and sugar. Participants must also offer a side item on its own that's less than 200 calories, promote the healthy options and make nutrition information available.

It seems some restaurants took this challenge more seriously than others. Burger King, for example, has LiveWell meals that include chicken nuggets and hamburgers, each alongside apple fries and milk. In other words, kids might actually order it without resistance. I think it's especially clever to serve apple slices in French fry containers.

I also like the options that Corner Bakery came up with, mostly because the half turkey sandwich combo with baby carrots, fruit medley and low-fat milk is the only one I noticed that checks off each of the five categories (fruit, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and fat-free/low-fat dairy). Joe's Crab Shack has also picked flavorful options, with crab and shrimp, and looks to be serving them in cute containers.

However it seems that Chili's, for its part, was content to shrink the entrees it's been serving to Weight Watchers diners for years. Hey kids, for your dinner out, do you want plain grilled chicken with broccoli, plain grilled chicken with celery, or plain grilled chicken with mandarin oranges?

For the price, parents would be better off picking up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, steaming some veggies for five minutes and saving $30. Did you know a side of corn at Joe's Crab Shack is only 30 calories, but the Chili's version is 150? Plus you still have to worry about Chili's getting your kid drunk.

Is "Kids LiveWell" a real solution to childhood obesity? When it comes down to it, it's still up to parents to help their children make healthy choices — the pizza and chicken nuggets aren't going anywhere. But at least there's the vague hope of walking into a chain restaurant and having healthy options.

What do you think about "Kids LiveWell"? Is it a solution or just a sideshow?