Children's Menus- My Pet Hate

lizzief79

lizzief79

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I have a bit of a thing about children's menus when I am eating out and will actually base where we go as a family based on what a children's menu is like. My issue is the choice that children are given. There are some restaurants that serve a fantastic range of food on the main menu- pasta, salads, international cuisine, grills and many other items. Then, you open up the children's menu and the choice is nearly always burger, pizza, sausages, fish fingers or chicken nuggets. It drives me mad! These are nearly always served with chips and beans. When I cook at home, I make my children the same homemade meal as the adults are eating. This can be anything from roast dinners, curries, pasta dishes or vegetarian meals. Our diet is quite varied. I occasionally buy a pizza for them in the holidays and once in a blue moon I cook sausages. We never eat nuggets and fish fingers. Who has decided that these are the things that children eat? I prefer eating out at places where children have a wider choice on the menu with some healthier options. If my children then choose to have a burger or a pizza, I don't mind. I am not a health freak and don't mind them having these foods on occasion. I just think they should have the choice of a nice meal. There is a pub near me that has a kids menu with a picture of a lovely pasta dish and salad on the front and then when you open it up, the choice is actually fish fingers, nuggets or pizza. Am I alone in my frustration with this or do others agree that children should have a decent menu choice?
 
I agree. Wetherspoon's is quite good because they will serve a children's portion of anything for a cheaper price (its just a smaller plate). My kids are grown up now but back in the day, if restaurants didn't do this I'd just order one or two dishes for the kids and ask for extra plates so that I could divide it up! Its always worth asking in restaurants if they will serve a child sized portion and then showing your dismay and disbelief when they say they don't. :scratchhead::mad: After all, it doesn't require them to do any extra cooking!
 
I agree with you 100%. Every kids menu I've seen is honestly mini-burgers, fries, chicken nuggets, pizzas, grilled cheese sandwiches (dripping in butter)...you get the drift.

It's no wonder so many kids don't want to diversify with their eating when they are just so used to being served the same old same old over and over. Healthy options would be fabulous, as would something a bit more unique than something that goes in a deep fryer.
 
It depends on the food journey of the kid ,we try to encourage smaller portions of a main meal at work ,but some kids there is no negotiations sausage and chips or plain pasta ,kids can be lazy with trying food
 
cupcakechef said:
I agree with you 100%. Every kids menu I've seen is honestly mini-burgers, fries, chicken nuggets, pizzas, grilled cheese sandwiches (dripping in butter)...you get the drift.

It's no wonder so many kids don't want to diversify with their eating when they are just so used to being served the same old same old over and over. Healthy options would be fabulous, as would something a bit more unique than something that goes in a deep fryer.
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Another vote for the lazy option.
 
LizzieF79, I could not agree with you more. My 25 year old kid still likes to order from that section sometimes:mostly when we travel which is when I eat out most. Anyway, just stopping in to say I completely understand this area of concern for us adults.
 
My kids loved having nuggets etc when out as they saw it as a treat that was different to home. They were also likely to turn their nose up at different stuff. But we could always give them a bit off our plate if they wanted to try. Pasta dishes were one thing that they were prepared to try if out and on a kids menu.

Then as they have become older they've wanted have a larger portion and the wider choice, it's almost as if it's something to look forward to ... The grown ups menu. Now they all eat reasonably, and we noticed our youngest teenager actually ate the salad that came with his meal, which I took as a good sign, normally he doesn't do "leaves". It's been a very gradual change with him to gradually widen his food tastes.
 
It's not just me then! My children do enjoy what is typically on the children's menu from time to time and I don't mind them eating these things occasionally, it just annoys me that there is not a better choice. Some places have an amazing children's menu. I love the Harvester pub chain in in the UK because they have a free salad bar and many of the children's meals are just smaller versions of the adults. In other places I sometimes do what others have mentioned on this thread and order an adult meal with an extra plate and split it.
 
When you give the children the choice, they will reach out for burgers, hot dogs, and other tasty food that we find in fastfoods. But if you will serve them healthy foods like rice and meat with vegetables, the children will not eat. So maybe the parents should be teaching their children to eat good food that are nutritious. Here, we orient the children with pizza, burgers and other fastfood items to be okay to eat once in a while but not all the time.
 
The pub restaurant my brother works in does a half sized menu. It is literally a case of anything with a star by it can be bought in a smaller portion suitable for either a child sized serving or, as in our case, an elderly persons size (my grandfather does not and can not physically eat the full sized adult version). Otherwise the meal is exactly the same as the adult version. The price is a 'child' sized as well. It works really well and they are also more than happy to parcel up anything that is not eaten for you to take home. No-one bats an eye over it.
 
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