To despair at the quality and choice of kids menus?

I don't know where you are going but seriously you need to look around a bit more carefully at where you are.

Most chain pubs now do a lighter bites option and tapas style menus are very much in fashion now which I always have if I can. It's cheaper than a main adult meal and smaller.

Its not dirt cheap like the children's menu options but frankly given it's not nugget and chips it shouldn't be anyway - you pay for the difference in quality.

I am actually struggling to think of the last place I've eaten which hasn't had smaller menu options available - keeping in mind the number of adults on slimming injections has also affected demand in this area.

This is not hard.

Harvester can also work salad bar and then just get the kids meal with either a quarter of chicken, half rack of ribs or a steak , the sides are varied too several veg options, mash, jacket, rice etc. We went a couple of times when it kitchen was being done and ds loved it

If enough people do that supply will catch up with demand. It would actually be better for the restaurant too as they wouldn't have to stock kid's food.

I’d always just go to restaurants where you get a lot of different things and share - tapas, mezze, Indian, Chinese, Thai, steak/bbq, pizza, pasta etc. if you don’t like sharing food (which I appreciate some people don’t) then more of an issue but I think with 14 days, hunting out some different types of restaurants might be good.

We ask for a smaller portion of the normal menu, or we get some extra sides and we all share everything. My toddler often doesn't eat a lot anyway so usually we do the latter option! I find the children's menus so overpriced.

If we get fish and chips DS has the pensioner special! He wants a piece of cod or haddock not 'fish bites' that are mainly batter

I think it’s more kids meals are often a loss leader. You price them incredibly cheaply to get families in for the adult spend. Think about it most kids meals aren’t half the price of an adult meal- it’s even less than that. Chicken nuggets and plain pasta allow you to do that and free up kitchen capacity

Ds loves wahaca because we just order loads of small plates and he has a bit of everything, tapas or sushi places you can do similar, we do tend towards independent restaurants more and they will usually do a half portion of most things for a child

A lot of chains dont cook the meals fresh, they heat up pre prepared food. Hence no flexibility

Im not suggesting its high cuisine... but is therr a Toby Carvery? Or any carvery?

Although a lot of the chain places won’t do a smaller portion generally, many of them now have a seniors menu which offers smaller portions of the adult menu for a lower price - I’ve never been told no when buying that for one of the kids.

I have two so find something they both like on the adult menu and split it. If not I'll ask for two small portions. Mine are very in to meat so often end up having steak/chicken breast with a side and veg or salad, these are usually available and can be made plain. As an absolute failsafe most places can do pasta with a tomato sauce which feels much better than more fried rubbish.

@KerfuffleShuffle - my sons are 29, 31 and 33 now, but I remember feeling exactly the same as you, when they were small. It really hits you, when you are eating out a lot during a short time. I don’t understand why more places can’t do half portions of things they are cooking.

We did start splitting adult meals between them, but that meant they had to choose the same thing, and that wasn’t always easy to negotiate. National Trust cafes were often good choices.

They’re only a treat if your child likes them. I have 3 kids who don’t like chicken nuggets, therefore how could they be a treat?

Probably hard to make a profit that way.

Takeaway trade and menus suggest there is a huge appetite for breaded, processed chicken. Students are major consumers. I suspect there are large numbers of children who enjoy chicken nuggets. Of course there are some who aren't exposed to that kind of food and many but not all restaurants will cater to their tastes with smaller plates. I'd phone ahead and check.

Another one who has always just asked for a small portion of an adult meal. Or shared my main course with my child and had a starter/side dish on top.

I don't understand why it has to either be chicken nuggets or smaller portions of adult meals.

Children generally have more sensitive taste buds and most people want to avoid them eating excessive salt. At home, we make the same meals but slightly blander (when needed) and with less salt. Couldn't restaurants do the same?

So, one massive chicken nugget ?

Don’t even get me started on grotty Mr Kipling cakes.
I can honestly say that my DD hates nuggets. She always has. She’s 19 now. I’ll have to ask her what her processed food guilty pleasure is - probably a chicken Kiev

Goodness knows. Surely chefs know what “good food” is and should accommodate those used to proper food as well as those who have been brought up on junk food as a treat. Jamie Oliver certainly does, but I guess chefs at usual high street restaurants aren’t really properly trained to cook good food.
Jesus - I sound so pompous here 😂, but I’m a real advocate of good food for all. If kids aren’t given “kids food” then they don’t develop a taste for it. That’s just logical surely.

If you cook good veggie noodle type meals at home then some grotty nuggets probably ARE a treat.

I used to consider bought cake a massive treat. Never as nice as the home made stuff my Mum made and fed us daily, but a treat because it was different even if it was inferior.

I wonder if there are actually loads of us who have kids who don’t see chicken nuggets as a treat, but restaurants haven’t realised it yet as just a side and a starter go through the till and the info doesn’t filter through to the people who make the menus that that was a what had been chosen for their child above chicken nuggets.

Where are you eating? Sushi, tapas, dim sum, anywhere with a small plates menu give variety without having to order a massive portion. Steakhouses usually have a whole variety of larger cuts suitable for sharing. Pizza you could share maybe combined with a salad or garlic bread. Independent italians will usually do a smaller pasta portion. I’ve only found the nuggets issue in pubs tbh.

Most adult meal portions are grossly oversized anyway. Just order whatever meal they want and share them, along with a few extra sides.

But my child wouldn’t even want a kids meal as a treat. How can chicken nuggets be treat food - they are vile.
A treat for my child would be a good bowl of ramen or a stir fry with lots of veggies and noodles. I’ve never given her “kids food”