Why are Kid's Menu's in restaurants always the same?

[stef1301]

Hello mums, I am on a mission!! I've started a petition to get restaurants & cafes to have healthier options available on kids menu's. Kids menus haven't changed since I was a child, a good 20 years ago. I think they need to put a little more effort into creating healthy balanced meals, even if it's secretly blitzing veggies into a pasta sauce. I spent many months breastfeeding and BLW, trying to give Fred the best possible start and then get offered chicken nuggets, chips and beans in restaurants. Am I the only one who gets annoyed by this?

www.change.org/p/restaurants-nutritional-meal-choices-for-children-in-restaurants-and-cafes?recruiter=931359741&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=share_petition

I never bought my children that kind of stuff. When they were little I would order them an adult meal to share.

Gerry your post has made me v hungry

But I feel that if children are eating in restaurants and they see the same things offered - no matter the restaurant, surely this will increase the fear of new things? I don't have a fussy eater - quite the opposite actually.

It is crazy that Mcdonald's is the only restaurant near me that has healthy options :o

DD isn't fearful, necessarily, she's just fussy and not that interested in food (DH isn't either, and is also veggie).

I honestly think that this is a non-issue, unless you eat out so frequently that restaurant meals make up the bulk of your DC's nutritional intake. DD has plenty of healthy food at home so I really couldn't care less what she eats when we're out (and often she just has chips as the only veggie thing on the menu.)

But really - just get your kid an adult meal if you're that fussed!

Both DC here have always been out to restaurants regularly and we've always just asked for smaller-sized portions from the adults menus, no looking at the child's menu at all. In most places they're more than happy to accommodate them.

We are lucky where we live that we have a couple of restaurants where there is no separate children's menu, but anyone can order a half portion of any dish from the main menu. One is an italian restaurant and one is a cafe that caters well for various dietary requirements and offers tapas style snacks to larger meals. So we mainly take the kids there is we go out.

I would rather restaurants add to their menus, not get rid of plain foods. I wouldn't want anyone going hungry!! Hungry babies are the scariest of babies haha!!

We rarely eat chips in our house because oven chips are disgusting and DH won’t allow me to have a chip pan because he says they’re unsafe. Eating chips when we’re out is a rare treat. Brand are also

Posted too soon! Beans are also reasonably healthy!

But how often it this is an issue?

Eating out with fussy DD2 used to be a nightmare and i loved a generic kids menu as i could be sure she would eat something off it. That said i hated it if the kids food was really poor quality. There is no need for that. Thank goodness she grew up and grew out her fussiness.

I would much rather a nice quiet restaurant and children eating crap once in a blue moon than a restaurant full of hungry miserable children and frustrated parents trying to feed them wuinoa stuffed butternut squash.

I would agree that it doesn’t necessarily need to be healthy; just a bit of variety would be nice especially when you spend a lot of time at home trying to get kids to eat different things then they go out and get the message that these are kids food

@SheepyFun by suggesting your child doesn't eat something 'new' one could conclude that she only eats that kind of thing at home as well so quite frankly I understand your point.

I realise this is a controversial view but I truly believe that there aren't fussy kids..... just parents who can't be arsed to experiment or who perhaps aren't particularly adventurous eaters themselves and therefore pass that on to their kids. In essence it's learned behaviour, and if you miss the opportunity while they are still young - sadly they are likely to grow up to be fussy adults.
Those people will always want the beige kids menu as it replicates home and they know they will have a stress free meal out.

I agree with better options - and things are improving in big chains. Zizzis was mentioned and is good. Even Wetherspoons has some decent options - they had a build-your-own chicken wrap one time so fussy kids could choose if they wanted the veg in it or not.

Having a small portion of an adult meal should be easily done for most things. Pasta no problem but beef wellington might be trickier!

Thunder yes, maybe so (I certainly didn't make a good job of weaning) but I do put in the effort at home - but if we go for a (rare) meal out I want to enjoy myself, not see it as a learning opportunity for DD, who I also want to enjoy herself! She always welcome to chose what she likes and have something off our plate, but she seems the kids' menu as a treat as it's not what she has much at home.

I realise this is a controversial view but I truly believe that there aren't fussy kids..... just parents who can't be arsed to experiment or who perhaps aren't particularly adventurous eaters themselves

It's not controversial is it, really? It's run of the mill stuff spouted by people who don't have fussy children.

I could create little myths about how shit other parents must be when they can't get their kids to do stuff my kids can in order to give myself a pat on the back, but I'm not a dick.

When ds would eat I never had an issue ordering him a smaller portion of something from the adult menu.

Now he struggles with food I am greatful to know that I can get him chicken nuggets as it’s a safe food

Things definitely need to change. We are all veggie and the children options are rubbish. Yes there's usually pizza but 2 of my 3 dc don't like pizza (I'd live on it happily, where did I go wrong??). I'd like to see more sandwich options, more hidden veg in sauce, more alternatives to meat burgers or sausages or nuggets.

I'm Currnetly staring at a kids menu.

Sausage, chicken nuggets etc yes but also chargrilled chicken or salad wrap. Comes with chips or also jacket. Bkaed beans or side salad or peas. Dessert is fruit or jelly.

Take your children to places with more choices

Ever heard of autism Thunderpunt?

Go and do a bit of reading about sensory issues and food restricting in autism and stop spouting such guff.

I don't think it matters really - if your children don't want to eat that you can give them some of your food or ask for a small version of something else.

Wahaca and Wagamama have great kids' menus.

I realise this is a controversial view but I truly believe that there aren't fussy kids..... just parents who can't be arsed to experiment or who perhaps aren't particularly adventurous eaters themselves

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Back in the reall worldkids are complex beings who sometimes have complex needs, tastes and preferences.

You are absolutely right OP. It's amazing the amount of crap that is fed to children in restaurants.

I used to meet friends in our local National Trust cafe, when DS was little. They had some brilliant stuff. His favourite was a plate with a cut apple, some cut up sticks of real cheese and some whole meal bread and butter.