Children's meals- until what age?

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

Firstly, I know every child's appetite is different, and every restaurant/cafe is different.

DD1 is 8, approaching 9 years old. Yesterday, we had her first experience over a childrens meal not be fully sufficient for her appetite. I thought the portion size did look rather small compared to other places. But it got me thinking... What age would you expect a children's meal to last until?

(Lastly... I know there are other restaurants where a children's meal is more than enough for many adults! Actually, DD sometimes eats more than me...)

It depends on the kids, I think they usually go to age 12, but I can’t imagine a 12 year old eating a kids meal. But when your DC complains about not being full then I’d start moving to adult meals. They usually do smaller bites which might be better for kids

My daughter is almost 10 and usually has an adult meal now, whereas my 7 year old doesn't even finish a kid's meal. Suppose it's different for every child. It does make eating out more expensive!

Totally depends on the child and the cafe and the meal.

I have a 9 year old who like to eat big portions. Kids fish and chips in weatherspoons is fine, but the macaroni cheese portion is tiny 🤷‍♀️ We learned that the hard way and are willing to give her some of ours I top up if necessary.

Most places I'd expect a kids meal to be ok until 10-12 ish I guess? Depending on the child, that cafe, the meal, what else is planned for the day .....

My 9 year old tends to get a kids meal as she wants pudding. I'm holding out on adult meals as an adult main course + adult pudding would be way too much food in most restaurants.

I buy a adult meal for my seven year olds and split it equally. The selection in the children's menus are often not particularly nice.

Usually restaurants don't want anyone over 12 ordering them, because they're generally not a profit maker but are sweetener to encourage parents ordering full price food to use the restaurant.

Obviously you just order an adult meal when the children's portion isn't enough for your child. I'd say ten on average for my kids. Dc3 is nearly 9 and tall but an inconsistent eater (if he doesn't actively like something he'll leave it completely untouched except the first trial forkful and just chat, not eat anything but not ask for anything else - this means he regularly entirely misses meals despite not having snacked and having food he chose in front of him) so he still has a children's portion usually - unless it's pizza when he wants as much as a small adult!

You can always ask in a new to you restaurant how small a children's portion is.

Depends on the child and the restaurant. I have a small 13 year old who still can't manage all of an adult meal. He'll eat the main part of the meal then leave most of the chips or rice or bread. He sometimes will order a starter instead. Children's menus have often not had anything he likes though, so he went from sharing with me, to starters and half serves if available, then adult meals.

Ds1 is 9 and started complaining that child portions leave him hungry around 6 months ago so he mostly has an adult portion now. Ds2 is 7 and a child's meal is still enough for him and probably will be for some time to come.

It depends, in some places, e.g Pizza Express are small and usual only suitable for younger dc. In others, often independent places, they’re nearly as big as adult meals and could feed older dc.

Some do two options, one for younger kids, one for older e.g Prezzo.

I tend not to buy the children’s meals as they’re usually a rubbish selection compared to the adult menu (burgers, nuggets etc). I usually get an adult main and split it between my 6 and 4 year olds. I would probably expect them to start eating a full adult portion at around 8/9?

I would assume somewhere between 8-10 but totally depends on the child and the portion sizes. Some are smaller than others.

Also depends on choice. When DS was little much preferred places which offered half size meals rather an actual kids' menu full of beige food. So if it was standard kids' menu then we might have bought him an adult portion even if he couldn't eat it all (DH and I would have helped him finish it off). Or DS and I would have shared a main and had some extra sides or starters or pudding.

Ds is 9, 10 in August and we are starting to find that some kids meals aren't filling enough. If its 3 courses it is usually ok, but a happy meal for example doesn't fill him anymore. A few of our local restaurants do a menu for under 7's, and one for older kids which works well as our 7 yr old dd gets full on like 2 chicken nuggets!

My 12 year old still happily eats off the children’s menu, but I’m trying to shift her to adult meals because she’s going to be too old for children’s menus soon. She’s a bit of a fussy eater, not impossible but prefers food without added sauces and things she hasn’t tried before which adult meals often have, plus she has a small appetite so the getting bigger portions thing isn’t much of an incentive to her.

Restaurants usually say up to 12 but it depends on the child and the restaurant. DS (10) adores calamari so if they have that as a starter, he’ll have that and probably fish and chips of the children’s menu as an adult starter and main is too much for him, plus it gets bloody expensive! If not he’ll have scampi off the adults menu, he certainly likes his sea food!

Definitely depends in child. Ds is 9, tal for his age and a big eater. He still eats off children menu but usually things like.burger and chips whereas if he had the pizza it would be too small, ditto pasta portions. If we are at a pizza place if he does eat off kids we will probably let him have a slice of ours.

Other things are ok eg in the pub the kids roast dinner would be fine.

Dd is 5. I suspect she will be eating kids or starter sized portions for years.

Me and sister never had children’s menu growing up! We’d either get an adult meal and split and our own desserts or just our own adult meal 😅

Ah @Elbeagle sounds just like what we did growing up! Super spicy Thai green was my favourite growing up and I’d get my own so they didn’t dull down the heat 😅

Some places often do light bites which are a smaller, cheaper main course so that might be a good compromise.

Not a small portion of nuggets and chips, but not a full size main that she won't be able to finish.

According to the NHS, a 9 year old girl needs 1720 calories a day, and a 9 year old boy 1840. Both of those are pretty close to the 2000 calories an adult woman needs, so I wouldn't expect a child's meal (especially a small portion) to be enough.

My dc never get the kids meals...they are usually crap anyway to be honest mine don’t like the whole goujons and chips thing. Mine get a normal adult meal between them or they will share with us. They are 4 and 6.

Kids meals are never enough for my 7 (almost 8) year old boy. He eats a full sized portion of fish & chips.

It was a pasta dish she had, so interesting to see other people find these are often small. She had that, her sisters chips, and the pudding, and was hungry an hour later.

I much prefer places who have that intermediate meal size for older children. We make our restaurant choices often on the quality of children's menus and avoid places that only offer ' and chips' children's meals-... Not all children's meals are beige! (And lots of independent pubs seem happy to replace chips with vegetables, useful for a child who refuses to eat any potato products)

I think DS was around 9/10 when he swapped to adults portions. A bit unfortunate as although his appetite had grown, his palate hadn't really so sometimes we had to order two children's portions to make sure he got enough food. Now age 13 he's fond of steak, prawns and sushi so meals out are expensive!

DD would order an adult sized meal and she's 10yo. Last time we ate out was Pizza Express and she took about a 1/4 of her pizza home in a box, so doesn't necessarily eat it all. DS is 5yo and his child's portion definitely wouldn't have been enough for DD.