What age did your kids switch from the child's to the adult's menu?

[Tiddleztheelephant]

Just that really?
My 9 year old ds wolfs down a kids meal in record time but I'm reluctant to switch because he's getting a bit chubby anyway plus he probably wouldn't take advantage of the wider range of food available on the adult menu.
So far he seems happy with his meals and doesn't complain of being hungry afterwards but, somebody suggested tonight that "next time we could give him the choice"
So, what age did your dc make the switch?
Thanks!

Probably around 9 to be fair, when he started to get bored of the children’s menu. Sometimes he’ll have calamari as a starter and a kids’ main course still (aged 12) as he can’t manage an adult starter and main but he loooooves calamari. He’s also been known to have a calamari starter and side of chips if we’re not doing starters.

We never use the kids menu. Just smaller portions of normal menu

Kids menus are awful

3 DC and it varied due to different appetites but between the age of 10-12

Oddly (as he's a fuss pot) ds loves calamari too. I'm not a fan personally and don't get the love

Age 5 because the kids menus were always so crap and he'd eat our food anyway if we didn't.

Kids menus are generally truly awful (with some exceptions). He wont eat disgusting chicken nuggets or beans or the like. He will eat a full sized adult curry though given the opportunity. And he's tiny!!!

Anywhere from 8-13 depending which dc and which restaurant. Both ds’s like good food, so would want the choice of the adults’ menu, rather than nuggets or basic burgers from the kids’ one. Places like an Italian that did half portions of the same pizzas or pastas were better.

At 7. The age she is now
I mean she'll often still have children's menu but at McDonald's for example or places that do half a jacket potato for the children's meals she goes for the adult meal.
She's slim anyway so I don't have to think about stuff like that

12 or even older if I could get away with it, neither ate a lot

I’ve been wondering this myself OP

My 16 (almost 17) mo polishes off kids meals when we eat out and will pester for some of mine too. He’s not overweight just loves his food. We always go for the healthiest option but I can’t imagine him still eating this kinda portion at 6/7

At Pizza Express, age 6. Everywhere else, not yet (she is only 8) - another very restricted eater, but she loves pizza and was increasingly disappointed with the child size ones! She's a healthy weight, so I figure the occasional adult size one won't hurt.

We used to think it important to get them used to a healthy variety of adult foods right from the start, to develop their taste.

Didn't you do that at home?

It depends what it is
A kids happy meal isn't enough chicken nuggets for my kids (5 and 2) they like 6 each

Whereas a children's Carvery is plenty

@8monthsinandcranky what!! My 7 year old leaves most of their children’s portion. No way a child less than a year and half is eating a portion designed to go up to 10 or 11 years old. If they are I’d worry

Op, no often the kids meals aren’t decent foods but I doubt you eat out so much that that is causing the chubby issue.

@8monthsinandcranky

I’ve been wondering this myself OP

My 16 (almost 17) mo polishes off kids meals when we eat out and will pester for some of mine too. He’s not overweight just loves his food. We always go for the healthiest option but I can’t imagine him still eating this kinda portion at 6/7

My niece was similar at this age , a complete food hoover, but then became much more picky and at almost 4 she only picks and pokes at a kids meal and is a tiny little thing.

Kids menus are often crap food so when they were younger, they never got the option of picking from them and would get a small portion from adults menu or I’d ask if they could do some plain chicken/fish for them. Then there was a phase when they knew about kids menus and wanted them! And now it’s a mixture.

He will eat a full sized adult curry though given the opportunity. And he's tiny!!!

This is not a good thing. An adult curry is full of fat and sugar and salt and all sorts of things dreadful for a child.

a kids happy meal isn't enough chicken nuggets for my kids (5 and 2) they like 6 each

A 2 year old eating 6 nuggets?

No wonder a third of children are obese when starting school. Ffs

@Forstarters

Op, no often the kids meals aren’t decent foods but I doubt you eat out so much that that is causing the chubby issue.

I don't and it isn't the main issue we have identified and are tackling those but it's still a question that I'm interested in 🤷‍♂️

12-13yrs

We were just saying today we're getting to having to double up on eg the meat we buy portion wise. The older two are 11 and 13

Around 9/10. Another calamari obsessed one here.

Just after turning 8 for ds can't remember for dd but about the same. He would be starving with a kids meal most places.

DD is 14, likes plain food and has the appetite of a bird, so if it’s somewhere like pizza or pasta where she’d just want ham pizza, not fig and balsamic or whatever, she’s better off with the kids menu. Similarly with pasta she won’t want any spice or mushrooms/artichokes etc so would just have the kids penne. Bonus is there’s usually dessert included too!

My 10 year old is taller than his granny. He has an adult meal. To be honest, if he goes out for dinner and the kids menu is nuggets or fish fingers, he wouldn't choose that anyway. It's not really a treat. It's more like punishment!
DS2 will reliably eat fish fingers though so we're safe for now. But soon will be the adult fish & chips I think.

In an Italian or Mexican or Indian, they eat adult meals. Sometimes a half portion Italian for ds2 but often not.