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Original poster

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

163 replies

Tiddleztheelephant · 29/07/2021 22:39

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!

OP posts:
AliMonkey · 29/07/2021 23:34

Depends on the food. Around 9, they started looking at both menus but usually had from kids menu - or often a starter and dessert from adult menu and main from kids! By 11, probably doing about half and half. By 13, probably mostly adults menu but sometimes order two kids meals instead if the adult stuff too fancy - or we ask for a less fancy version (eg without the sauce) of an adult meal - fact is that they still like the kids food but are embarrassed to have it! I like the sort of places where instead of "kids menu" they have "lighter meals" or "for smaller appetites" as then it's not just for kids. And actually I sometimes order a kids meal in a cafe for lunch, eg a small pasta.

The other thing is that the kids menu portion sizes vary hugely so eg a kids pizza can vary from about 5 inches across to 12 inches.

cushioncovers · 29/07/2021 23:37

Oldest was 10, youngest was nearer 12 as he had a smaller appetite

Forstarters · 29/07/2021 23:37

My 10 year old is taller than his granny. He has an adult meal eating too much can prompt overgrowth in height in children I believe

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Maharajah20 · 29/07/2021 23:37

Daughter 21 still on kids menu 😂

WTFisNext · 29/07/2021 23:38

My eldest (14) doesn't really like food so she always gets a children's meal or starter...generally her safe food eating out is pasta in a tomato based sauce which is often found on children's menus anyway.

My youngest (8) eyes up the adult portions but in reality she wouldn't be able to eat it all. Eyes bigger than her belly is what my gran says.

xyzandabc · 29/07/2021 23:41

Dc1 14 still usually opts for the kids menu, she eats like a sparrow, at the speed of a snail and likes plain food. I'd rather she ate something and enjoyed it than spent the meal looking miserable pushing food around the plate and not eating anything. Would never manage a full adult meal portion and the third that she did eat would take until Christmas to finish. She will often opt for an adult pudding though.

Dc2 12 has had full adult meals for a couple of years now, usually opts for something spicy and finishes the full portion, doesn't like chips.

Dc3 9 still likes the kids menu, likes what he knows and prefers to 'play safe' rather than try something he might not like. Though will try bits from other people's meals so gets new ideas/tastes while still guaranteeing that he doesn't go hungry.

Guineapigbridge · 29/07/2021 23:44
  1. She doesn't really want nuggets and fries etc. We quite often get an adult meal and split it between the younger two, so they get something tasty and healthy. Restaurants are happy to give you an extra plate.
BonesJones · 29/07/2021 23:45

My DS from about 9, but he's got quite 'adult' tastes in food so wanted the meats and the fish dishes etc as he preferred them to the kids beige stuff (not judging, my youngest is a beige devotee 😆). My DD 11 is a fussy-ish eater, more or less vegan by virtue of personal taste as opposed to particularly opting to be vegan if that makes sense, but doesn't tend to like the adult veggie/vegan menu option, so usually has a starter and a side, or two or three sides e.g chips and salad. The sides usually amount to an adult sized portion and she'd eat it all. She does eat a LOT though, but she's very very active so must need it.

DowntonCrabby · 29/07/2021 23:54

DD16 about 10 DS8 about 6!!!!
They’re both very tall, DD has always been slim and light. DS now is long, has ridiculously long limbs, with very pronounced abdominal muscles from sports training but at 6 going onto adult menu was probably chunky for a 6 year old.
I find they grow up the way/long then out the way a bit before back to up the way again.
Your DS may be genuinely overweight or just on a pause of upward growth spurt OP. I’d let him eat what he needs as long as it’s mostly healthy.

MrsMiddleMother · 30/07/2021 00:10

Dsd 11 still eats from kids menus for now, most are 3 courses so she'd prefer to have that then a main adult meal and be just as full by the end

LongDarkTeatime · 30/07/2021 00:14

@elizabethdraper we agree
Never used the kids menu as always too boring and unhealthy.
We always made up a plate from adults orders, split orders or ordered starters. Now they’ll eat almost anything (only avocado is a no go 😂)

MouseholeCat · 30/07/2021 00:26

My siblings and I never ordered off the kids menu as the options were always pretty boring a gross. If places would do a small plate we'd have that, a starter or we'd split something.

Strokethefurrywall · 30/07/2021 00:39

Depends on where we’re eating with mine. Mostly kids menus unless we’re at a place that serves decent curry and then they’ll order an adult meal but not bother with the naan breads (heathens) or Italian where they’ll eat risotto or something.

We have a rule that if we go out to eat twice a week, then they can order nuggets/burgers one of the times, but the other they have to choose something to try off the adult menu.

DS2 (7 yrs) will always try whatever we’re having (and generally prefer it to whatever’s on his plate) and he’s far more adventurous about trying stuff but hates fruit.

DS1 (9 yrs) eats like a bird throughout the day but will then eat a dad portion of whatever evening meal there is, and will eat fruit.

butterry · 30/07/2021 00:49

At 6 years old most of the time preferred the adult menu but would never be able to finish it, which is a waste. Wish restaurants would offer smaller sized meals off the regular menu as a choice more often.

Yubaba · 30/07/2021 01:05

Ds1 is 12, 5’6” and thin as a rake, he orders from the adult menu most of the time depending on the restaurant, he’s not mad keen on Chinese so would get a smaller meal for example.
DD is 14 and is a very picky eater, she always gets the kids menu as a bigger meal would be a total waste.
DS2 is 10 and he does a mix of both depending on the portion size of the particular restaurant we are eating in.

Nohomemadecandles · 30/07/2021 07:06

@Forstarters

My 10 year old is taller than his granny. He has an adult meal eating too much can prompt overgrowth in height in children I believe
I'm 5'11" and his dad's 6'6" - I'm guessing it's more to do with genetics than his adult meal when we eat out. But thanks for being unpleasant!
Hottubtimemachine · 30/07/2021 07:09

Pretty much from the start, it’s rare to see nice food on a kids menu- why would they want to eat that? We just had smaller portions of the nice stuff but now aged 11 he eats it all.

AnUnlikelyCombination · 30/07/2021 07:10

My 10yo still prefers the kids menu, and can’t eat an adult portion. My 12yo will often have two starters, as she likes adult flavours but rarely manages an adult size portion.

Sirzy · 30/07/2021 07:11

Depends on the child and the place. If in doubt let them look at both and then decide

MrsSchadenfreude · 30/07/2021 07:13

Mine grew up in Europe where beige children’s meals aren’t really a thing. We used to split a starter and main course between them, or order them small portions. They had adult meals from around the age of 9, but wouldn’t always finish them. DD2 got taken to McDonalds when she was about 12 and thought she had died and gone to heaven. Hmm

SheABitSpicyToday · 30/07/2021 07:17

Never. My daughter has a Waitrose taste in food and won’t eat stuff on kids menus Grin

Me on the other hand…. I want adult sized kids menus.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 30/07/2021 07:18

About maybe 7/8, there’s often not much choice on children’s menus depending on the venue so we have them both menus and let them pick.

BogRollBOGOF · 30/07/2021 07:43

It depends on the size of the portions.
Happy meals failed to fill up from 6.
Some places I'd be happy to have the children's size.

At 8 & 10 (and clinging on to the underside of healthy weight) if they've had an adult portion and get 2/3s through, it was worth it as otherwise the children's would have left them ravenous (they're not keen on desserts).

They had IKEA children's meatballs the other day... as a second lunch as they were still ravenous after Subway. I should have just gone there first and got a big plateful for them Wink

HandforthParishCouncilClerk · 30/07/2021 07:50

Tastes-wise, we’ve never used the kids menu - DS is a very adventurous eater and from a young age was not to be fobbed off with nuggets or fish fingers. Portions-wise, he’s one of those extremely tall, skinny kids and has put away an adult portion quite happily since he was about 2 or 3. He’s extremely active and never not hungry though.

Azilliondegrees · 30/07/2021 07:50

Ours (7&5) have never really used the children’s menu. We normally order 3 mains and ask for an extra plate, or 2 mains and a bunch of sides/starters. Most places are totally ok with that.

Sometimes they will order from the kids’ menu, but it’s usually beige rubbish. Some places are better than others.

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