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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:
Nohomemadecandles · 30/07/2021 08:10

@BogRollBOGOF

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

Yes. Well that's it isn't it? I don't always finish an adult portion and I'm an adult. Doesn't mean I should be ordering 3 fish fingers instead. Order an adult meal and eat what you need from it.

Although according to @Forstarters maybe I'll shrink in height if I start using kids menus instead...

TokyoSushi · 30/07/2021 08:17

DS is 10, he'll have the kids menu in a pub/restaurant but has moved to the adult menu in places like McDonald's Grin

Angel2702 · 30/07/2021 08:28

Around 11 for my older two. My 10 yr old DD still has kids menu but more for the options rather than portions.

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PeonyTime · 30/07/2021 08:39

From about 4 DS1 often had a starter (or 2!) from the adult menu along with bits poached from our plates, then a pudding. Calamari, prawns and mussels being the main draw. Occasionally he would have an adult main, and be told it didnt need finishing. Basically he chose what he wanted to eat.
Aged 11, DS2 still prefers the kids menu.

I've just confiscated DS1's favourite pair of shorts, age 6, as they are getting too short. The waist still fits aged 12. His brother is still slim, but not to the same extent.

LadyCatStark · 30/07/2021 08:40

@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 Hmm

I missed the mo and thought you were talking about a 16/17 year old boy 😂 I thought no wonder he wanted some of yours, I’m sure a 16/17 year old could eat both and still have room for dessert 😂.
BorderlineHappy · 30/07/2021 09:02

Pity there's no in between menu.
Kids meals are too small at age 10 but the adult meals are too big.
A teenager portion of food would be good.

Mine where about 10 but when younger I'd often buy the adults meal and split it.
Even with some sides it often worked out cheaper than 3 kids meals.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 30/07/2021 09:06

Smaller appetite menus would be good (especially in pubs aimed at hikers etc... the meals are massive for a reason!)

actiongirl1978 · 30/07/2021 09:06

They were about 5 or 6. Since then offered the normal menu.

Last week DS11 was offered the normal menu in Rick steins seafood restaurant and looked at me and said 'why do they think I need fhis'? (after the waiter had left, he wasn't being rude).

He then had a plate of squid for lunch.

Hipt · 30/07/2021 09:14

I think it really depends on the restaurant. Some restaurant do a little kids and big kids menu which I prefer. I think its ridiculous when you have a 2 year old and a 10 year old on the same menu and portion sizes

Some near us clearly have portion sizes designed for bigger kids other have one designed more for under 5's

Hen2018 · 30/07/2021 09:15

I disagree with children’s menus. The choices are so dire.

Mine shared an adult meal between them until the oldest was about 12.

cariadlet · 30/07/2021 09:22

The only places we used to go with children's menus were chain pizza and pasta restaurants. Dd used the children's menu for as long as we could get away with it because the prices were so much cheaper and she wouldn't have chosen anything different from the adult menu.

In other places eg Indian restaurants, she gradually worked her way up from having her own plate of rice and bits of our main to getting her own main meal.

mafted · 30/07/2021 09:32

It depends on the offerings.
My 10 and 9 year old are a perfect pairing, one has a large appetite and the other a small one so they often share an adult main with an extra side or something.
However there's a few places we go where the children's option is healthy and a decent size so pretty good value for them.

purplesequins · 30/07/2021 09:34

around 10 here
that was when dc were not happy with bland and boring anymore plus needed more food to not be hungry.

multivac · 30/07/2021 09:41

When our older son was diagnosed with coeliac disease, just before he turned four; because the chances of finding anything he could eat on a 'kids' menu' were next to impossible. It turned out that most places would happily offer a smaller plate from the 'adult' menu anyway, so his twin got to escape beige, boring stuff too. They were probably both having full size portions from around 10.

wendz86 · 30/07/2021 09:43

My 10 year old switched to normal meal at mcdonalds about 2 years ago but at normal pubs/restaurants she still has childs meal as they are usually pretty big but she might switch soon.

NameChanged15729 · 30/07/2021 10:07

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a ironic username as forstarters on this thread... Grin

Anyway, ds is five and has a normal sized chicken nugget meal in mcdonalds. Oh the horror!
He also has autism and a chicken nugget meal is one of the only meals I can reliably get him to eat. The rest of his diet is mainly fruit and plain toast, as in no butter, just toasted bread.

I wouldn’t start with the adult meals until your son either asks or starts complaining he’s still hungry after eating. I suspect most kids will start making noises themselves about when they want an adult portion/more variety etc.

thewreckingcrew · 30/07/2021 10:09

My 14 year old still eats from the kids menu most of the time. Her choice.

NothingIsWrong · 30/07/2021 10:11

My 11yo will look at both and see what he likes, sometimes a smaller adult meal is nicer. My 13yo still eats the child menu as it's her preference and the 8yo is still on the child's one

MrsSkylerWhite · 30/07/2021 10:12

Didn’t really use children’s menus because they were so boring. Could never understand why so many places resorted to nuggets/fish fingers and chips instead of just offering smaller portions from the main menu.

rantymcrantface66 · 30/07/2021 10:13

Around 8, neither of them particularly like kid's menus though. My 8 year old actually eats more than me anyway

INeedNewShoes · 30/07/2021 10:18

I already order from the adult menu for DD at 4y because I don’t want a meal out for her to mean me paying over the odds for something in breadcrumbs with chips or pasta and tomato sauce.

We eat out rarely and it’s a nice opportunity to have something she wouldn’t eat normally.

So far restaurants have been willing to do a half portion of something on the main menu.

At 9y I’d be happy to order an adult portion of proper food.

rantymcrantface66 · 30/07/2021 10:18

@elizabethdraper

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

Kids menus are awful

You can only get away with that in certain places though. Most chain places will have meals pre portioned. Even some nicer pubs/restaurants will have individual sized things like pies etc and not be able to split.
Hardbackwriter · 30/07/2021 10:19

@MrsSkylerWhite

Didn’t really use children’s menus because they were so boring. Could never understand why so many places resorted to nuggets/fish fingers and chips instead of just offering smaller portions from the main menu.
Because most children like and will eat that kind of bland food - it might not be their absolute favourite, but they like it well enough to eat it - and people don't want to waste their money buying their children new and unfamiliar food at restaurants that then goes untouched. Same reason people serve this stuff at children's parties.

But I think people know that really, and all this 'but why would they even serve such things?!' is just a chance to boast about your children's sophisticated palette.

Forstarters · 30/07/2021 10:20

There are 950 calories in a chicken McNugget meal - of which more than 65% comes from fat. An average toddler needs around 1,000 calories. So, yes, I do think it’s crazy giving a two year old an adult fast food meal.

Even if they’re not overweight now the fat and salt is storing up health problems for the future like diabetes and heart disease. A McNugget meal is way over half of their salt intake for the day.

And I’m not some health obsessed eater and I do visit McDonald’s occasionally with my children.

rantymcrantface66 · 30/07/2021 10:21

[quote Forstarters]@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[/quote]
To be honest I'd be equally worried if my 7 yo could only nibble at a child's portion. At 17 months they could well be going through a growth spurt and ravenous.

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