To think most kids menus are awful

[ditziness]

Is it just me that always ends up getting ds a starter rather than anything off the kids menu? Why are they usually just chips, chips, chips, goujons, Chios and fishfingers?

Surely a veg soup, a pasta dish, an omlette, bangers and mash and peas, a spag bol, lasagne, would all be healthier and more balanced and still popular?

I wish I could have a half size portion. I have a terrible problem in that I have to clear my plate (something instilled in me in childhood that I just can't shake, though I am trying!). Often when eating out I am confronted with ENORMOUS portions. Even if I sorted my problem and just left it on my plate, it would still be a monstrous waste of food.

I've worked a lot in restaurants and I know about the problems with prepping but I wish all dishes could be offered in full and half portions, with appropriate portions. When you add up all the kids, elderly, people on diets and others who simply don't want to chow down half of Sainsbury's every time they eat out I would think that catering places wouldn't be left with very many half portions hanging about.

That second 'portions' should say 'prices'!

When we eat out it is normally early enough in the day I can order from the light bites/lunch menu which is ideal for me as I have a small appetite!

Most places seem to do them until about 6 so I would guess that's an ideal option for slightly older children

YAmostlyNBU, I find. I live in Australia and it's the same here - the majority of places that have children's menus list chicken or fish nuggets, sausages, chips or mash, pizza or maybe a pasta dish - sometimes, it's just sandwiches.
However - we have an added ishoo which is keeping gluten free, so 95% of the time DS will get something from the starter menu. Fortunately most places we go to have some kind of prawn thing with rice as a starter, which suits DS down to the ground. In fact, he kind of expects that's what he's getting whenever we go out for a meal now! He's 3.8 - he does eat most things quite happily though.