To despair at the quality and choice of kids menus?

[KerfuffleShuffle]

I'm currently in a major UK city with DD 5 years for 14 nights for DH's work. We're in a hotel so need to eat out at least once a day. I am absolutely fed up of the dross that makes ups kids menus. Just endless variations of cheap quality m nuggets/sausages and chips or bland pasta meals/margherita pizza. The only veg options are beans/peas or veggie stick starters.

I get that some children like the predictability of these meals, but what about the many children who don't? What about the children who enjoy a variety of foods and flavours? These aren't chain pubs where I understand these types of menu totally have their place and serve a need, but rather restaurants which have fresh and creative full adult menus.

I'm not anti junk at all, my DD is known to enjoy a happy meal more than I would like for admit -and thank goodness for fish fingers and potato waffles for a quick evening meal. But I wouldn't go out and order a freezer meal I can make at home, so why should children be expected to?

Although a lot of the chain places won’t do a smaller portion generally, many of them now have a seniors menu which offers smaller portions of the adult menu for a lower price - I’ve never been told no when buying that for one of the kids.

A lot of chains dont cook the meals fresh, they heat up pre prepared food. Hence no flexibility

Im not suggesting its high cuisine... but is therr a Toby Carvery? Or any carvery?

Ds loves wahaca because we just order loads of small plates and he has a bit of everything, tapas or sushi places you can do similar, we do tend towards independent restaurants more and they will usually do a half portion of most things for a child

I think it’s more kids meals are often a loss leader. You price them incredibly cheaply to get families in for the adult spend. Think about it most kids meals aren’t half the price of an adult meal- it’s even less than that. Chicken nuggets and plain pasta allow you to do that and free up kitchen capacity

If we get fish and chips DS has the pensioner special! He wants a piece of cod or haddock not 'fish bites' that are mainly batter

We ask for a smaller portion of the normal menu, or we get some extra sides and we all share everything. My toddler often doesn't eat a lot anyway so usually we do the latter option! I find the children's menus so overpriced.

I’d always just go to restaurants where you get a lot of different things and share - tapas, mezze, Indian, Chinese, Thai, steak/bbq, pizza, pasta etc. if you don’t like sharing food (which I appreciate some people don’t) then more of an issue but I think with 14 days, hunting out some different types of restaurants might be good.

If enough people do that supply will catch up with demand. It would actually be better for the restaurant too as they wouldn't have to stock kid's food.

Harvester can also work salad bar and then just get the kids meal with either a quarter of chicken, half rack of ribs or a steak , the sides are varied too several veg options, mash, jacket, rice etc. We went a couple of times when it kitchen was being done and ds loved it

I don't know where you are going but seriously you need to look around a bit more carefully at where you are.

Most chain pubs now do a lighter bites option and tapas style menus are very much in fashion now which I always have if I can. It's cheaper than a main adult meal and smaller.

Its not dirt cheap like the children's menu options but frankly given it's not nugget and chips it shouldn't be anyway - you pay for the difference in quality.

I am actually struggling to think of the last place I've eaten which hasn't had smaller menu options available - keeping in mind the number of adults on slimming injections has also affected demand in this area.

This is not hard.

We either order from the small bites /entree section, share a plate (and order 3 courses), or ask for a small portion. Never bern a problem.
Kids meals ate cheap because the ingredients are cheap. not because of portion size

Good god no.

And we wonder why we have an obesity problem in this country if you think this is normal!

Why does eating out every night on holiday mean you’ll end up obese? If it’s not self-catering, then obviously you’re eating out a lot. That’s one of the best parts of the holiday.

If we go on holiday for 2 weeks then we will eat out for 14 nights in a row. Where else would we be eating? None of us are obese, or even overweight. Eating out doesn’t mean that you’re overeating.

The kid's menu section means that the restaurant is providing a sure way to feed children who needs to eat out for once. Not only smaller portion, but intentionally blander and less complicated food, to make sure the kids will be fed. It's not about the eating out every day for two weeks case.

Some places would be happy to serve a smaller portion (in my area half portions often cost 75% of the full meal) - epsecially the food which scales easily. Some might refuse if they don't have a way to charge for it.

I suppose it needs a bit of creativity - some places will be able to make a smaller portion, some will have meal-worthy stater, everyone else should be able to pack the leftovers/second half of the meal.

What?! I’m a normal healthy weight. Eating out doesn’t mean eating any worse or less healthily than I do at home?!

Do you only self cater on holiday?

Eating out a full sit down meal EVERY night at a restaurant? Good luck with your calories on that.

Believe me I agree eating out is one of the best things on holiday but you need to also be sensible about it and realise what you are eating.

And yes I do stay in hotels.

Why the fuck not? Christ almighty, live a little.

Where do you eat when you’re on holiday then?
We have eaten out every night on holiday for years and years, and the whole family is a healthy weight (well, the youngest is underweight but that’s another issue).

You’re either trolling or a typical Mumsnet competitive undereater.

You know you don’t have to trough down every bite when you’re eating out. And there are many perfectly normal calorie portions.

But a full sit down meal can be a salad. Or something small. That's what holidays are for.

Whereas at home, it can be burger, chips, bit of chocolate, then crisps when the alcohol kicks in.

Not an overweight family either; we just balance everything out.

Kids meals are not mandatory. They are there for fussy kids who won't eat normal adult food, or for parents who are economising on the total bill bill,.

Depending on their ages , there is nothing to stop you ordering an ordinary meal for the child, , or ask for an adult meal to be shared between 2 children , or ask if they half portion of main menu items or order a starter as a kids main course, or add side salad or vegetable, and if you can substitute chips for ordinary potatoes or plain pasta on the kids meals, or go somewhere ethnic that doesn't do kids menus.

I don't remember children's menus being a thing when I was a child (back in the dark ages). We'd just order off the main menu and leave anything we couldn't eat. I used to love chicken in a basket in the days when it came in a proper wicker basket!

So the point I am coming to after my trip down memory lane, is why not let them order off the adult menu?

Asking for a smaller portion of an adult meal, does that mean you are still charged full price for the meal?

The Lounge chain also let you add ANYTHING as a side.

I often order a kind of tapas and my son can have anything off my assortment of food.

Cheeky beggar goes and asks for sausages and rice if he gets a sniff of a waiter though.