Something Besides the Same-Old for Kids
NPR's "Morning Edition" today had a good segment about a Cordon Bleu–trained chef in Austin who is developing dishes for the city's school lunches. Give it a listen.
The show followed one focus group of kids ages eight and nine who tried the chef's ideas—things like zucchini lasagna and chicken vegetable soup—and basically cleaned their plates. Well, except for one little boy who didn't want to see anything green on his plate.
Here's an idea: What if, instead of the same old chicken nuggets, grilled cheese sandwiches, and fries we seen on kids' meal menus everywhere, the R&D departments at restaurant chains figured out how to adapt their regular menus for kids? By that I mean the burritos could be sized a bit smaller, the spicy dishes could be made milder, the sandwiches on a smaller roll.
That way we'd be sending a message that kids don't need exceptional foods—many of which are no good for them, anyway. What do you think, parents? How about you industry readers? Am I onto something?
Comment and let me know.
Comments
Yes indeed, you are on to something. I am a firm believer that food is food, and that 'kids' food' should be the same thing that adults eat. Otherwise, how will they ever learn that there is life beyond mac-n-cheese?
Don't get me wrong, the boys LOVE mac-n-cheese, but in our house, the boys eat what we eat. I try to stick to the same principle when we eat out. Liam is fairly adventurous, usually doing well at Chinese and Thai restaurants. He did declare that an Indian dish was 'a bit too spicy' for him, but we still managed to come up with enough for him to eat, thanks to a helpful staff. Sushi was a bust, however -- wouldn't even put a piece in his mouth (much to my dismay).
Not all restaurants have a 'kids menu.' But it came to me recently at Thai Villa that ordering an appetizer would be about the right portion for a child. I just supplement with some veges or fruits from my plate (or some I bring along). Plus, it comes out sooner than an entree, reducing the amount of time I have to try to keep him in his chair.
Now why didn't I think of the appetizer trick earlier??
Posted by: Dixie | August 14, 2006 07:44 AM
Yes! Great idea! Definitely something I'd like to see.
Posted by: Michele Little | August 14, 2006 08:56 AM
This post reminded me of a recent visit we had...I won't name the place but we go there often. I was amazed at the size of the so called, "Kids Cup!"
What ever happened to small sized drinks...Baby A had a hard time just getting her hands around the, "SMALL" cup of milk.
Portion control, we need it NOW...including drinks! No toddler needs a 32OZ cup of milk. It's a waste of milk and hard to manage at that.
My 3 cents...TWH
Posted by: TWH | August 15, 2006 07:18 AM
Dixie, I love the appetizer trick!
I met with a restaurant owner last night who said they've had huge success with putting a small tossed salad on their kids' menu. Maybe some forward-thinking restaurants are catching on to this idea.
The best luck we've had with sushi places is ordering Age Tofu—a lightly breaded cube of tofu with a dipping sauce. Like Liam, Baby A won't even try putting a piece of sushi in her mouth. Big bummer.
- QSMama
Posted by: QSMama | August 16, 2006 11:22 AM