With all the talk about childhood obesity and the abysmal state of the School Lunch Program, restaurants need to step up to the plate and fill it with healthier options for families with young children in tow! How many times do we need to see the choices limited to mac ‘n cheese and chicken fingers/tenders? Enough.
Sure if we take young children to a restaurant, we can order from the regular menu and just fork over the additional funds to get our children to eat healthier meals. We can tell them this is a great restaurant with an expansive menu that has nothing like chicken pieces; go ahead–good luck with that approach!
Restaurant dining needs to mirror the healthy eating habits we incorporate into our regular, at-home meal regimen. We need restaurants to support our inroads and develop good-looking plates of foods that are not merely grease-soaked remnants from a large frozen food package. We deserve better options. Occasionally, we stumble across such an example: A restaurant that creates a platter of 3-4 sides, and I don’t mean French Fries, mashed potatoes, and macaroni! Or, a restaurant that offers a roasted chicken, child-sized portion instead of the dreaded fingers or tenders. An underlying issue is price. Little people should not be charged big-people prices. Give them less, but make it edible.
Of course, ethnic restaurants such as Asian, Mediterranean, and South/Central American solve the problem with so many acceptable family-style dishes that no one ever needs to consider a child’s menu. Sharing is the norm and helps make dining a familial adventure.
If you’re going to keep a children’s menu, make it palatable, affordable, and presentable. Children deserve the same high quality foods you want your adult guests to enjoy. If restaurants treat young guests well, they will quickly suggest a particular restaurant for the next family outing. Time to be smart business people. Young children hold the sway.
Sure the crayons and the draw-on placemats are nice, but we are really going out to eat as a family for a meal we cannot make at home or do not have the inclination this evening to prepare.We want to be wowed and enjoy ourselves and not get all frustrated by the high calorie count and the limited options. Skip the drawing options; upscale the sense of place.
C’mon restaurants, wow us and our younger diners! It can save all of us from increased, unnecessary calories. Maybe more restaurants need to eliminate the so-called, special children’s menus. Let dining out be the special treat!
