Do Kids’ Menus Do More Harm Than Good? Kids can be picky eaters.This is a fact recognized by parents and restaurants alike.This picky nature popularized the classic children’s menu featured at many restaurants around the country.These menus are virtually the same: chicken tenders, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, french fries, and so on. Kids’ menus are loaded with fried foods and cheap carbs. me article, Dr. Cara Natterson suggests kids eat what the rest of the family eats. For instance, let them indulge in the appetizer menu, then build up to the entrée menu and let
them share and sample your food. Encourage culinary exploration.
Some parents love the kids’ menu. It makes deciding on food easier. Or, at least, that’s what we tell ourselves. Kids’ menus are populated with foods practically every kid loves. But they have a dark side. Aside frompoor nutrition, the kids’ menu changes the family dynamic. In an interviewwith Eater.com, television chef and host Alton Brown (who youmay know from “Good Eats,” “IronChef America,” and “Cutthroat Kitchen”) said, “Never, ever, ever, ever, ever let your kid eat from the children’s menu at restaurants and never, ever, ever make your kid special food to allow them to avoid whatever the family is eating.” Why? During his “Alton Brown Live!” tour, he explained that it comes down to control. By giving kids the option of the children’s menu, you relinquish culinary control to your kids.The next time you go out as a family or youmake a delicious meal at home, they are more likely to demand “their” food. This is a habit a child can quickly adopt—and a habit that’s tough to break. Kids are picky eaters because, as parents and adults, we let thembe picky eaters. We perpetuate bad habits. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In aMom. Christine Christine has worked in orthodontics for over 14 years in various roles. The last eight years, she has been using her skills after earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a concentration in finance, to be a financial coordinator. Christine not only loves to learn, but she also loves to teach and give back to others. Not only has she volunteered in the children’s ICU at St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, NewYork, for four years, but she has spent the last two years tutoring middle- and high-school-aged students in science, math, and Spanish. A fun story about her (kids, do NOT try this at home) is when she was in braces at the age of 12. She decided to untie all her wires in order to brush and floss thoroughly before appointments. After doing so, she would re-insert her wires and ties and head off to her adjustment. Her orthodontist was always pleased and amazed with her impeccable oral hygiene, but then her mom found out and made her confess to her deeds. It was that orthodontist who first inspired her to enter the field. Later, she discovered that her true passion was working with numbers and finances. She knew she could not leave such a rewarding field that allows her to watch an individual’s self-esteem grown every time she sees them. Christine and her husband, Brian, have one son and another child on the way. She enjoys spending time skiing on the slopes of Vermont, watching acoustic duos play throughout Connecticut, and traveling.
When you encourage your kids to avoid the children’s menu, you give them an opportunity to expand their flavor horizons. More importantly, it helps themmake healthier choices that aren’t loaded with fat and
empty carbs. Make going out to dinner a learning experience, and before you know it, the phrase “kids’ menu” will have disappeared from your family’s vocabulary.
“I love working in the practice, as I get to split time between creative and organizational tasks. I love working in a field where a smile really does change someone’s life.”
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