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Why don't restaurants sell smaller portions of proper food for kids?


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Old 10-06-2013, 10:38
The Wizard
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Nearly everywhere I go to eat out the only options open to me when I ask for the kids menu is the usual nuggets, burgers, hot dogs, fish fingers, pizza etc. The only option is chips or sometimes mash, no baby potatoes or salad and it's beans or peas. Even in some good restaurants where I've known the food to be excellent their kids menu is the same usual junk food with chips and beans. My 3 year old hates chips and would much prefer to eat a small portion of lasagne with some garlic bread or salad and new potatoes or a nice mild home made curry and rice or a cottage pie but sadly they never do these things on kids menus.

Why can't places just sell smaller portions of proper healthy food for children instead of always having this junk food alternative? I end up having to buy my toddler a full adults meal of which he will probably only eat half of it just so I can give him a decent healthy meal or something that doesn't consist of processed reconstituted junk.
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Old 10-06-2013, 11:01
SHAFT
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In my experience most will do small portions if you ask them.
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Old 10-06-2013, 11:11
Babycakes15
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I've always wondered this. I've eaten out since I was toddler and rather than ordering me my own meal, I'd just have some of what my parents or grandparents were eating, but as I grew up it wasn't enough to fill me but I couldn't eat an adults portion. For most people when they go out they like to have different food than they would at home, why do people think this doesn't apply to children aswell?
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Old 10-06-2013, 11:18
Yeah_Jackie
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I never have a problem anywhere procuring child size portions of whatever I ask for. In fact they are only too happy to oblige.
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Old 10-06-2013, 12:28
odie8391
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Is it just me that finds feeding a 3 year old garlic bread, home made curry with rice and cottage pie a bit strange?
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Old 10-06-2013, 12:36
jojo01
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Is it just me that finds feeding a 3 year old garlic bread, home made curry with rice and cottage pie a bit strange?
I don't have children, but don't think it's strange to feed a 3 year old any of those things. I'd make the curry on the mild side though!

ETA: I'm confused now, what do you think 3 year olds should be eating?
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Old 10-06-2013, 12:37
Yeah_Jackie
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I don't see anything strange about it. A varied diet is good for kids. I'm sure the OP isn't talking Phal.
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Old 10-06-2013, 12:56
x_Toots_x
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I completely agree with the OP. My eldest didn't like most 'junk' food (burgers, nuggets) until she was about 7 or 8 and her favourite dinner is a roast. She would a;ways pick mash over chips when younger. She is 11 and has an adults dinner now.

My youngest, who's 2, won't eat potato in any form so we always struggle when out as it's chips with everything. She is very much a pasta, rice, noodles girl, very much like her dad. She also likes things with lots of flavour, not just bland beige food. She usually ends up with macaroni cheese or pizza or has a bit of what we are having.

Don't get me wrong, my kids do eat junk food at home sometimes but they both prefer proper dinners.
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Old 10-06-2013, 13:07
walterwhite
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Some places do this, Purnells Bistro in Birmingham definitely does.
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Old 10-06-2013, 13:08
Watcher #1
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There was a pub near me that (for a while) offered 90% of it's (fairly expansive) menu in 3 sizes - a kids/light bite size, normal, and large.

Seemed to work quite well, but I think the complexity and down turn in the pub industry killed that
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Old 10-06-2013, 14:25
odie8391
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I don't have children, but don't think it's strange to feed a 3 year old any of those things. I'd make the curry on the mild side though!

ETA: I'm confused now, what do you think 3 year olds should be eating?
As I was writing it I had visions of a 3 year old in an indian restaurant asking for a lamb tikka bhuna with pilau rice and a poppadom.

Probably just my warped mind that thought it was strange!
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Old 10-06-2013, 14:31
malpasc
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It depends on where you go surely?

The two nearest gastropubs to where I live serve kids' sized portions of the same food that is on the regular menu. No turkey dinosaurs in sight.
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Old 10-06-2013, 17:43
degsyhufc
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There was a pub near me that (for a while) offered 90% of it's (fairly expansive) menu in 3 sizes - a kids/light bite size, normal, and large.

Seemed to work quite well, but I think the complexity and down turn in the pub industry killed that
I was in a nice counrty gastropub the other week and on the menu they had the kids/light bites combined. It looked good quality stuff but just a smaller portion. Not cheap though
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Old 10-06-2013, 18:58
towers
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Is it just me that finds feeding a 3 year old garlic bread, home made curry with rice and cottage pie a bit strange?
What do you think young children in India eat?

But yes, young children should be able to have smaller portions of what their parents are eating.
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Old 10-06-2013, 20:51
jojo01
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As I was writing it I had visions of a 3 year old in an indian restaurant asking for a lamb tikka bhuna with pilau rice and a poppadom.

Probably just my warped mind that thought it was strange!
He he. I'm sure the lamb tikka bhuna in India is no different to us serving our toddlers cottage pie!
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