Healthy foods are hard to find at restaurants. Options are usually high in salt, fat, and calories. Kids’ Menus consist of limited options like chicken fingers, cheese pizza, and pasta with butter. How can your kids eat off the Kids’ Menu while attempting to eat a variety of foods and include healthy choices like veggies?
Read on for tips to make healthier Kids’ Menu choices:
1. Choose water or milk
Some restaurants include soda as a Kids’ Menu beverage choice. Soda is essentially sugar and empty calories and, because of its role promoting obesity and dental cavities, should not be offered to kids.
Instead of giving your kids the option of having soda, offer only water or milk to drink (these should become their drinks of choice all the time).
2. Ask for veggies
Many Kids’ Menus don’t offer a fruit or veggie with meals, even though we know restaurants have produce! If your child wants a Kids’ Menu option, ask the server if you can get a side of veggies. Examples could be a small salad, raw or cooked broccoli, butternut squash, whatever you think your child would eat.
If the Kids’ Menu meal comes with veggies, get them even if you doubt your child will eat them. This small action sets the tone that veggies are a part of meals; the more this becomes “normal”, the more likely he is to start eating (and liking) them.
3. Or Forget the Kids’ Menu
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Kids’ Menus are often full of poor food choices. To broaden your range of options, forget the Kids’ Menu and order off the regular menu for your little one. Choose an appetizer like soup or quesadillas with salsa. Split an adult entree like fish between two kids. Since restaurant portions are large, you may even get away with sharing your entree with your child.
4. Ask
If you don’t see something you want on a menu, ask. Whole grain pasta may be an option even if it’s not obvious. Whole wheat bread is not usually the default for kids’ grilled cheeses, but is often available. If you’re frustrated by the lack of healthy choices for your kids, talk to the chef or manager to see how you can expand your Kids’ Menu options.
A healthy lifestyle involves allowances for special activities like eating at restaurants. Instead of throwing up your hands in resignation every time you eat out, seize the opportunity to teach your kids that making healthy choices is possible!
How do you make sure your kids get some healthy options on their plate when you’re at a restaurant? Share your ideas in the comments below!