An Italian cook has been in the news today calling for the ban of children’s menus in restaurants.
Antonio Carluccio reckons that children should eat the same as adults when out and about, and shouldn’t have their own menu.
Do you know what? I agree with him. Although it’s nice in principle for children to have their own menus when dining out, have you seen the amount of rubbish that is on those things?!
Some places have a menu comprising of fishfingers and chips, burgers and chips, pizza and chips, sausage and chips and anything else fried you can think of and not a lot else.
What happened to choice? Nothing wrong with the odd fishfinger or chips at all, but why don’t they get some other options as well?
Just because they’re small they automatically want chips, is that right?
No, it doesn’t always work like that. When there’s an adult’s menu full of fresh meals and a children’s menu full of crap and not a lot else, it is rather annoying.
I remember taking my eldest who is now 8 into a cafe when he was toddler sized, and he wanted shepherds pie.
So I asked for a child’s sized shepherds pie, only to be met by a blank look and a “we don’t do that for children, they can only choose off the menu.”
What did the menu comprise of? Yep, you guessed it – bloody chips. Served with a side order of chips and with a drink of chips (well, it might as well have been.)
How hard would it have been to just make a smaller version of the shepherds pie? Just a toddler sized dollop of shepherds pie with some peas and a bit of veg, like the adults could have?
It’s hardly rocket science.
I ended up sharing mine with him on a smaller plate.
Not all kids WANT chips every time they’re out. Nothing wrong with chips, but having the choice of something else would be nice.
I’m with Antonio all the way. Have a universal menu for both adults and children, and just do smaller versions of the adult portions for the small people.
That way, if they want chips, they can have them, just like the adults can, but they also have the choice of having other dinners as well, which don’t involve fried food.
Restaurant places – take note.
Brilliant point well made. I think they should offer food in 3 sizes; adult child and toddler, but it should be all the same food (after all why would you go to an Italian to eat fish fingers?) If I order my kids their own child meal its always far too big for them, but if I just let them share mine I go hungry.
couldn’t agree more! The amount of times we’ve been out & the kids will choose sausage & chips off the kids menu because it’s there…but if they had the option of salmon, steak, curry etc I know they would choose that instead.
Yes I agree too. I try to encourage my children to order from the main menu wherever possible (especially the older one who is 11) and to try new stuff, but if there is a childrens menu of chips, chips and more chips, they will gravitate to that.
It is very difficult to encourage them to make healthy food choices when so many restaurants encourage the myth that children will only eat fishfingers, chicken nuggets, burgers and chips.
Here here. Children’s palates will only mature if they try different food. Chips with everything is so boring and unhealthy.
Couldn’t agree more. My boys have been brought up eating the same food as we do, i never buy them “kids” food to eat at home so why should they have it in a restaurant. A smaller portion of an adults meal is really all that is required. x
Totally agree! The reason I blog is beacuse I wanted my children to try as many different meals as I could, without resorting to chips. All mine hate the “kids menus” in restaurants!
I agree with what you are saying in principle, but if you have a child with taste or texture issues who will only eat fish fingers and fries, then it’s good to know these are available. But if kids want to try a smaller portion of something more sophisticated, then yes, it would be good to have this option.
We often split an adult’s meal between two of ours when we go out.
That’s what’s needed, a bit of choice. The choice to have fish fingers and chips, or the chance to have a child’s size portion of the adult menu.
Not allowing smaller portions is ridiculous really, as it’s not like they’re cooking separate food, is it?!
I totally agree with him too. I find it so odd that the childrens menus are full of crap. Seb has adult food at home so he can have it while out too, i much prefer that to chicken nuggets chips and a fruit shoot.
While it’s nice to give the kids something from their own menu, if that menu isn’t in keeping with the rest of the fare on offer then it’s wrong. Small portions, starters as mains for the kids, the same stuff as the adults, just less of it. I’m with you. And him.
I would love to agree with you, but sadly some of us just have fussy kids! I’ve tried hard over the years, but they remain fussy, so we are grateful for children’s menus, specifically Margarita pizza!
Yes yes yes! I agree 100%