Rant: Kids Menu= Horrible Diet

[MaleficentandGoons]

According to your ticker your vacation is five years from now. I'm sure the children's menus won't be exactly the same by then, and there are CS restaurants that already have healthier kids options. Are you really concerned about feeding your daughter lunch five years from now or are you just trying to brag about how great a mom you are?

MMM whats your point? I'm not speaking WDW ONLY. Which I've said a million times. Where did I say I was a great mom?

 

[MusiqChic99]

It bothers me so much. DD is young but even now I'm trying to introduce her to new textures and taste. She loves water already. I just hate that because some people have allowed their kids to be horrible eaters those of us who want to instill good diets in their kids have no choice but to buy adult meals.

I've always introduced a varitey of foods to my son. There isn't much he won't eat.

We have a no soda rule but on his 4th birthday we took him Gattitown and let him try an orange soda. He said "that's yucky" and wouldn't drink it. Juice, milk or water is all he's ever had and is happy with that. I always ask for celery sticks instead of fries at most sit down resturants at home because my son would rather eat the celery then anything else on his plate!

Now I'm not saying my son doesn't eat a french fry or a chicken nugget but the times are few and far between. However I hardly eat that kinda stuff myself. I cook all our meals at home and eating out is a treat in our family.

Kid meals everywhere, leave a lot to be desired. (mostly fast food because you can get decent ones at sit down places)

 

[MusiqChic99]

Have more kids, come back and talk about picky eating kids. I had one brother,one sister ,growing up I was very picky but my siblings would eat anything that was offered. Same parenting style but children have their own choices.

This is very much true!

I was always a picky eater until I was an adult. Now I will try things and I encourage that out of my son too. And he is adventurous in his eating.

My sister would eat a lot more stuff then I would thats for sure and we were both introduced to the same foods.

I think some people don't try with their kids though. Not saying it's wrong but I do think some don't. They limit their kids to what they like and sometimes that's not much!

 

[Evi]

Totally agree. You can buy a perdue whole chicken and have it cut up for about $10. Fry it yourself and know what's in it or spend 25 bucks for hormone ridden food.

at whole foods you can pay $9.99 for a all natural whole chicken already baked with your choice of seasonings or non at all.

 

[MaleficentandGoons]

at whole foods you can pay $9.99 for a all natural whole chicken already baked with your choice of seasonings or non at all.

We love Whole Foods!

 

[badblackpug]

Okay.... here is my perspective....It's vacation! i don't sweat the healthy eating thing (for myself or my kids) on vacation. I have very good eaters, and we eat healthy foods at home almost every day, so if they gorge on nuggets, burgers, fries , and ice cream for a week in DW, I'm not bothered. They know these foods are a treat, and they are part of being on vacation.

 

[Evi]

http://www.grouprecipes.com/46030/sweet-n-salty-beet-chips.html

i just googled this recipe after i'd seen someone talk about making them. totally yummy! I like the sweet and salty thing, though.

Thank you for the recipe I've been getting tons of beets in my csa and looking for new things to do with them. I will definitely try this tonight.


Re the lack of healthy food options- I agree the options are limited but I do think they are there if you look for them. I know it did change the adr I chose for our upcoming trip. We will not be doing Cindy's Castle for dinner because of the kids menu, we will do a breakfast instead where I can pick what they will have and make sure it is less processed foods. I'll be taking this trip with 2 nieces and they can be picky eaters, but they are also real food eaters. They love there fruits and veggies and home cooked meals. I know I've also been scouting out cs options and plan to hit sunshine seasons, and have a list of places I've been compiling based on the menus on all ears. I also plan to hit the market before we get to the park to pick up fresh fruit, bottles water, fruit juices and some healthy snacks.

We still will buy the dinning plan because for us its a good option we like the 1ts everyday and we are not huge eaters so its more then enough. I know I will probably just share my food or order sides of veggies or appetizers to make sure the girls are eating properly and not just eating a hotdog or other junk food everyday. I do wish disney would edit their dinning plan and include healthier options and change how the credit works I would much rather 1 appetizer instead of 2 desserts everyday. I don't eat dessert at home I don't need it when I'm at disney either. I also wish they would offer a smaller mug that could be used for milk and juice for little kids. I do think disney is changing their food options and hopefully it will continue to get healthier.

 

[kaytieeldr]

These are mostly sit down dinners which my family cannot afford to attend. My kids sometimes do appetizers instead, or share with us. We tend towards those restaurants that have better selections like CHH or Flame Tree.

But as pat fan said

Also, these are not the complete menu's nor a full list of dining locations,FYI. I just pulled some of the "better" options off some of the menu's.

Others - especially those concerned about the healthfulness of the choices as is the OP - can do the same thing pat fan did but for all the CS locations. Some that immediately spring to mind would be Sunshine Seasons in Epcot and the food courts in the Value resorts.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Okay.... here is my perspective....It's vacation! i don't sweat the healthy eating thing (for myself or my kids) on vacation. I have very good eaters, and we eat healthy foods at home almost every day, so if they gorge on nuggets, burgers, fries , and ice cream for a week in DW, I'm not bothered. They know these foods are a treat, and they are part of being on vacation.

If you all try the beet recipe I strongly urge the use of a manodolin for even thin slices. Otherwise I burn some and some stay soft.

 

[MaleficentandGoons]

Thank you for the recipe I've been getting tons of beets in my csa and looking for new things to do with them. I will definitely try this tonight.


Re the lack of healthy food options- I agree the options are limited but I do think they are there if you look for them. I know it did change the adr I chose for our upcoming trip. We will not be doing Cindy's Castle for dinner because of the kids menu, we will do a breakfast instead where I can pick what they will have and make sure it is less processed foods. I'll be taking this trip with 2 nieces and they can be picky eaters, but they are also real food eaters. They love there fruits and veggies and home cooked meals. I know I've also been scouting out cs options and plan to hit sunshine seasons, and have a list of places I've been compiling based on the menus on all ears. I also plan to hit the market before we get to the park to pick up fresh fruit, bottles water, fruit juices and some healthy snacks.

We still will buy the dinning plan because for us its a good option we like the 1ts everyday and we are not huge eaters so its more then enough. I know I will probably just share my food or order sides of veggies or appetizers to make sure the girls are eating properly and not just eating a hotdog or other junk food everyday. I do wish disney would edit their dinning plan and include healthier options and change how the credit works I would much rather 1 appetizer instead of 2 desserts everyday. I don't eat dessert at home I don't need it when I'm at disney either. I also wish they would offer a smaller mug that could be used for milk and juice for little kids. I do think disney is changing their food options and hopefully it will continue to get healthier.

Yes, and like i said i'm not only speaking WDW, I mean everywhere. I agree that on vacation you can and should indulge a bit.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I'm a one child type of person. I cant even imagine paying for college for more than one child let alone keeping my personal lifestyle. I work with kids and have for 10 years so while i might not have a lot of kids , i do at the same time. This summer I watched kids turn away healthy choices for lunch at the camp i work at. When i was asked to speak to parents/nannies i was told yeah he's a picky eater. Wanting junk food isn't being picky and the fact that most kid menus only supply junk is disturbing. Not just WDW, everywhere.

We won't have any trouble putting 4 kids through college and don't have any trouble maintaining our lifestyle. Don't know what that has to do with this topic, but there it is.

If you have worked with kids for 10 years then it would seem to me that you would be aware that kids go through different stages at different ages. Because you saw a couple of incidents at a camp of kids turning down some healthy foods (Heaven forbid!) does not mean that child has lax, lazy parents or that they are ruined for life. You could see those kids 6 months later and they could have totally different tastes, maybe healthy, maybe not. Those parents most likey identify that too and know that most kids grow out of that picky phase and it's not a big deal.

You keep bringing up the fact that as a child you couldn't leave the table until you ate. Well, what do you do with a child that will sit there for hours and won't eat? Do you force feed him? Of course not. Punishing your child by making them sit at the table for long periods of time if they don't want to eat or force feeding your child can cause long term psychological damage. If your child isn't thriving, growing or gaining weight, then you need to intervene and get professional help.

Though none of our children are medically obese, my picky eater, that tends to eat more unhealthy, fatty foods than her siblings, is our thinest child. My best, most healthy eater, that doesn't really enjoy too many sweets or fatty snacks, is a bit on the chubby side.

You just shouldn't stand in judgement of families you don't know personally.

 

[cogero]

Not sure where you are eating but almost every resturaunt I go to has the choice of salad and grilled including McDonalds and BK. My family does not frequent these places often less than once a month. We opt more for Subway and Boston Market.

When we go to dinner anywhere my dd 8 will almost always get a salad of some sort or an entre with veggies. This child ate nothing but chicken and hotdogs for 3 years. It was not worth the arguement and she has evolved and now only orders off the grown-up menu because that is what she chooses. Oh and when we go to Citifield to the ball games my daughter will only eat salads.

My DS is almost 3 and is PDD-NOS he has certain food issues but prefers grilled foods. He also does not like french fries prefers apples and oranges at least twice a day.

it is all what you choose as a parent and how to educate your children. Of course this does not work if your child has other issues you learn as a parent to adapt.

 

[walkdmc]

The kids menu is THE reason we will not do the dining plan until our kids are over 10. My 9 yo refuses to order from the menu so I let him order my entree then we split it. It's a waste and I agree, can be very unhealthy.

Next trip, we're getting the TIW card and plan on eating healthier.

 

[rentayenta]

We love Whole Foods!

Me too!






We indulge on vacation at times but we still eat healthy. I don't want the kids to equivocate fun necessarily with food and luckily my kids stop when they are full regardless of how good something tastes. Food is part of our experience but certainly not an overwhelming part. A good meal doesn't have to be 5000 calories and 75% fat. Moderation is paramount.

 

[livndisney]

Quite honestly, we spend a lot of time at Disney and have never had a problem finding fresh fruit and salads at CS. So you are "concerned" about something that really isn't a problem.

 

[pixiewings71]

Can you share meals? We share quite often when we were at DL/DCA. DD10 and I would share salads and pasta or the family will pick 1 pasta, 1 salad and 2 slices of pizza and share it. If possible share, and then maybe you can pick something healthier from the menus.

I do agree tho, we think that DLR/DCA could have better choices too.

 

[maxiesmom]

Quite honestly, we spend a lot of time at Disney and have never had a problem finding fresh fruit and salads at CS. So you are "concerned" about something that really isn't a problem.

I have to agree. It is pretty darn easy to eat healthy at WDW. Lots of places to just grab a piece of fruit for a quick snack if that is what you want, instead of another Mickey bar. Many restaurants have fish on the menu. Heck, you can even find hummus at some of the food courts.

For those people concerened with the kids menu, I believe you can get grapes and apples instead of fries at pretty much all of the counter service restaurants.

 

[michael's mom]

Looking back, I never responded to the post because I was caught up on the lazy parenting piece of this.

I have to say that in the 3 1/2 years I've been ordering food off of a children's menu, I've seen great improvement in options. Sure, chicken nuggests, fries, and hot dogs are there, but so isn't grilled chicken, fish, and the side orders are plentiful and aside from the fries, all healthy. Such as fruit, veggies, salad, etc.

So yes, those "junky" meals are on the menu and they will stay there because they are what are considered "staples" on restaurant menus. Just as the bacon cheeseburger, fried chicken sandwich, and chicken parmesan are "staples" on an adult menu. They aren't the only options available for adults and no longer are they the only options for children, but they're still there.

You don't have to allow your child to eat these foods just because they are on the menu. When she's not old enough to read you just say "You can have grilled chicken or salad for lunch which would you prefer" and when she can read, you still don't have to let her eat that food.

 

[lilybrooke14]

My kid is not a super adventurous eater, but she's not that crazy about most of the things on the average kid's menu. She'll survive for a week though. I know why the stuff is on the menu at Disney, and I appreciate that they've got a few other options in some places. If she gets sick of chicken strips, I'll share my meal with her.

If you really want to get upset about nutrition options for our children, check out the menu at your local schools. The ones here SUCK every single day. Just total crap. Many children are eating breakfast and lunch both at school and far exceeding the daily recommend amounts of sodium, fat, saturated fat, and sugar. Consider for a moment that they've done away with or seriously limited recess and PE at many schools and that even more of them sell junk food in vending machines or a la cart around the school, and it's not hard to see why American kids are fat.

You might be able to do more good channeling your energy into that than being upset by vacation fare.

 

[MaleficentandGoons]

^ My post wasn't specifically about Disney it was about Kid menus everywhere. I also expressed my concern about school lunches way back too.