Rant: Kids Menu= Horrible Diet

[Chelley00]

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.

That's how it is here. I figure they aren't going to get heart disease, get obese or whatever else from one week of eating vacation crap. However, I do tell them no fries if they get hamburgers or chicken nuggets, so that they get the fruits and veggies as a side.

 

[luvmy3]

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.

I also feel that way when we go out to local restaurants too. If we were eating like this every day then it would be a bigger issue but since we arent I don't have a problem with the junk on the kids menus, and if I did I'd have my kids order something off the adult menu. The kid's menu is an option when you go out to eat, its not a requirement.

 

[dburg30]

Meh, this country was founded on meat and taters.. The problem is that most people (myself included as I'm sitting behind a keyboard) dont 'DO' much anymore. Meat / Bread / Starch / Carbs etc etc arent really bad for you, within reason, but you cant just eat it and then go watch TV or play games. THAT'S the big problem.. Pretty sure corn dogs / french fries / hamburgers / big thick whole milk milkshakes all that 'junk' food has been around a LONG time..

 

[Magic Mom]

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

There are healthy choices almost everywhere, including school menus. It's up to you (in general) to make the choice...healthy or not healthy. I am fine with WDW and other places offering both not so healthy choices and healthy choices. Then I can make the choice for my family. We don't do chicken nuggets and corn dogs at home. So on vacation, I have no problem if DD wants to eat that junk. She understands balance and moderation (better than me).

 

[minnie4me]

you know DCL had great kid meal options this time. There were the standard pizza and mac n cheese, but this was DS's (age 7) choices...
steak (thin sirloin w/ mash potatoes and a veggie)
grilled pork chop (w/ mash potatoes and a veggie)
turkey breast (w/ mash potatoes and a veggie)
he might have had chicken nuggets one night and I forget what else (DH said he had steak twice)
he did eat the potatoes the first two nights, but then lost interest and some veggies he ate, some he didn't...
and he tried different soups as his appetizers. they had more than mashed potatoes as an option, but he is not much of a starch eater.
I would love to see more options like these elsewhere...
we had DDP at WDW and at Narcoossee's (signature meal) he had a filet mignon, we eat that at home and it was worth the 2 credits.

 

[luckylady131]

Interesting fact: you can get a MacDonald's hamburger and do better calorie/fat wise than eating several of their salad choices, let alone one of their salads with dressing!

Just because something "sounds" healthy, doesn't make it so. Sure broccoli is great for you. But not once it's drenched in butter, or covered in some afredo sauce, etc.

But the whole point of everyone's points is: you have to do what's right for your family. End of story. Judgement shouldn't be passed on the family who eats fast food 90% of the time, nor should it be passed on the family that gets all of their organic groceries from Central Market or WHole foods. Everyone's different...that's what makes all so special!

 

[PlanningNextTrip]

I think we all had the same perspective as the OP when our children were still eating food from a jar. She will figure it out when she has her child sit at a table for over an hour with a plate of chicken, rice and steamed veggies and they don't eat anything. She will learn to pick her battles like the rest of us. Perhaps she should actually look at the kids menu at a look of places now. Even at McDonalds, a kids burger with sliced apples isin't a horrible meal.

I think that most of us have good intentions, but there aren't enough hours in the day for me to make sure that my son has eaten exactly what the daily recommendation for dairy, grains, proteins and fruits and veggies is.

(that being said, my son is a pretty healthy eater, but some days all i can get him to eat is dry cereal and bananas?!?)

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I actually think lots of places (Disney included) have come a long way. My oldest was a eat everything BUT kids meal type kid, she still is, and we rarely could find good things for her to eat. She is almost 16. Now with my youngest there are always good options for her. We don't eat out often anyway, but when we do we see lots of options like never before. I think progress is being made.

Kids are funny though. All 3 of mine were raisied the smae. Still are. The rule is you have to try everything at dinner, you don't have to like it but you have to try it. My oldest, I don't think she has met a food yet she didn't like. From shark to asparagus, you name it, she likes it. (S like her dad, I am jealous!) My middle DD was all but vegitarian as a younger child. She had lead poisioning and getting her to eat what the doctor wanted to help it get out of her ssystem was all but impossible. There was one babyfood (she ws not a baby anymore) that she liked, it was organic squash, corn, chicken (I still remember) that was the only meat she would eat. So, we had to feed our young daughter babyfood but we did, and she recovered, and now she is 11 and a really great eater. Her favorite thing to eat is a veggie tray of cucumbers, red peppers, you name it. She eats very well, though not quite as adventurous as her big sister. Now my youngest used to eat anything and now while still a healthy eater, is more picky. She LOVES PB&J and eats one literally every day. She loves salads and fruits and most veggies but if she thinks something has an onion, forget it. (Though she eats them just about every meal and just doesn't know it. ) Oh, and along with PB&J she is addicted to bananas. She used to grab the whole bunch and hide and eat them all. Still does, just doesn't hide to do it. I asked the doctor if this was a problem and he said there are far worse things. Let it go.

 

[luckylady131]

I think that most of us have good intentions, but there aren't enough hours in the day for me to make sure that my son has eaten exactly what the daily recommendation for dairy, grains, proteins and fruits and veggies is.

Precisely why mine drinks the V8 fusion juice!! At least I know she got a serving!

 

[pat fan]

I also expressed my concern about school lunches way back too.

NOOOOOO!!!!!Not more school lunch bashing!!!! As a manager of an elementary cafeteria, I try so hard to make things better than they used to be, and the general public opinion REFUSES to be swayed! Not my little school's families, but in general, and I know I shouldn't take people's comments (especially on a random bulletin board) personally, but hey, when I care like I do, it does seem personal. Sorry, off soap box now

 

[badblackpug]

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

My kid pack lunch for school. They really don't even like the school lunches, except for pizza day.

At restaurants at home they are welcome to order off the adult menu. We just have the server box what they don't finish and they have it for lunch the next day.

In DW, my older daughter is 12, so she orders off the adult menu, although occasionally she will order off the kids menu. My older son is 9. He doesn't mind the kids menu, as I said before, he considers it a treat, his complaint is that the portions are too small, he has a very hearty appetite. The good new is my 2 year old can't finish a kids meal, so he "helps" her.

 

[shelby101301]

I agree - the kid menus out there are generally terrible. Last Disney trip, we chose the healthy options for our kids too, and by the end of the week, I couldn't blame them for not wanting to eat a single more grape or even a piece of pizza (ours won't touch things like mac-n-cheese. We bring them up on eating real food) Yes there are healthy options, but not really all that many choices. At CS, you have to pick the same boring meal over and over...

Yes, we certainly cheat during vacation. That means we allow desserts and sometime fries, but who wants to eat fries everyday?...yuck! We don't eat out at home much - less than once a month, and fast food is a rare treat (for them, not us)...something they get a couple of times a year only.

I won't even remotely let my first grader next year eat at his school cafeteria. They only serve pizza, burgers, hot dogs, tacos... you get the idea. He'll be taking his lunch.

This next trip, we opted to pay for Disney Dining even though TS really doesn't suit our vacation style. But almost all our seatings are at buffet types so hopefully, they will get a good choice this time. I've checked the menus online, so I feel better.

I wish more people would stand up for our children. Until then, we can only continue to refuse to buy it - I do now and we just deal with it. I can't judge other people or their choices, I can only worry about the health of my own kid. No obesity related diseases in this house if I can help it!

 

[shan136]

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.

Honestly, I think anyone who has this opinion doesn't have children, let alone a picky eater.

My daughter is, unfortunately, one of the pickiest eaters. Her issue is "texture" and the fear that anything that she will eat will be soft and mushy. It came on suddenly, one day she was downing orange slices the next she would only eat Cheerios.

As a parent, it is my responsibility alone to make sure my DD6 has healthy nutritious foods at every meal and every snack regardless of what is available and/or convenient. It doesn't matter if you have you an adventurous or picky eater, it's the parent's responsibility to make sure that nutritious food that your children will eat is available and not the local corporation, government etc.

This fall we will be at WDW on the DDP but I am still planning on packing plenty of healthy snacks and drinks that DD will actually consume. As for what is available at WDW, and even McD's etc., I feel that they have come a long way in healthy offerings. There was a time when apple slices, grapes and/or carrots were not on any menu.

At WDW one of the concessions that they haven't made is to allow guests to fill their resort mugs with milk or natural fruit juice, but these drinks are available. In a few years I hope there will be more healthy choices available, just as I think that the US food industry has made some small but significant strides away from the over-processed, HFCS heavy diet that we have become addicted to. As parents, if we make enough noise and spend our $ in a "smart" way, we can make these changes happen.

 

[Bell30012]

It's not that the food that Disney offers on the kid's menus is so unhealthy. There are healthy options. It's a total lack of variety. How many times do your kids want to choose between the same three or four options? Disney does so many things well and then there is the kid's menu.

 

[RMulieri]

Meh, this country was founded on meat and taters.. The problem is that most people (myself included as I'm sitting behind a keyboard) dont 'DO' much anymore. Meat / Bread / Starch / Carbs etc etc arent really bad for you, within reason, but you cant just eat it and then go watch TV or play games. THAT'S the big problem.. Pretty sure corn dogs / french fries / hamburgers / big thick whole milk milkshakes all that 'junk' food has been around a LONG time..

Actually there are WHOLE studies now that diets high in carbohydrates are not good at all.They cause exaggerated insulin responses ( which leads to more being stored as fat).Yes these food have been around a long time, but they are also aren't even remotely prepared like they used to be, and contain tons of fillers and chemicals,or are sprayed with them to increase revenue and profits to the big companies. So that coupled with most people fly desks 9+ hours per day, and kids don't really play outside all that much means a huge problem( no pun intended).

 

[lyonking3]

I totally agree with you

I don't do the dining plan at Disney.


Split a meal, and get an extra appetizer or salad if really hungry. Ends up being a wash or cheaper

 

[shelby101301]

It's not that the food that Disney offers on the kid's menus is so unhealthy. There are healthy options. It's a total lack of variety. How many times do your kids want to choose between the same three or four options? Disney does so many things well and then there is the kid's menu.

Exactly! I couldn't agree more!

I just want to say, for those of you whose kids have special needs, I think we all understand. I think we can all get that kind of issue....

But I have "a friend" we'll call them, who only provides cheese sandwiches, nuggets, hot dogs, fries and potato chips. I have seen this friend during regular times and holiday times, and that's all he gets. Never once fruit or veggies, but there's always room for dessert. it makes me so sad. She's not doing him any favors, but rather a great dis-service.

As are the restaurants that these menus cater too. It's a great dis-service to our children. Some of those kid meals are thousands of calories! It's too much for an adult to eat, let alone a child. Yes, it takes a lot of time and money to introduce a new food over and over again. But it's really an important issue. My whole "friend's" family is a walking advertisement for type II diabetes. They will pay for that emotionally and physically and we all will pay for it through health care costs.

Do I think it's laziness or bad parenting? Not at all. It's an education issue. Our family has been learning over the past few years that the food we ate as kids is not the same food our kids are eating today. It's more processed and our bodies are not made to eat that stuff.

The introduction of HFCS and other things happened over our life times. Chicken nuggets were not the thing they are today when we were kids. Just look at the labels. If it's not real food ingredients, don't buy it. You wouldn't feed your kids chemicals at home, right? Why do it through their food?

I do think Disney makes an effort, but over all, I think restaurants in general are terrible. Again, we choose not to eat out and instead use that money for natural food. All Hail Trader Joe's and Whole foods! LOL


Keep in mind, folks, there are easy ways to start... Buy organic catsup, all natural barbeque sauce (there is a major brand out there that uses molasses, not HFCS) and maple syrup instead of the processed garbage. Start with that. Then you can start to make other changes that your kids can gradually work into. Doesn't have to happen over night. We made the change over 2 years.

What I'm trying to say is, I'm not judging those parents out there, but rather, encouraging them to get back on the saddle and try and try again. I understand it's hard. Consider this a pat on the back and a cyber hug of support, OK?

 

[MaleficentandGoons]

It's not that the food that Disney offers on the kid's menus is so unhealthy. There are healthy options. It's a total lack of variety. How many times do your kids want to choose between the same three or four options? Disney does so many things well and then there is the kid's menu.

You are so right about that! There is no variety!

 

[okeydokey]

This is why I love the AllEars site. You can look at all the menus ahead of time so you know what you are getting.

 

[perfectparanoia]

Okay I read the whole thread and can't help but put in my two cents.

1. You are on vacation! Do you eat super healthy on vacation? I know I don't. Eating things I wouldn't normally eat is part of the break from my day to day life.

2. The reason that the kids menus are predominently nuggets and french fries is because most kids will eat them. They have to cater to the masses. (That's also why the subs are carrots and grapes. They are very sweet so most kids will eat them.)

3. The whole picky eater thing. I am afraid I am a bit of a throwback on this one. Yes, your child can have health issues (or sensory issues) that will make them basically unable to eat certain foods but let's face it that is a small percentage of children. We have had our children try everything when it came to food. It began with deciding they didn't like something they ate heartily the day before and has now moved to sitting down for supper and saying that they aren't hungry to spitting things on the table. After much trial and error, we came up with the following guidelines:

-You must try everything on your plate.
-We do not spit out food. (They get a time out while their dinner gets cold.)
-If you do not finish your 'real food' there is no dessert/bedtime snack/treat.
-We will only give you a little bit of everything to start and you can have more if you are still hungry.
-Everyone eats the same thing. That means parents, too. Peanut butter makes me gag but the kids love it so I just choke it down.

For our kids, it had nothing at all to do with food, it was all about control. (Please note that this has worked with our past toddler aged children. Anything below 5, and we have no idea what you can do since we have never had children that age.)

Now they have discovered that they like olives, love salad but still don't like asparagus, steak or fish. I just try to break up the things they don't like into seperate meals.

4. We feed our kids pretty healthily (we have one meal a week that is either fish sticks or chicken nuggets as part of our family night but otherwise). We eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies. However, most families (mine included) can't take the financial hit that eating everything with no additives would cause. Our grocery bill is easily our biggest expenditure (about 1.5 times our mortgage). That is with me shopping at the cheaper stores and only buying meat, etc when it is on sale. Another few hundred dollars will really eat into the kids college fund. And I live in an area with lots of availability of options.

Okay flame away.