Rant: Kids Menu= Horrible Diet
 

When did the Kids Menu become such a let down. It's all High carb/bad food! Everything seems to be glorified Pizza and chicken fingers mainly. UGH! This frustrates me I understand people have "picky" eaters but what about those who aren't? Kids who want to try items on the adult menu but just need a smaller portion. When did the kids menu become the crap fried food menu? :mad:

Seems like ever since McD's glorified the chicken nugget, all kids' menus look very, very similar. I'd be curious if anyone remembers what Disney kids' meals looked like when MK first opened. (A quick wiki search suggests MK predated the McD chicken nugget by around 10 years.) I'm guessing hamburgers?

Anyone have that intel?

I don't know, but I agree with you.I understand picky eaters, but it drives me nuts.My nieces wouldn't eat a vegetable if it was deep fried in chocolate sauce, and up until recently one of them didn't know that there was more to life than a chicken tender.I try hard to get my daughter to eat good foods, healthy carbs and it is a struggle

The last time we went our one son and our daughter were in the "child" category and ended up having chicken fingers for lunch most of the days.:sad2: This trip, it is only our daughter who still is in the child category but since we will have 4 "adults" we will probably split some stuff with her because I don't think she will be happy with just chicken fingers and burgers again. We also planned our suppers so that we are usually at buffets where she can eat anything she wants.

50's prime-Time kids menu (I left off the nugget/dog/etc...options)
Grilled Fish of the Day - served with whole-grain pilaf, veggies, and yogurt parfait $8.50
Kids' Picks
Choice of 1 Appetizer, 1 entree and 1 dessert - $8.50
Appetizer:
Chicken Noodle Soup OR Garden Salad
Meatloaf
Fruit Salad

Mama Melrose
Grilled Fish of the Day served with whole-grain pilaf, veggies and yogurt parfait $7.59
Kids' Picks
Choice of 1 appetizer, 1 entree and 1 dessert - $7.59
Garden Salad
Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
Cheese Pizza
Pepperoni Pizza
Spaghetti or Penne Pasta - topped with tomato sauce, meat sauce or cheese sauce
Fruit Salad

Sci-Fi
Kids' Complete Meals
Cheese Pizza - served with veggies and sliced apples $8.99
Meaty Macaroni - ground turkey with marinara sauce, topped with mozzarella served with veggies and fruit salad $8.99
Kids' Picks
Choice of 1 Appetizer, 1 entree and 1 dessert - $8.99
Appetizer
Tomato Soup OR Garden Salad
Entrees (not great offerings)
Macaroni & Cheese OR Hot Dog OR Cheeseburger
Fruit Salad

Flame Tree B-B-Q
For Guests Ages 3-9
All meals include choice of 2 sides: grapes, carrot sticks, applesauce or fruit punch gelatin
Choice of: 1% milk, Small Bottled Water or Apple Juice
Baked Chicken Drumstick $4.99

Yak & Yeti
$7.49 for Ages 9 and Under
Add a Kid-sized portion of milk or apple juice in a souvenier cup.
All items served with choice of carrot sticks, applesauce cup, fruit punch gelatin or chicken fried rice.
Mini Burger
Vegetable Lo Mein
Chicken Bites
Egg Roll

Nine Dragon's
All Meals Include choice of 1% milk, water, or juice
Appetizer
Pot Stickers - classic sauteed pork and vegetable dumplings $3.68
Vegetable Spring Rolls $4.68
Entrees
Sweet and Sour Chicken - with Sesame Bread $7.68
Lo Mein and Meatballs - beef meatballs and savory noodles $7.68
Deluxe Entree
Lo Mein, Sweet & Sour Chicken and Meatballs - served with Carrots $9.98
Desserts
Ice Cream - Strawberry Red Bean or Caramel Ginger $3.98

Yakitori House
Kids' Pick
Teriyaki Chicken with mixed vegetables, steamed rice and a child size soft drink $6.89

Liberty Tree Tavern
Kids' Picks
Choice of 1 Appetizer, 1 entree and 1 dessert - $7.59
Appetizer
Garden Salad OR Chicken Noodle Soup
Entrees
Sliced Turkey OR Macaroni and Cheese
Desserts
Fruit Cup OR Ice-Cream Sundae

Tony's Town Square
Appetizer
Carrot and Celery Sticks - with Ranch Dressing OR Garden Salad
Entrees
Cheeseburger Calzone OR Spaghetti and Meatballs OR Multigrain Pasta Primavera OR Mickey-shaped Cheese Ravioli - with an Alfredo Sauce and topped with Crispy Pepperoni
Also available off the menu:
Chicken Nuggets
Soft Drinks Available Upon Request
Desserts
Fruit Cup OR Ice-Cream Sundae

Not defending WDW, but there are options out there for kids that are not nuggets & hot dogs, sometimes you just need to look for them.
BTW, I've had the kids picks fish meal at 50's Prime Time and it's very good! The adult portion was just too big for me and the kids was just right. :)

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.

We often skip kid's meals altogether. We just order 2 adult meals and give ds food from our plates. The portions of most adult meals are so huge at restaurants these days that we can easily make a healthy portion for him without going hungry ourselves. If you need more food, you can add one app to that.

(This might not work with TS on the dining plan, but speaking in general...)

We have never gotten the DDP, but we typically get 4 adult meals and my 6 year old just eats off of our meals. He isn't a chicken nugget or mac and cheese kid at all.....and will go for grilled veggies and chicken any day.

Dawn

I totally agree with you -- that's why we don't get the dining plan at Disney. Our son and I will split a meal, and I'll get an extra appetizer or salad if I'm really hungry. Ends up being a wash or cheaper -- especially because we don't eat dessert at every meal.

We do the same if we go out at home.

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.

At normal restaurants, DD (7) almost always orders of the adult menu. The only exception is an occasional cheeseburger. Some of the menus at the places we will be eating at on the DDP look great - and others look like we'll be sharing our meals with her or paying out of pocket for an adult meal.

Okay, well, now I'm hungry. :goodvibes

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.

Good question.

If you're willing to do TS meals rather than all QS, there are most certainly some great options for kids in a LOT of places...we have been thrilled with the choices for our kids for dinners. Obviously the buffets allow for endless possibilities, but there are some great grilled fish, chicken and beef items on nearly every menu, and almost everywhere allows for fresh fruit as a side or desert. Tepan Edo has been my kids favorite since they were 23 months old. I think QS meals in general are bad for our diets (adults or kids) Disney does a better job at making it more enjoyable for the adults that's for sure...but many are still loaded with fats and carbs... But they can be yummy! We try to limit our QS style eating to once a day, and pack healthy snacks/add ons to help round out the meal. (grapes, carrots, cucumber slices, cheese strings etc.) then we opt for a sit down meal For dinner where I know the kids can get the proper fuel to have them ready and healthy to hit the parks the following day!

My bet is that the main reason they don't do mini adult versions of meals is that adults would then order them, cutting into their profit.