Health is Over Rated - Chicken Finger Rant

[Elmo007]

I have a terribly picky DD who only will eat Chicken Fingers. That already knocked out a lot of good restaurant choices. But now looking at the Kids menus, many places now serve Grilled Chicken not Fingers. Grilled Chicken maybe healthy but not for me. I am getting an ulcer trying to find a wide variety of restaurants that have Chicken Fingers, Can you imagine not being able to go to Sci Fi Drive in or Whispering Canyon !?! Not to mention that planning the trip is taking many extra hours. Anyway back to the grind of the great chicken finger hunt

 

[debrapagliasotti]

I have a terribly picky DD who only will eat Chicken Fingers. That already knocked out a lot of good restaurant choices. But now looking at the Kids menus, many places now serve Grilled Chicken not Fingers. Grilled Chicken maybe healthy but not for me. I am getting an ulcer trying to find a wide variety of restaurants that have Chicken Fingers, Can you imagine not being able to go to Sci Fi Drive in or Whispering Canyon !?! Not to mention that planning the trip is taking many extra hours. Anyway back to the grind of the great chicken finger hunt

Ha ha, I know how you feel. I too have picky little eaters.

 

[SamJane]

We have the opposite problem! We're on QSDP, and have 2 fairly adventurous eaters. I'm going nuts finding restaurants that will give them more of a choice than just chicken fingers/burgers/pizza.

If I had any say, I think all restaurants should have 2 of the standard kid meals (burgers, chicken fingers, pizza) and at least 1 dish that is unique to the restaurant. There is no reason why a place like Tangierine Cafe shouldn't have *something* more exotic on the kid's menu!

 

[JD698]

I can sympathize with you. My twins are not the best eaters; one is much pickier than the other. One eats pancakes, waffles, pizza (but he is VERY picky about his pizza). He has just (w/in the past month) started eating pasta with sauce. He is still a bit picky about the type of pasta and the sauce - but is getting much better. He doesn't eat normal kid food like chicken fingers, mac n cheese, grilled cheese, hamburgers, hot dogs. It's so frustrating trying to plan where to make our ADRs.

 

[kirrrby]

Mara at AKL has Chicken fingers, and some really good Mac and Cheese. So do most of the Value resorts. Rainforest Cafe at AK and DTD have Dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets. Yak and Yeti has "chicken bites" (popcorn chicken). ABC commissary has them. Backlot Express. Rosies All American Cafe. Electric Umbrella, Cosmic Rays, Friars Nook.

Alot of these I know off hand because my niece went with us in 2009 and she was in the phase of "All I want is Chicken nuggets and Mac and Cheese" While we dined on regular fare at TS, we would find the nearest chicken nugget CS and bring it in with us. She was 2 at the time, so the servers understood.

Alot of the places now serve Apple Slices or fruit cups with the meals though to make them seem healthy. These are mostly CS restaurants. Hope this helps.

 

[ScoJo15]

I don't know how successful it will be...but try contacting the restaurants that you'd like to visit and see if they can accommodate the chicken fingers request! I'm sure some of them would be willing to make an exception to get your business. I've found Disney Chef's to be very accommodating.

 

[NMAmy]

Can you imagine not being able to go to Sci Fi Drive in or Whispering Canyon !?!

No, I can't imagine basing all my restaurant choices on a child's being able to order only chicken fingers. Does your dd have a severe sensory disorder or medical issue of some kind? That's the only kind of situation I could imagine catering to her whims like that. And even then, I'd probably pack in some chicken fingers from counter service and eat wherever I wanted.

 

[Stitchlover1978]

We have the same problem. A few of the restaurants that will have chicken nuggets/fingers if you ask are Whispering Canyon and Ohana dinner. Both places have done this for us everytime we visited for the past 5 trips. Also for Ohana, make sure you tell them to wait 15 minutes before starting the kids meals, otherwise they bring them out within 5 minutes of ordering.

 

[Jessieknj]

I agree with the previous poster. If you really can't get her to eat anything else get chicken fingers from counter service and just bring it with. Does she eat other things at home?

 

[goofyintoronto]

No, I can't imagine basing all my restaurant choices on a child's being able to order only chicken fingers. Does your dd have a severe sensory disorder or medical issue of some kind? That's the only kind of situation I could imagine catering to her whims like that. And even then, I'd probably pack in some chicken fingers from counter service and eat wherever I wanted.

I couldnt agree with you more. I cannot imagine catering to her whims like that either. My DS11 use to be picking when he was 4 yrs old-ish, but thankfully i'd molded him into the adventurous eater he is right now. If he doesnt like what im cooking, or whats on the menu, too bad. I will not make separate meals or special trips just because he's picky about the food thats presented to him. With (stern) encouragement over the years, he's grown to love pretty much all foods now. Heck, he just might be more adventurous than me! Lol.

Will she eat ONLY chicken fingers, and not chicken nuggets?? The kids nuggets (from what i've seen) is flatter and different than the regular nuggets for adults. The adults one is more like a giant popcorn chicken (sooooo good btw). The kids nuggets dont look very appealing to be honest, its processed meat as opposed to real chicken breast pieces for adults. Maybe if you tell her the nuggets is all they have, she will eat it?? Just explain that its the same as a chicken finger, just shaped differently. or maybe she will like the kids nuggets better? Chicken fingers is hard to come by, its not available everywhere likes nuggets are.

will she not eat anything else at all??? hot dogs? pizza? pasta?? mashed potatoes? anything?

 

[TDC Nala]

The CS don't serve anybody fingers anymore. Sometime back they all switched to nuggets. I've heard some things about children being picky about the shape of the food as much as the food itself, although I'm not sure the OP has that issue. And the kids' nuggets are different from the regular menu nuggets (most say they're worse).

 

[Candlz]

Yep - I would say grab some chicken fingers from counter service - put them in a zip-loc bag and eat wherever you want.

Maybe she will try a nibble or 2 off your plate. The cost will be lower for you and you won't have to battle with her over food.

I was a picky eater as a child (I still apologize to my parents) I would starve rather than eat certain things. Don't let the battle taint your memories - she will outgrow it. Take pictures of her munching on chicken fingers while you enjoy your yummy meals - when she is an adult having the same struggle with her daughter - you can pull out the pictures and remind her to choose her battles...

Have fun!

 

[TDC Nala]

some restaurants won't let you bring outside food in. If you're going to a buffet or all you can eat family style you'll be charged for the child whether she eats the buffet food or not.

 

[katie111]

Totally agree with the OP. Why can't Disney just have normal kids menus like any Chili's, 99 Restaurant, Olive Garden etc? They should have these items standard on any menu:

KRAFT mac & chesse (my kids hate what they serve at Disney)
decent pizza (most of the kids pizzas are gross)
chicken fingers
grilled cheese
spaghetti & meatballs
hot dogs & hamburgers

Each restaurant could then add a signature item or 2 that goes with the type of cuisine that they serve.

I have 2 picky kids (including one on a feeding tube who can eat a very limited number of foods) and one more adventurous eater. I don't think I'm "catering to their whims", some kids are just pickier than others and some have medical conditions that don't allow them to eat everything. Its really difficult to find restaurants where they can all find something to eat.

 

[goofyintoronto]

TDC Nala is correct.....if you look at the menu's on the QS/CS at MK for example (Columbia harbor house, pecos bills, cosmic rays), not one of them have chicken fingers available. Not a single place serves it. They do have the chicken nuggets thou.

And its true that a lot of restaurants wont let you bring in outside food. If your at a buffet or all you can eat, sorry to say but they will charge you no matter how little she eats.

Maybe you could get her use to the idea of nuggets while your at home? introduce it little by little so by the time you get to disney she'll be ok with it?

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Call any of the restaurants you're considering and make the chicken finger request. I've done it many times at WDW and was always accommodated. My first child will eat anything that doesn't eat him first and always has, my second was picky and my 3rd is picky to the extreme (sensory issues). Being away from home and off schedule is stressful for some kids, and having familiar food is a comfort. Make the requests for your daughter and at the same time, maybe offer tastes from your plate? She may throw caution to the wind and live vicariously at WDW.

 

[NMAmy]

And its true that a lot of restaurants wont let you bring in outside food. If your at a buffet or all you can eat, sorry to say but they will charge you no matter how little she eats.

Two of the restaurants the OP talked about were Whispering Canyon and Sci Fi--neither of which is a buffet. Thus my suggestion about bringing food from the CS.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Two of the restaurants the OP talked about were Whispering Canyon and Sci Fi--neither of which is a buffet. Thus my suggestion about bringing food from the CS.

Thank you but i realize neither are a buffet. I've dined there, so I know. I simply provided that information in case she was considering going to a buffet. Its best to be prepared before hand....some surprises arent good ones. Lol.

 

[DaisyMaisie]

This issue comes up so often that I can no longer resist asking how this happens (so I can avoid it with my own future children).

Are chicken fingers the first solid foods these children ever eat, or did they eat a variety of food before they taste chicken fingers and then they refuse to eat anything else than the wonderous chicken?

Maybe chicken fingers should be a food to avoid for toddlers like peanuts?

Michelle

 

[Sgt Tibbs]

My son was a very picky eater growing up, not so much now. We always went on vacation with the idea that if he’s hungry he’ll eat and that we will find something for him.

That said, my father and sister were VERY picky eaters and my mother always cooked different items for all of us. My DW’s mother was of the “eat what I cooked or don’t eat” school of thought. So my DW and I always disagreed on how to feed our picky eater.

My DW would always get angry at me for cooking something different for him, until the night I put a dish of tripe in front of her. After she blanched I took it away and put a dish of pasta in its place, but I made my point.

Now my son is a teen and I still sometimes cook differently for him, when my DW says you shouldn’t cook different things my DS responds by saying “well you know I’m going to put you in a different “rest home” than dad.”