What do your children prefer?

[dvcdisney]

I just posted a reply in another thread but I thought I would take the topic to a new Thread.

Since my son was 6, he has preferred his steak "rare" and even before that he refused to eat conventional children's type food such as chicken fingers, fries, hot dogs etc. He enjoys sushi (raw - not california rolls) and prefers adult menu items.

When he was 7, we decided that to purchase the adult DDP for him. (We are DVC members so, we didn't have to change purchase tickets with the package or anything like that so it wasn't complicated to purchase the adult DDP for him.)

I'm just wondering if there are children out there that have similar tastes and palate as my son.

The poll is basic - Do your children prefer/only eat food that is considered conventional children type food - ie chicken fingers, hot dogs, hamburgers, fries etc. Or do they prefer foods that are more in line with adult type foods? Or something in between?

It's just a fun poll and I'm just curious.

 

[Cherinva]

I voted for both....it depends on what's offered.

 

[PoohsFan1]

I have 2 DDs and they both have very different taste buds. My older DD loves steak and will get it anytime she sees it on the kids menu, but then other times she just wants to go with her usual cheeseburger....she is a cheeseburger junkie and will eat them 3 times a day if I let her As for my youngest DD she is more of the conventional kids food eater. She loves pizza and anything with a marinara sauce so she tends to go to that, but sometimes she will go to her other favorite food which are hot dogs or chicken strips. She is not big into the kids chicken nuggets at Disney and to tell you the truth I wouldn't be either

 

[GrumpyBelle]

I don't have very adventurous eaters. My children (and sometimes even DH) prefer what is on the children's menu.

 

[smiths02]

Not judging, but my son is almost 5, and I would never give him the option to eat rare steak or raw sushi ...I have watched too many episodes of "Monsters Inside Me"

If I give him his choice of restaurants, he will say McDs every time-it kills me! BUT if I specify that I want a sit down restaurant, he will choose choose a local place where he can get grilled salmon.

 

[eddiemcgarrigle]

I always try to book restuarants that offer something for my son that is not restricted to burgers and hot dogs, especially when you consider the different food options available to adults in Epcot.

 

[MSLRAC]

From the time my kids started table foods, they ate what we ate so they prefer adult foods...steak, fish, chicken not in nugget form, shell fish, sushi, spinach salad, various pasta dishes, fresh steamed veggies not covered in cheese sauce, different cheeses, etc. Even with pizza, they prefer our local pizza restaurants that use fresh herbs, veggies and mozzarella. Yes, they will eat burgers, hot dogs and nuggets if the mood strikes them but that is very rare.

 

[mickey916]

From the time my kids started table foods, they ate what we ate so they prefer adult foods...steak, fish, chicken not in nugget form, shell fish, sushi, spinach salad, various pasta dishes, fresh steamed veggies not covered in cheese sauce, different cheeses, etc. Even with pizza, they prefer our local pizza restaurants that use fresh herbs, veggies and mozzarella. Yes, they will eat burgers, hot dogs and nuggets if the mood strikes them but that is very rare.

Same here. Both of my boys are very adventurous eaters. When we went in 2006 by oldest was still 9 so was a child on the DDP - his biggest concern was that he'd be stuck with hot dogs and chicken nuggets the whole week. We were very selective where we ate (lots of buffets) so he didn't "suffer" too much! He did have one chicken nugget meal but that came in a pail with a shovel so it made up for it! When we went again in 2010 both boys were "adults" and we didn't do a dining plan anyhow...they had quite the time picking their food at each restaurant (and never once picked nuggets, except as an add on to the Garden Grill meal)...

 

[MSLRAC]

Same here. Both of my boys are very adventurous eaters. When we went in 2006 by oldest was still 9 so was a child on the DDP - his biggest concern was that he'd be stuck with hot dogs and chicken nuggets the whole week. We were very selective where we ate (lots of buffets) so he didn't "suffer" too much! He did have one chicken nugget meal but that came in a pail with a shovel so it made up for it! When we went again in 2010 both boys were "adults" and we didn't do a dining plan anyhow...they had quite the time picking their food at each restaurant (and never once picked nuggets, except as an add on to the Garden Grill meal)...

That is part of the reason we went with the DxDP and did all TS meals. I spent a lot of time planning our meals but DS ate one hot dog at Le Cellier and DD6 ate one burger at The Wave all week. They were both very happy with the food and have already made their requests for next trip.

 

[dvcdisney]

Not judging, but my son is almost 5, and I would never give him the option to eat rare steak or raw sushi ...I have watched too many episodes of "Monsters Inside Me"

If I give him his choice of restaurants, he will say McDs every time-it kills me! BUT if I specify that I want a sit down restaurant, he will choose choose a local place where he can get grilled salmon.

I hear ya....and that's usually why we get some looks when he orders his steak rare. As for the raw sushi, he only started eating that when he was 9, before that he ate california rolls like I do. I know, raw is raw, but for some reason, I was more afraid that he would get sick from raw fish. My husband has been eating steak "blue" since I met him so I'm used to idea that steak can be eaten rare and to be honest, I was fine with the idea of rare steak.

As for McD, my family doesn't like fast food, but most of us will eat it occasionally. My son REFUSES to eat there and at the age of 5, he cried most of the time if we even entered the parking lot and if we went in, he would refuse eat anything. Most of the time we order a muffin and milk for him. I do think it has a lot to do with the fact that we don't feed him that type of food and we try not to eat any fast food items. He essentially grew up eating at TS restaurants and when at home, he prefers a filet mignon with a red wine reductions sauce with sun-dried tomato potato flan or poached or grilled salmon with honey mustard and dill sauce, seasoned grilled asparagus and rice.....yes...we do have challenging dinner times. Sometimes, I would just like to serve pizza and wings for a quick dinner, but he considers that snack foods. I've heard of families having trouble getting their children to eat anything but mac and cheese for dinner, but we have the opposite problem and I think it's just as challenging. Yes, he eats well and he eats healthy, but sometimes a hamburger for a quick lunch might be nice.

I will admit that we encourage this because neither my husband and I are fans of fast food but sometimes it's necessary and on occasion we should be able to eat pizza for dinner. I remembered one time we went to Sci fi diner and he said that he didn't feel like anything on the menu and was mortified that they would offer hamburger for dinner. I think we created a monster!

I will admit that recently, he has been fine and without complaints about eating pizza for lunch - just not dinner.

I guess that's why I set up this poll....I was wondering if other families have the same situation.

 

[dvcdisney]

From the time my kids started table foods, they ate what we ate so they prefer adult foods...steak, fish, chicken not in nugget form, shell fish, sushi, spinach salad, various pasta dishes, fresh steamed veggies not covered in cheese sauce, different cheeses, etc. Even with pizza, they prefer our local pizza restaurants that use fresh herbs, veggies and mozzarella. Yes, they will eat burgers, hot dogs and nuggets if the mood strikes them but that is very rare.

That was our policy also, they eat what we eat. However, with our first child (son) we rarely ate fast food items so that he can get used to eating healthier. My daughter is a little different, she will eat all the food that we present to her but she has no problem eating pizza or chicken fingers for dinner.

 

[smiths02]

I hear ya....and that's usually why we get some looks when he orders his steak rare. As for the raw sushi, he only started eating that when he was 9, before that he ate california rolls like I do. I know, raw is raw, but for some reason, I was more afraid that he would get sick from raw fish. My husband has been eating steak "blue" since I met him so I'm used to idea that steak can be eaten rare and to be honest, I was fine with the idea of rare steak.

As for McD, my family doesn't like fast food, but most of us will eat it occasionally. My son REFUSES to eat there and at the age of 5, he cried most of the time if we even entered the parking lot and if we went in, he would refuse eat anything. Most of the time we order a muffin and milk for him. I do think it has a lot to do with the fact that we don't feed him that type of food and we try not to eat any fast food items. He essentially grew up eating at TS restaurants and when at home, he prefers a filet mignon with a red wine reductions sauce with sun-dried tomato potato flan or poached or grilled salmon with honey mustard and dill sauce, seasoned grilled asparagus and rice.....yes...we do have challenging dinner times. Sometimes, I would just like to serve pizza and wings for a quick dinner, but he considers that snack foods. I've heard of families having trouble getting their children to eat anything but mac and cheese for dinner, but we have the opposite problem and I think it's just as challenging. Yes, he eats well and he eats healthy, but sometimes a hamburger for a quick lunch might be nice.

I will admit that we encourage this because neither my husband and I are fans of fast food but sometimes it's necessary and on occasion we should be able to eat pizza for dinner. I remembered one time we went to Sci fi diner and he said that he didn't feel like anything on the menu and was mortified that they would offer hamburger for dinner. I think we created a monster!

I will admit that recently, he has been fine and without complaints about eating pizza for lunch - just not dinner.

I guess that's why I set up this poll....I was wondering if other families have the same situation.

I am glad we have a nice mixture...
I think it is b/c DH still prefers pizza, hamburger, chicken tenders, bbq, southern food, and fries...I will eat anything.


We do fast food about once a week, but I could really do without McDs. We compromised and did Chick-Fil-A last week and Wendy's the week before.

 

[MSLRAC]

I hear ya....and that's usually why we get some looks when he orders his steak rare. As for the raw sushi, he only started eating that when he was 9, before that he ate california rolls like I do. I know, raw is raw, but for some reason, I was more afraid that he would get sick from raw fish. My husband has been eating steak "blue" since I met him so I'm used to idea that steak can be eaten rare and to be honest, I was fine with the idea of rare steak.

As for McD, my family doesn't like fast food, but most of us will eat it occasionally. My son REFUSES to eat there and at the age of 5, he cried most of the time if we even entered the parking lot and if we went in, he would refuse eat anything. Most of the time we order a muffin and milk for him. I do think it has a lot to do with the fact that we don't feed him that type of food and we try not to eat any fast food items. He essentially grew up eating at TS restaurants and when at home, he prefers a filet mignon with a red wine reductions sauce with sun-dried tomato potato flan or poached or grilled salmon with honey mustard and dill sauce, seasoned grilled asparagus and rice.....yes...we do have challenging dinner times. Sometimes, I would just like to serve pizza and wings for a quick dinner, but he considers that snack foods. I've heard of families having trouble getting their children to eat anything but mac and cheese for dinner, but we have the opposite problem and I think it's just as challenging. Yes, he eats well and he eats healthy, but sometimes a hamburger for a quick lunch might be nice.

I will admit that we encourage this because neither my husband and I are fans of fast food but sometimes it's necessary and on occasion we should be able to eat pizza for dinner. I remembered one time we went to Sci fi diner and he said that he didn't feel like anything on the menu and was mortified that they would offer hamburger for dinner. I think we created a monster!

I will admit that recently, he has been fine and without complaints about eating pizza for lunch - just not dinner.

I guess that's why I set up this poll....I was wondering if other families have the same situation.

Oh my goodness, I can imagine that you do have a challenging meal time with him. But it sounds like you might have a little chef or food critic on your hands.

 

[vinotinto]

I also voted for both -- My DS6 loves some kid foods - pizza, hot dogs, and quesadillas. He generally dislikes burgers, chicken nuggets and absolutely hates mac n cheese or any veggie covered in cheese sauce. :yuck:

He loves most adult foods - adores sushi, steaks, lamb, hummus, grilled shrimp, beans, guacamole, rice, artisanal cheese plates (including blue cheese), smoked salmon, avocado, etc. He generally dislikes 'messy' adult foods, like stews and stir fries (he prefers for different meal components to be separate). He does eat salads and veggies, but is usually not his favorite thing on the plate.

My DD3 generally eats everything - kid and adult food alike - but she's got a tiny appetite. Meaning, whatever she eats, she'll only eat a few bites. She likes veggies and salads more than her brother and will usually eat that first. She's been known to take one bite from dinner and be done.

 

[ccgirl]

I always say her future husband is in trouble. My DD is 8. When asked what her favorite food is she will tell you lobster. She also really likes "soft steak" otherwise known as filet mignon.

She loves watching the cooking channel too. The other day she was eating something my DH cooked and she said, "wow, these flavors really pop!"

 

[dvcdisney]

Oh my goodness, I can imagine that you do have a challenging meal time with him. But it sounds like you might have a little chef or food critic on your hands.

We have thought about that. If his homework is done by the time we are preparing dinner, he would ask to help. He is very useful in the kitchen. Also, he's 11 and he's smart enough to know that eventually, he will have to start making dinner if he chooses to eat like royalty. Now that he helps, I can already tell that there is a potential for him to become a chef. He often suggests some things to enhance the flavours and most of the time, we try it. He knows more different types of spices (actually, it's from my husband - he loves to cook --- me, not so much ) than I do.

As for the food critic...he's already there....but I think we tend to do that as a family especially if we try a new restaurant. He is now, usually the first one to comment on a dish and what he thinks is lacking.

It's a blessing and a curse really!

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

DD will almost always pick real food given the choice. Her one dining request for our next trip is that she wants to return to Les Chefs de France to order the escargot appetizer, and her favorite foods include raw oysters, sushi, and crawfish.

 

[Figment1990]

This is a really cool and interesting topic.

My DS3's favorite meal is Chicken Piccata (or "lemon chicken" as we sometimes call it). He even eats the capers. He also loves vegetables to the point that we have to keep them off the table until he has eaten a sufficient amount of everything else.

But he will also eat mac & cheese, cheeseburgers and pizza (our whole family's weakness) and my grandparents take him to McD's on occasion and since they are 95, I'm not going to argue too much about what makes them happy.

We've never given him sushi (mostly b/c I'm not a sushi person), but he does usually like "adult" food. Most of the credit goes to my mom, who fed him 4 times a week when he started table food and introduced him to lots of vegetables (she loves veggies, and as a diabetic, she is very aware of balanced diets, etc). I also try very hard to only make one meal for all of us at home.

So generally, I find it difficult to feed him in WDW. I am not one of the people who dislike WDW's food offerings. Instead, I LOVE them - for adults, particularly the signature restaurants. But often the kid's menu "veggies" are salads or carrots and celery. Not always, but often. DS had a lot of applesauce and grapes on our last trip, and I had to keep telling myself that lots of fruits instead of veggies were okay for the week. I know it's a convenience thing, but at the table service places, it would be great if they could put some WARM veggies with the kids meals. Like cooked carrots, green beans, corn... they DID have green beans on the kids menu at San Angel Inn. Along with rice, another rare item on a kid's menu. Fortunately, we don't usually do the dining plan, which I imagine would just totally stress me out further about planning meals.

One of the biggest issues I had was that DS is not a peanut butter and jelly kid. He likes regular turkey and cheese type sandwiches, soups, grilled cheese, scrambled eggs, etc for lunch. We FINALLY found a turkey sandwich at the ABC commissary one day when we happened to be in DHS for lunch. I usually do not like ABC commisary, but I was so happy that day! They also have them at Peco's Bill in the MK, as I had a kids sandwich myself there! (DS really wanted a hamburger that time). So there are some options out there but they SURE make it hard on parents to find them (or it's a buffet and come on, parenting in WDW is exhausting enough, sometimes mealtime is the only break I get I don't want to be jumping up and down to the buffet three times for everyone!)

 

[JollieMom]

So glad others have kids like mine! One of the reasons I got the DxDP was due to the fact that my kids would likely be eating off of my plate and the quick service places are very limited. My oldest daughter loves spicy food - really spicy food. My youngest, at 5, is not thrilled with spicy hot food but is adventurous. We love to eat Thai, Chinese (as close to authentic as possible), Indian, Japanese, Mexican, etc.. I got us ADRs at several buffets so my girls could eat "adult" food and then scoured menus to find those that had options beyond cheese pizza and chicken nuggets. Unfortunately, they hate raw veggies so it looks like their appetizer choices are going to be fruit or soup every time. I'm going to have to learn to share my food, I guess.

 

[koolaidmoms]

I love this. I too have two fairly adventurous eaters. DD (10) more so that DS (7) but he has some sensory issues and hates mushy food - always has since he was a baby.

DD is so thrilled to be on the "adult" plan this time most of the last trips were spent with them getting a kids meal (we chose our ADRs very carefully so it was not just chicken nuggets and pizza) and then sharing our meals.

Some of their favorites last trip were the lamb in Morocco, the bobotie at TH, the mussels and peel and eat shrimp at CP and crab legs at Cape May.

Glad to see others have other kids like mine.