I worked in a family restaurant for three years and watched kids happily chow on chicken fingers, hot dogs, pizza and french fries. I watched my nieces and nephews eat chicken fingers from a wide assortment of kids' menus. And I never thought anything of it until I had a child who started to eat table food.
Chicken fingers, hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and french fries are the staples of any kids' menu. For a while, I complained to my husband or my parents that kids could not order a grilled chicken breast and vegetables. Why fries? Why deep-fried chicken fingers? They're definitely kid-friendly, but not particularly healthy.
And for my child, none of these menu items work. She refuses breaded food. Take off the breading and it's fine. She will occasionally eat a grilled cheese -- if she's in the mood. She doesn't care for hamburger meat and our doctor recommended staying away from hot dogs and peanut butter until a later age. She also is not a fan of potatoes at this point. So no tater tots or french fries.
But she loves a plain chicken breast or a pork chop. Turkey, too. Give her some mixed vegetables, fresh fruit or some unsweetened applesauce and she's happy. What parent can complain about that? A child naturally wanting healthier foods? Hooray!
Now, I'm happier, too. I've noticed kids' menus with more options lately. Maybe it started with places like Burger King offering applesauce instead of fries, milk instead of pop. But now Eat'n Park offers grilled chicken on its kids' menu. So does Max & Erma's. Panera Bread offers a deli turkey sandwich with a side of yogurt on a new kids' menu. And last night, I let myself order something other than a chicken dish at the Olive Garden. I ordered shrimp for myself and the kid's grilled chicken for Autumn. It came with a side of spaghetti and a serving of broccoli.
I'm so happy that these options exist, even if Autumn's appetite hasn't quite caught up to the servings. And most times when we dine out, she eats from one of our plates or from the cups of fruit or Cheerios I carry with me.
Then again, her leftovers and mine from last night became lunch for Keith and I today. Maybe ordering her a dish isn't so bad after all.