What do your kids eat?

[21stamps]

That menu would not have worked with my picky eater kid.

On that entire list there are exactly 4 things that she might have eaten.

I can see that for a number of people. It just sparked my curiosity, especially because hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and grilled chicken are typical foods served in the home..It made me wonder if people do prepare separate meals. No judgement, just curiosity.

 

[Master Yoda]

I can see that for a number of people. It just sparked my curiosity, especially because hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and grilled chicken are typical foods served in the home..It made me wonder if people do prepare separate meals. No judgement, just curiosity.

No worries.

The one consistent thing I have found is kids as a rule tend to lean toward the bland. Not all kids, but it is a safe assumption.

Plain grilled chicken or mac n cheese is fine, but the second you add a spice, sauce or something extra and the noses begin to turn up.

I have read a number of studies that show our sense of taste looses sensitivity as we age just like our eyesight and hearing do. If that is in fact correct, what you or I might perceive as a nice flavor can be overwhelming to 6 year old, hence the lean toward the bland spectrum.

The other factor seems to be a simple need for consistency that many of us have. A hamburger is suppose to taste like X and anything different, even if I like it, is wrong. Many of the adults I know whose kids meal taste continued into adulthood have a near compulsive level of maintaining the status quo. Again, not all of them, but it is a trend I see.

 

[Sans Souci]

Honestly, my son wouldn't touch most of the items on that menu. My husband and I both enjoy different cuisines from different countries. I cook all sorts cuisines at home as well. When my son was a toddler, we lived in walking distance of quite a few ethnic restaurants. To fend off cabin fever, I would bundle him up and put him in his stroller and go to one of the restaurants for lunch and he would eat off my plate. He loved Thai and Indian food, especially. Then, I had to put him in day care and that was the beginning of the end. He stopped eating the korma I would share with him and wanted mac 'n' cheese or chicken nuggets--all the things he was eating in day care. He loved all sorts of fruit and loves milk/cheese, so I did feel less guilty about letting him have those things. He was always in the top percentile for height and a little below average for weight.

I did cook separately for him, only because the things he wanted were so simple and I could make healthier versions. I also don't know too many American four year olds who would eat vindaloo. But he is 14 now and cooks for himself. I tell him what we're having for dinner and he decides if he's going to eat what I am cooking or if he's fending for himself. It is simple things like shrimp stir fries, but he's getting there.

As far as palates go, he and I are opposites, sometimes I can't believe he's mine

 

[21stamps]

Honestly, my son wouldn't touch most of the items on that menu. My husband and I both enjoy different cuisines from different countries. I cook all sorts cuisines at home as well. When my son was a toddler, we lived in walking distance of quite a few ethnic restaurants. To fend off cabin fever, I would bundle him up and put him in his stroller and go to one of the restaurants for lunch and he would eat off my plate. He loved Thai and Indian food, especially. Then, I had to put him in day care and that was the beginning of the end. He stopped eating the korma I would share with him and wanted mac 'n' cheese or chicken nuggets--all the things he was eating in day care. He loved all sorts of fruit and loves milk/cheese, so I did feel less guilty about letting him have those things. He was always in the top percentile for height and a little below average for weight.

I did cook separately for him, only because the things he wanted were so simple and I could make healthier versions. I also don't know too many American four year olds who would eat vindaloo. But he is 14 now and cooks for himself. I tell him what we're having for dinner and he decides if he's going to eat what I am cooking or if he's fending for himself. It is simple things like shrimp stir fries, but he's getting there.

As far as palates go, he and I are opposites, sometimes I can't believe he's mine

I feel the same with my son on some things. He could eat salmon all day long. I can't even swallow one bite.
He is also above average for height, and a little below for weight. I think that's mostly genetics though, poor kid is so skinny and I swear that he eats! His football uniform weighs more than him I think.

 

[JohnD]

Saw this on Facebook the other day.

 

[21stamps]

Saw this on Facebook the other day.

That is awesome!!

 

[MickeyMomV]

.

Trust me, I'm not saying that I never order junk food for my kid. Here is fish sticks and fries..I had a salad. But at something like a seafood restaurant I do order off the adult menu for him. Apps and meal. View attachment 165653View attachment 165654

I like the double straws... My DH may have to try the double straw idea with his GG slush in the France pavilion.

And what's up with the grumpy lady in the background?

 

[MickeyMomV]

But at the same time, now we have funnel cake sundaes and grilled cheese donuts in existence.. So who knows..

Oh my goodness!!! Tom+Chee!! They are so delicious but so bad! We try to limit ourselves to going once every 6 months or so because we figure it takes that long to burn it all off.

 

[21stamps]

.

I like the double straws... My DH may have to try the double straw idea with his GG slush in the France pavilion.

And what's up with the grumpy lady in the background?

My kid is a bit of a weirdo, he likes to order a Perrier (or a milkshake when possible) when I have an adult beverage. This in itself is not strange, but he orders a regular water with it, which I think is a little weird. That photo was the first time he decided to drink both at the same time.lol

The lady looks unusually grumpy while at a delicious seafood restaurant on the water! Maybe she didn't want to be in my photo..

 

[21stamps]

Oh my goodness!!! Tom+Chee!! They are so delicious but so bad! We try to limit ourselves to going once every 6 months or so because we figure it takes that long to burn it all off.

Me too! We rarely ever go, but sometimes I just don't have the willpower to keep passing by.. What's worse is that there is a Coldstone Creamery right NEXT DOOR to it!!! Which means we usually go there for desert... It probably takes 12 months to work off the damage between the 2.

 

[Phonedave]

You would love my wife. She could probably prove the adage "You can't make chicken salad from chicken $h!t" wrong." The woman can take a fridge full of nothing and turn it into a 7 course banquet.

I am the same - well maybe not a 7 course banquet, but pretty close. My wife, not so much. She can cook, but she needs to have a set plan. She needs to know ahead of time what she is going ot make for dinner and then have those ingredients on hand. Me, I just wing it.

 

[Master Yoda]

I am the same - well maybe not a 7 course banquet, but pretty close. My wife, not so much. She can cook, but she needs to have a set plan. She needs to know ahead of time what she is going ot make for dinner and then have those ingredients on hand. Me, I just wing it.

I cook just well enough that I won't starve.

 

[Phonedave]

No worries.

The one consistent thing I have found is kids as a rule tend to lean toward the bland. Not all kids, but it is a safe assumption.

Plain grilled chicken or mac n cheese is fine, but the second you add a spice, sauce or something extra and the noses begin to turn up.

I have read a number of studies that show our sense of taste looses sensitivity as we age just like our eyesight and hearing do. If that is in fact correct, what you or I might perceive as a nice flavor can be overwhelming to 6 year old, hence the lean toward the bland spectrum.

The other factor seems to be a simple need for consistency that many of us have. A hamburger is suppose to taste like X and anything different, even if I like it, is wrong. Many of the adults I know whose kids meal taste continued into adulthood have a near compulsive level of maintaining the status quo. Again, not all of them, but it is a trend I see.

That is pretty much what I thought when I saw that menu. Me, I would eat "fire chicken" or whatever they called it, but many kid (and many adults too) would not, because of the word fire. Other people just will not like different things, even if they really do like it. We have a running joke with my father in law. He loves my flank steak. He says it's one of the best steaks he has ever had. However, we will not tell him what is in the marinade, because if he knew he would not eat it. We say this right in front of him, and he agrees, so he continues to love the steak because he has not idea what goes into it.

For the record, it is the Garden Grills flank steak recipie - but with double the liquid smoke they call for.


-dave

 

[21stamps]

I cook just well enough that I won't starve.

If your wife ever wants to take a vacation in the Midwest, and enjoys cooking, can you please send her my address?

I actually do like to cook, I just rarely can find the time during the week. Whole Foods and Fresh Market save me!!!!!!! I'm a Master at sticking a vegetable in the steamer, and preheating the oven and putting something (that someone else has already seasoned) inside of it

 

[Master Yoda]

If your wife ever wants to take a vacation in the Midwest, and enjoys cooking, can you please send her my address?

I actually do like to cook, I just rarely can find the time during the week. Whole Foods and Fresh Market save me!!!!!!! I'm a Master at sticking a vegetable in the steamer, and preheating the oven and putting something (that someone else has already seasoned) inside of it

I don't really care for cooking. I will do stuff on the grill or smoker, but past that, I am all thumbs.

If anything happens to my wife, I would highly recommend a large stock purchase in Papa John's.

 

[carriebeth]

my children get very frustrated with kids menus that are constantly chicken nuggets, corn dogs, cheeseburgers etc. They will always choose the choices like ribs, steak, salmon, chicken Parmesan etc (basically mini adult meals).

I think Disney does a decent job at table services offering at least a couple things per location that are non traditional kids meal items. Some locations better than others but we have been pretty happy overall. The counter service options are pretty poor.

Where I do wish Disney would improve is in the children's dessert options. Adult choices will be cheesecakes and tiramisu and cream puffs etc and kids are pretty much always yogurt, ice cream or cookie, or fruit. This is vacation and my children will be choosing the dessert like option and they are always disappointed to have a simple ice cream as the only option over and over. They would totally prefer a 1/2 size portion of the adult options.

 

[EvilQueen-T]

The comment I had read that sparked this thread was about this menu. For universal's mini golf and dining package. The person had expressed unhappiness at the menu, and said it was pretty much unreasonable for a kid to be expected to choose from that..because it doesn't contain anything that their kid, or any normal kid, would eat. If I remember correctly they were talking about a 10 or 11 year old. Someone suggested a cheeseburger or chicken, and the response was, No, their child wouldn't eat either and there should be chicken fingers or Mac and cheese.

View attachment 165808View attachment 165809

aaaahh I get it. It's why I usually suggest people get online and look at menus before booking. I have one son (steak and potatoes kind of guy all his life), my daughter 5 years his jr (miso and sushi even at 4 would make her super happy but generally disliked beef or chicken and still prefers pasta and seafood) so yes dinners at my house were always a juggling act and eating out always a research project lol and now my granddaughter who wouldn't eat chicken or beef until she was about 5 but is the most open eater I know now is finally the easy one to travel with.

 

[ford91exploder]

The first one is the donut. The second is sourdough bread with-- Cheddar Cheese, Fried Egg, Fresh (very) Spicy Salsa, and Goetta.
We ordered both and shared the 2.
So amazingly bad for you, and so extremely delicious!!!
View attachment 165664 View attachment 165665

Looks delicious

 

[21stamps]

Here is a perfect example of what I'm so frustrated with..

This is the "Kid's Menu" at Restaurant Marrekesh!!! (Just booked the CP dining package). So frustrating. It's a Moroccan Restaurant and they can't offer one Moroccan food to a child?! Ugh.

And here is Spice Road Table. So sad.

 

[JillC LI]

My kids are 17 and almost 15 now. To this day DS is a picky eater and DD is an adventurous eater. It doesn't always depend on what the parents expose the kids to because our kids were raised in the same house. It depends on the kid. I have always been glad that Disney had options to appease both my kids.