What would you put on the kids menus that are heathier than nuggets?

[tigsmom]

To those parents struggling with their kids food choices hang in there, it will get better. Both my girls used to live on chicken, broccoli and mashed potatoes; I had to make sure there was always some in the fridge. After about a year they decided that they would never touch the stuff again. One went for mac 'n cheese the other peanut butter. We always made sure they tried what was being served, but didn't force it on them (like our parents did to us).
They continued to try different foods, but stuck to the favorites.

At 19 and 13 they eat all sorts of things - the one who would only eat mac 'n cheese now hates the stuff, the one who lived on bologna will not touch it (or hot dogs), but now likes cheese. One likes eggs, the other would rather die than eat one and the list goes on and on. Expose you kids to all types of cuisines and favorites foods cooked in different ways and they will learn to like just about everything, though there will always be favorites. I don't worry too much about what we eat on vacation (except for myself being diabetic) because they do ok otherwise. They will pick the orange, apple or grapes at the food courts to go along with those nuggets and fries, but thats because thats what is offered at home.

Please don't forget that many times you can get the pasta without the sauce or with butter or a grilled cheese sandwich or an extra veggie for the kids if you ask... the chefs are very accommodating if the requested food is available to them and you are polite.

 

[daliseurat]

Many of the items you have on your list are what I call pseudo-healthy. At their core they contain healthy items but their processing and or condiments ruin any health benefits. IMHO these pseudo-healthy options are worse than the unhealthy ones because people think they are making a healthy choice when in actuality they are not. There was a great article on this on MSN health and sadly I can not find it.

Sandwiches-When using wholegrain breads and unprocessed meats they are great but start putting on mayo, cheeses and less expensive processed meats and the heath benefits go out the window.

And I would have the sandwiches made just the way you suggest. But even the standard way is better than fried food.

Pasta- Most pasta is made from heavily refined flours which according to some increases the rate of carbohydrate adsorbstion vs whole grains and will lead to blood sugar spike. The sauces can lead to a myriad of problems as well. Providing he sugar content is kept down tomato sauces are great but cream sauces are almost always liquid death.

I wouldn't have anything but plain, or tomato sauce.

Pizza- Veggie and or lean meat pizzas with good quality cheese and whole wheat crust can be healthy but they are not the best tasting pizzas in the world and not how they are commonly served.

I'd have them do lowfat cheese only, no meat. Too fatty.

Meats and cheese snacks- Very commonly made of highly processed meats and cheeses which in turn makes them very high in fat and calories.

Again, here I'd go with low fat low sodium Turkey and Ham and cheese.

Fruit Salad- Great providing that that is all they are. When they are packaged in high fructose corn syrup you might as well just eat a snickers bar.

I meant FRESH, not the syrupy canned type.

Salad- The killer is almost always the dressing. The average person will put on around 600-900 extra calories and about 30 grams of fat worth of ranch dressing to a dinner size salad.

I wouldn't offer anything for the salad that wasn't low fat.

Wraps- In terms of health flour tortillas are the devil. They contain more calories, sugar and carbs than pretty much any together sandwich breads on the planet.

Still better than something fried.

Veggies and grilled chicken with dipping sauces- Again it is the sauces that can kill you. 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing will have 140 calories and 14 grams of fat.

They could easily come up with much better tasting sauces than ranch that would be low fat low sugar.

While most of this sounds like it falls into the "you can not eat anything but wheat grass and 100% organic, free range, fair trade blueberries" category do not despair. You can use this information to make what you are eating healthier by looking for and reducing the things that take the health out of your health food.

When it comes to Disney two or three healthy options are nice but it is starting to get a bit nuts. Disney does not need healthy mac-n-cheese or Pizza. People need to take a little personal responsibility and practice a bit of moderation. You can eat a double bacon cheeseburger with a side of gravy fries, just not every day.

Wow! These are excellant points. But I didn't mean for these choices to be the most unhealthy route, just more choices that are better than fried nuggets and french fries.

I agree that Disney doesn't need healthy mac and cheese or pizza. But they do need MORE choices than the standard three at each place. This is why people go looking for nuggets. The other choices don't appeal. And while I LOVE that you can get carrots and grapes we all get sick of that after a couple days.

 

[mep517]

My 2 1/2 year old DD's favorite meal is a PB&J, squeeze yogurt and apple slices. I would love to see something like that on the menus. Our local zoo sells the "uncrustables" PB&J sandwiches and they're great for the little ones. Yes, I will admit that white bread isn't ideal and not all kids can eat peanut butter, but let's face it, when you're away from your own kitchen, there's rarely the "perfect" meal available.

Also wanted to chime in on not all kids eat what their parents eat. My DD is going through a phase where she wants to do the exact opposite of whatever DH and I are doing. "Look, Mommy's eating/doing it!" doesn't really work on my little one right now. We limit her options and I don't go to great lengths to accommodate, but at the end of the day, the kid's got to eat!

 

[daliseurat]

My 2 1/2 year old DD's favorite meal is a PB&J, squeeze yogurt and apple slices. I would love to see something like that on the menus. Our local zoo sells the "uncrustables" PB&J sandwiches and they're great for the little ones. Yes, I will admit that white bread isn't ideal and not all kids can eat peanut butter, but let's face it, when you're away from your own kitchen, there's rarely the "perfect" meal available.

Also wanted to chime in on not all kids eat what their parents eat. My DD is going through a phase where she wants to do the exact opposite of whatever DH and I are doing. "Look, Mommy's eating/doing it!" doesn't really work on my little one right now. We limit her options and I don't go to great lengths to accommodate, but at the end of the day, the kid's got to eat!

There you go. Squeeze yogurt and apple slices. How easy is that?

We tried an uncrustable at FANTASMIC (comes in a lunch box) as a last resort when we couldn't grab a bite before the show. My DD hated it! So I tried to eat it. BLEAHHH! I was surprised. And happy. The idea of buy a frozen PBJ at the grocery store instead of making a fresh one and putting it in a bag doesn't sit well with me.

And yeah, we're lucky with ours, but she's past the "I want what mommy and Daddy want" stage. So that doesn't work for us. Except if I order something I really, really like and didn't want to share. (Crabcakes) Then she wants it. And I share. But I don't always like sharing what she chooses...

 

[minnie2000]

My kids eat very healthy at home, so I don't mind if they do not eat as healthy while on vacation, since we only go on vacation once or twice a year.
Now that being said, I do try to get as many fruits and veggies in them as possible while at WDW. While I do not like the nature of a buffet (I hate all of the getting up and down), they do give us a chance to load the kids up on some healthier food.
I do wish that they would offer more choices at some of the places though. I wish that grilled cheese, strips of grilled chicken, and plain pasta were on more of the menus. Not so much for health reasons, but to just have more variety. While alot of kids love mac and cheese, there are also alot of kids who do not like any kind of cheese or sause on their pasta.
And I wish they offered more variety with their sides....my kids do not like applesause, and they got really tired of tired of the grapes and carrot sticks by the end of the week.
And Maggiegrace is right....not all kids eat what their parents eat! It always bugs me when someone says "my kids eat anything becuase we have always given them what we eat" and then assume that ALL kids would be that way if only their parents would have done the same thing. Well, I am happy for those parents....but alot of it is LUCK. We have two children who are 3 1/2 years apart....we have raised them the same way when it comes to eating....we have exposed them to many types of food, and always make them try new things.
But they are two VERY different eaters, and they each have their likes and dislikes....even though we have done the exact same thing with both of them.
All kids are different!

I agree completely. That sort of statement really annoys me. We have always given our daughters what we eat. My 10 year old is the fussiest child I know. She will only eat certain things, can't bear to have her food mixed up or even touching, and we find it a bit of a problem in Disney. She lives on chicken nuggets the whole time. My 7 year old is a real gourmet eater. She loves more or less everything, particularly fruit, smoked salmon and steak! (All the expensive stuff!)

See her first plate of breakfast at Chef Mickey's below:

She followed that with a plate of eggs, bacon, sausage etc.!

The funny thing is, both girls are quite skinny!

 

[maryszhi]

I agree completely. That sort of statement really annoys me. We have always given our daughters what we eat. My 10 year old is the fussiest child I know. She will only eat certain things, can't bear to have her food mixed up or even touching, and we find it a bit of a problem in Disney. She lives on chicken nuggets the whole time. My 7 year old is a real gourmet eater. She loves more or less everything, particularly fruit, smoked salmon and steak! (All the expensive stuff!)

See her first plate of breakfast at Chef Mickey's below:

She followed that with a plate of eggs, bacon, sausage etc.!

The funny thing is, both girls are quite skinny!

My parents say the same thing, i can eat a ton and not gain wait..i to am skinny..its funny how people donmt get it

 

[shoppingnut]

I'm sick of seeing just grapes and applesauce everywhere. We had to stop my nephew from eating it all the time because it caused problems for him even though he's used to eating fruit and veggie's. Even though he's eaten many things that my sister eats, now all of a sudden, he's not eating them anymore, so the whole thing of what the parents eat the kid will eat holds no water.

Whole wheat pizza and pasta is totally gross, however, I wouldn't mind if they offered it as an alternative, but don't replace my regular stuff with that.

And, anyone who thinks that by not giving your kids treats and things regularly (not excessive) is going to make them better eaters, well newsflash, I know more people who because of being deprived particular things as kids (ice cream, candy, snacks) will now as an adult overindulge in them. Case in point is when I grew up my dad loved ice cream, so we had at least 4 gallons of it in the freezer at all times and were given it, none of us were overweight, but today I don't see ice cream as anything special unlike my cousin who was not given it even if it was in their freezer and now any time she sees ice cream she needs to have it.

 

[bennyw01]

mickey shaped pizza! i got pics if you want, i love it have it everytime i goto dlrp

 

[rwdavis2]

From what I understand about children's nutrition is that they should NOT be on low-fat diets. Fat is essential to brain development. Given that the should not be allowed to fill-up on greasy foods or sugary desserts either. They need a balance, obviously.
Bob

 

[wdwmomof3]

I think that they should offer a child size portion of the adult meals. They could still offer a child's menu with the Mickey pizzas and other items. I really think that most children would try things at Disney that they wouldn't any where else. My children do.

 

[George]

To those parents struggling with their kids food choices hang in there, it will get better. Both my girls used to live on chicken, broccoli and mashed potatoes; I had to make sure there was always some in the fridge. After about a year they decided that they would never touch the stuff again. One went for mac 'n cheese the other peanut butter. We always made sure they tried what was being served, but didn't force it on them (like our parents did to us).
They continued to try different foods, but stuck to the favorites.

At 19 and 13 they eat all sorts of things - the one who would only eat mac 'n cheese now hates the stuff, the one who lived on bologna will not touch it (or hot dogs), but now likes cheese. One likes eggs, the other would rather die than eat one and the list goes on and on. Expose you kids to all types of cuisines and favorites foods cooked in different ways and they will learn to like just about everything, though there will always be favorites. I don't worry too much about what we eat on vacation (except for myself being diabetic) because they do ok otherwise. They will pick the orange, apple or grapes at the food courts to go along with those nuggets and fries, but thats because thats what is offered at home.

Please don't forget that many times you can get the pasta without the sauce or with butter or a grilled cheese sandwich or an extra veggie for the kids if you ask... the chefs are very accommodating if the requested food is available to them and you are polite.

When I was little, I used to eat bologna and ketchup on Wonder bread every morning. Now, the thought deeply disturbs me. You're 100% correct. Every time I've asked, I've been accomodated when it comes to food for my kids at the World. I actually think WDW does a fairly good job of balancing reasonable meals with less healthy things. Overall, my whole family eats a tad less healthy when we're at WDW, but we're on vacation. One tip - just grab a piece of fruit at the grab n' go area of the resort before you head out for the day. We do this and have at least one snack our kids will eat that makes us feel good from a health perspective.

 

[maggiegrace1]

When I was little, I used to eat bologna and ketchup on Wonder bread every morning. Now, the thought deeply disturbs me. You're 100% correct. Every time I've asked, I've been accomodated when it comes to food for my kids at the World. I actually think WDW does a fairly good job of balancing reasonable meals with less healthy things. Overall, my whole family eats a tad less healthy when we're at WDW, but we're on vacation. One tip - just grab a piece of fruit at the grab n' go area of the resort before you head out for the day. We do this and have at least one snack our kids will eat that makes us feel good from a health perspective.

I used to LOVE that..I would eat that every day..

Now I can not tell you how long it has been since I even had bologna..:shrug:

 

[George]

I used to LOVE that..I would eat that every day..

Now I can not tell you how long it has been since I even had bologna..:shrug:

Same here! :lol:

I used to get up, make my sandwich and start reading the sports section. My mom says that she felt like she was living with "an extremely small old man."

Sorry for the thread drift.

 

[maggiegrace1]

People used to say that was weird..I loved it..

Go look at my thread in chit chat I started because of you George..

 

[tigsmom]

From what I understand about children's nutrition is that they should NOT be on low-fat diets. Fat is essential to brain development. Given that the should not be allowed to fill-up on greasy foods or sugary desserts either. They need a balance, obviously.
Bob

Children under 2 full fat, children over 2 can go with lower fat. Too much sodium is not good for anybody, but thats what give a lot of flavor to fast food and pre packaged foods.

Everyone needs fat in their diet so you just can't cut it out completely, but I think most people would agree that we, as a nation, eat a bit too much.

 

[KingStefan]

Excellent points throughout this thread. daliseurat, I LOVE your original ideas. Yoda, you made the same comments I had in mind when I saw the OP. And daliseurat, your responses were right on.

I'd love to see the comfort food stay on the menu, but just have more grilled chicken and turkey, steamed vegetables, fresh fruit, yogurt, etc. on the menu.

You have to be careful of processed foods, and other hidden dangers, like grilled cheese made a certain way with high-quality cheese is OK, but a grilled-cheese sandwich made with "pasteurized cheese food product" grilled in butter is just as bad as fried chicken strips. Maybe worse.

Have you seen the indgredients and nutritional information on lunchables? I let DD10 have one occasionally, but even though it seems like a healthy alternative, it really depends on which one you choose.

Anyway, I think the clamor for better choices is being heard by WDW, because you can get a lot better stuff than you used to be able to. I'm very sorry Tusker House is converted now. Loved that place for healthy choices!

 

[tigsmom]

Excellent points throughout this thread. daliseurat, I LOVE your original ideas. Yoda, you made the same comments I had in mind when I saw the OP. And daliseurat, your responses were right on.

I'd love to see the comfort food stay on the menu, but just have more grilled chicken and turkey, steamed vegetables, fresh fruit, yogurt, etc. on the menu.

You have to be careful of processed foods, and other hidden dangers, like grilled cheese made a certain way with high-quality cheese is OK, but a grilled-cheese sandwich made with "pasteurized cheese food product" grilled in butter is just as bad as fried chicken strips. Maybe worse.

Have you seen the indgredients and nutritional information on lunchables? I let DD10 have one occasionally, but even though it seems like a healthy alternative, it really depends on which one you choose.

Anyway, I think the clamor for better choices is being heard by WDW, because you can get a lot better stuff than you used to be able to. I'm very sorry Tusker House is converted now. Loved that place for healthy choices!

Loved the salmon platter! *sigh*

 

[3fordisney]

Most people need to use better judgement and eat in moderation ( me included :lookaroun). I am all for children eating better. Mine is a picky eater and we do the best we can. Forcing a child to eat things can lead to problems down the road. My husband and I are also picky. My husband was forced to eat foods that he could not stand. He got to the point with one particular veggie that he taught his parents a lesson they'll never forget. That veggie came back up at the dinner table. We encourage our son to try new foods and if he don't like it, we move on. We come back and try again later, but never force him to eat anything he don't like.

I don't think WDW changing their menus is going to help the obesity crisis going on with children and adults. More families need to take a slower pace. Cook more at home and eat together as a family will help. Less fast food will help. Has anyone checked out what is being served in school lunch rooms?? Thats where more of the change needs to be focused on, not a popular vacation spot, where a kid may eat there one week out of an entire year.

We get a lot of exercise while we are at WDW. When we are on vacation, we throw caution to the wind and eat differently. Fortunately, my son loves breakfast foods, especially eggs:slurp:. We tend to eat a bigger breakfast and lighter lunches and dinners. Often times, we snack our way around the world. Its the only place we do this at and when we get back home, we go back to our regular routine. I think that while at WDW, every one should be able to leave the real world at home. I think a variety of options is good and we've seen a change towards that. They can use better quality chicken with less sodium for kids meals. (We are a lower sodium household) However, you can't force me to eat wraps and carrots all week. Who wants to do that on vacation???

 

[daliseurat]

Excellent points throughout this thread. daliseurat, I LOVE your original ideas. Yoda, you made the same comments I had in mind when I saw the OP. And daliseurat, your responses were right on.

I'd love to see the comfort food stay on the menu, but just have more grilled chicken and turkey, steamed vegetables, fresh fruit, yogurt, etc. on the menu.

You have to be careful of processed foods, and other hidden dangers, like grilled cheese made a certain way with high-quality cheese is OK, but a grilled-cheese sandwich made with "pasteurized cheese food product" grilled in butter is just as bad as fried chicken strips. Maybe worse.

Have you seen the indgredients and nutritional information on lunchables? I let DD10 have one occasionally, but even though it seems like a healthy alternative, it really depends on which one you choose.

Anyway, I think the clamor for better choices is being heard by WDW, because you can get a lot better stuff than you used to be able to. I'm very sorry Tusker House is converted now. Loved that place for healthy choices!

YES! Tusker House was great! We all had a very healthy lunch that we all enjoyed there! Sorry it's changed, but will try the new version. And you know what else? I was feeling really tired and punky when we ate there. And the food there really picked me up and kept me going for the rest of the day. Unlike the fried food lunch with a soda. That always gives me indigestion and I crash faster. Also, we all loved BOMA and the FLAMETREE BBQ.

I am TOTALLY AGAINST Lunchables. But the IDEA of them with Low-fat low sodium meats and cheese and crackers seems like a decent enough idea for WDW. Add a piece of fruit too.

Really, I don't care if they keep the "bad" choices, just give us some more good choices. I too want to eat something bad at least once per trip. No one wants to eat the same stuff every meal. And How about a small bottled water as a drink choice?

 

[daliseurat]

We get a lot of exercise while we are at WDW. When we are on vacation, we throw caution to the wind and eat differently. Fortunately, my son loves breakfast foods, especially eggs:slurp:. We tend to eat a bigger breakfast and lighter lunches and dinners. Often times, we snack our way around the world. Its the only place we do this at and when we get back home, we go back to our regular routine. I think that while at WDW, every one should be able to leave the real world at home. I think a variety of options is good and we've seen a change towards that. They can use better quality chicken with less sodium for kids meals. (We are a lower sodium household) However, you can't force me to eat wraps and carrots all week. Who wants to do that on vacation???

I agree. Everything in moderation. The problem I see is that many parents give up trying to get their kids to try anything other than the unhealthy alternatives. And it doesn't help at WDW when the kids menu has such limited choices that the picky eaters just whine and complain so the parent tries to salvage the meal by going where they can find the nuggets and fries. Really, have the nuggets sometimes. But we need more better choices so the kids and parents have a shot at actually trying to eat healthier on some days, or meals. I really think that the kids menu is so limiting that it actually encourages parents to look for the easiest solution. While it is healthier, its much more limiting. And you're totally right. I got so sick of carrots and grapes last time I was there.