Smart Strategy with Childrens Menus: Resources for Restaurants & Foodservice

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Smart Strategy with Childrens' Menus:
Resources for Restaurants & Foodservice

Need to write, design or improve a Kid's Menu?

Most parents say that healthy and nutritious food is a priority for children. But they're also keen to avoid the drama of making kids eat what they don't enjoy - that's a battle best left for home. A smart kids menu is an essential part of restaurant success.

The drums are beating: it's the sounds of parents and legislators who can no-longer ignore childhood obesity. This issue is NOT going away.

You don't have to be a substitute parent. But you do need menu items they approve of. Large chains take this very seriously, constantly trialling new menus to find the winning combination: food that is profitable, healthy and cravable. Food that children want to eat - and that's not usually broccoli!

This regular Smart Strategy Update will bring you the latest on kids menus from restaurants, hotels, chefs and the media, showing how to combine popular, nutritious children's food with successful business operations. You can also follow Child Nutrition and Kids Menus: More Articles

Comments, tips and suggestions are very welcome.

What's Hot in 2012

The National Restaurant Association surveyed nearly 1,800 professional chefs - members of the American Culinary Federation - on hot trends on restaurant menus in 2012. Local sourcing and children's nutrition are among the hottest trends.

For more information, visit http://www.restaurant.org/foodtrends.

Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 10:30

What's on the 2011 Kids Menu

The 2011 child likes hotdogs, nuggets and fries as much as the next person, but they and their parents are more informed about what a restrictive diet based on overly-processed, trans fat-laden foods can do to arteries and waistlines.

Today's kids have been exposed to a wider range of food selections and cuisines than any generation in the past. We should capitalize on these changing desires and needs. Here's how you can begin:

Move away from fried, cheesy and overly processed meats (hamburger, chicken nuggets and hotdogs). Try adding grilled and baked dishes (smaller adult options) to your kids menu.
Add more fresh fruits, veggies and whole grains. You can lean up a burger with turkey, a whole grain bun. Add a side of fruit or small salad, and your kids menu goes down in saturated fat and up in sophistication (something older children will appreciate).
Give them food to that's fun to play with. Options that allow them to build their own taco or pasta dish can drive sales and please the kiddos. The secret is lots of fresh ingredients and lowered fat and salt content. They'll be too busy playing with their food to notice simple substitutions.
Offer healthier sides. No one says you have to remove all the favorites, but add the apples, carrot sticks with peanut butter and a light soup to the list of sides.
Use your menu to educate. Menus with simple facts and games that promote healthy eating are great conversation starters for kids and parents. Use the resources on this page to add puzzles and quizzes to the menu.

Thanks to MustHaveMenus for the information...

Tuesday, Mar 01, 2011 09:10

Colouring Pages to keep kids occupied and parents calm

They're an easy way to keep little fingers occupied, and you'll find hundreds with food themes, ready to print at Coloring Pages. Search by subject matter eg fish, apple, cow etc...

Tuesday, Aug 17, 2010 09:04

Meatless Mondays: interesting idea for Kids Menus?

Meatless Monday is 'an international movement to help people reduce their meat consumption by 15%, in order to improve personal health and the health of the planet. In the US, the tradition of Meatless Mondays began in WWI, when the FDA encouraged the rationing of meat, wheat and other staples to help the war effort. The campaign was relaunched in 2003 as a public health campaign to help individuals reduce their saturated fat intake.'

As the website shows, it's been enthusiastically embraced by schools and public health groups - an interesting option for your Kids Menu, even if it means adding extra non-meat options. The US Humane Society also has a ton of suggested vegetarian recipes.

Saturday, Jun 05, 2010 07:48

Taking the Adorables to Restaurants: Tips for Parents

Lots of useful ideas from parents on making the restaurant experience enjoyable for themselves and their children: see Taking the Adorables to Restaurants. So how can restaurants make these ideas work for them?

Saturday, May 08, 2010 05:09

Does Ronald McDonald make it harder to sell healthy food to kids?

Quite likely! You're not the only foodservice professional frustrated by his endless capers undermining the taste of young diners. The Retire Ronald website has a simple message:

For nearly 50 years no one has been better at hooking kids on unhealthy food, spurring an epidemic of diet-related disease. Ronald deserves a break, and so do we!

For alarming reading, check the sites detailed report Clowning With Kids' Health: The Case for Ronald McDonald's Retirement.

Monday, Apr 05, 2010 05:58

Jamie Oliver at TED: 'Teach every child about food'. What does this mean for restaurants?

Jamie Oliver is going head to head with America's Obesity epidemic. He wants to 'educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity'.

How do we back up the message in our kids menus and the food and drink we offer?

Saturday, Feb 13, 2010 06:05

Fooditude - a new food show for kids

Fooditude is an upcoming food show for kids in the US, covering cooking and nutrition, food science, environmental issues, culture, history and gardening. Their focus is on getting kids to eat better, more healthy food. Here's the promo video:

Monday, Nov 30, 2009 09:31

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