NY Times has an interesting article on "kid's dining" in restaurants. Writer David Kamp suggests chicken fingers are representative of the bland fried food that forms the basis of children's culinary education. If every kid's menu is burgers, pizza, grilled cheese, fingers, and fries, then what type of palate are kid's developing? If "we are what we eat", does that mean our kids become bland, unadventerous, and fat saturated?
The article points out some restaurants are phasing out the ubiquitous battered and fried kid's menu, in favour of child size portions of adult fare: 4 oz steak, stir fry, pasta, chicken and smashed potatoes. In addressing nutrional concerns, they also allow for kids to try something new. Kids won't like everything, but eventually they'll find some new favorites. Why should parents need to order or prepare two sets of food for the adults and the kids? Take a chance and you may find the kids like cucumber soup, linguine with clams, or naan pizza. Even fast food restaurants are taking notice on the nutritional aspects, offering apple slices and carrot sticks alongside the default french fries.
So jump in: are parents finding any options out there for eating out with the kids? Do you remember your first "wow" moment as a kid trying new foods? Also: any good kid-friendly places in Toronto? From experience, I found several of the Roncesvalles Avenue area restaurants are kid-friendly, like Boho and Butler's Pantry, and have some non-finger options. Butler's was especially friendly, with a pleasant server who brought some spoons and cheerios for my friend's child to play with. And (whoo hoo!) it's looks like the Roncesvalles location has a liquor license now, just like the Bloor St and Queen St locations.
I know a lack of time and a fussy child can make the "chicken fingers" option an easy choice, but I get a kick when my young cousins (5-years and 8-years) are trying mussels, sushi, and stir fried mushrooms and snow peas. They get alot of different foods at a young age at home, so that's the place to start.
The article points out some restaurants are phasing out the ubiquitous battered and fried kid's menu, in favour of child size portions of adult fare: 4 oz steak, stir fry, pasta, chicken and smashed potatoes. In addressing nutrional concerns, they also allow for kids to try something new. Kids won't like everything, but eventually they'll find some new favorites. Why should parents need to order or prepare two sets of food for the adults and the kids? Take a chance and you may find the kids like cucumber soup, linguine with clams, or naan pizza. Even fast food restaurants are taking notice on the nutritional aspects, offering apple slices and carrot sticks alongside the default french fries.
So jump in: are parents finding any options out there for eating out with the kids? Do you remember your first "wow" moment as a kid trying new foods? Also: any good kid-friendly places in Toronto? From experience, I found several of the Roncesvalles Avenue area restaurants are kid-friendly, like Boho and Butler's Pantry, and have some non-finger options. Butler's was especially friendly, with a pleasant server who brought some spoons and cheerios for my friend's child to play with. And (whoo hoo!) it's looks like the Roncesvalles location has a liquor license now, just like the Bloor St and Queen St locations.
I know a lack of time and a fussy child can make the "chicken fingers" option an easy choice, but I get a kick when my young cousins (5-years and 8-years) are trying mussels, sushi, and stir fried mushrooms and snow peas. They get alot of different foods at a young age at home, so that's the place to start.
Don’t Point That Menu at My Child, Please
By DAVID KAMP
Published: May 30, 2007
America is in the grips of a nefarious chicken-finger pandemic, in which a bland tasting foodstuff has somehow become the de facto official nibble of our young.
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7 comments:
I know it's closed now, but the Organ Grinder was a fascinating place for a kid.
Back in Calgary, we'd regularly go to Ponderosa or Spaghetti Factory when we were kids; it was terrific for us. I don't recall anything too adventerous resteraunt-wise, but I still remember my first dim sum when I was maybe 11 or 12, down on Spadina Ave in Toronto. I just wanted to try everything.
I know we were raised on a wide range of foods much like our cousin's and I know our palate is very diverse and there certainly is not much we do not like.
Ahh Ponderosa - i used to love that place!
While I think that you should let you child try stuff - sometimes they are just picky eaters - but as we have learned that if you try it enough times they may just like it
at least that's what Greg keeps telling me when he wants me to try sushi
Mich
re: Mich & sushi - does Greg make the airplane sounds?
I'm not saying it's easy to get a child to try new things. It seems to me, as single bachelor childless guy, to be a bit of a crapshoot: keep trying until something connects. Presenting a kid-sized portion is helpful: i can't imagine a slab of roast salmon looks tempting to a 3 year old.
Also: never associate character names with the food, like referring to the sushi as "Nemo" or bacon as "Babe". When I was about 5 years old, Dad pointed out a skinned rabbit at the butcher shop and joked "It's a rabbit, just like Bugs Bunny." That ended in tears.
To this day I still don't use rabbit in the kitchen.
Growing up my mom would force me to have at least one taste (a real mouthful, not a nibble) of everything she served.
Eventually I learned to at least try everything.... well, everything but liver and onions.
If I can't get the smell past my nose I'm not ingesting it.
well Nana Judy can get her to eat just about anything - eg. aspargus I mean really what kid likes aspargus
I think it comes from my Nana who made Stew 3times a week and then the rest of the time was left over stew or porkchops - so really my culinary efforts have been sabotaged when I was young - at least that's my excuse.
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