I go out to lunch a lot with the little guy and our friends.  We eat in restaurants around town, wherever we happen to be, and make it work with whatever type of restaurant we feel like going to.  The hope is that he will learn how to behave in these public settings, and will eventually become one of those well-behaved kids at restaurants, simply because it will not be a big deal and/or he has learned the routine of it.  The other reason is because it seems like a really bad idea to make it so he can only eat meals at home.

One thing I have noticed is that Kid’s Menus are usually full of junk food options.  There could be all sorts of things on the regular menu, but then the kid’s menu comes out and it’s the following:

• Burger & Fries
• Hotdog & Fries
• Chicken Nuggets & Fries
• Fish Fingers & Fries
• Pasta Bolognaise
• Chicken Quesadilla & Chips

This is a pretty standard kids menu around Hong Kong.  I don’t understand why there has to be fries on almost every option, and I do not understand why I should expect that a restaurant serving Thai food would be any good at making Pasta Bolognaise, for example.

Why not some healthy options that are interesting to eat, or something that is kind of similar to the cuisine of the restaurant, since the kids end up eating their parents food anyway?

I suppose these foods are things that kids like, and if kids like them, they will sit there happily and not disturb their parents or other guests.  So I suppose I understand where the restaurant is coming from, although it does not make it any easier for me, who is trying to raise a son who eats healthier options.  I can always bring food along, which I try to do occasionally anyway, but I have a moral dilemma about that because I do not feel it is right to bring outside food into a restaurant and expect them to heat it up and help me and my son, while I am the only one buying food.

What I would rather do is order a few things from the regular menu and share with my son and take the leftovers home, or if we are with the right friend of the little guy, the two of them can share.  Even better would be the restaurant that would simply make a smaller portion, and call it a “child portion” of anything on the menu.