What age did your child outgrow kid meals at restaurants?

[Anonymous]

Between 7 and 8 for my bigger than average boys. Plus, by then my boys wanted something other than chicken tenders, a hamburger, or hot dog. By 10, I'm order an adult meal with a drink for them with no leftovers.

[Anonymous]

My boys are 11 and still order off the kids menu 80% of the time. For standard items like a burger and fries it is plenty big enough. For stuff like salmon and vegetables, the kids portion isn’t large enough and they will order adult portions instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m surprised anyone’s kids are still hungry after finishing a kid’s meal. In my experience they’re as big and caloric as an adult’s meal should be.

Your kids are still young. Mine are 12 and 14 and eat a lot. We probably stopped around 8/9. DS wanted more food. DD wanted the different options on the regular menus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends entirely upon the restaurant. My older daughter is 14 and can still pass for a younger child if the kids’ menu goes up to, say, 13 and she wants it. Or sometimes we will order one adult entree for both girls (14 and 9) to split and add a side salad (also split).

So, it really depends upon your kids, their activity level, maybe their gender, and of course the restaurant.

They don't actually refuse you. You can order off the kids menu if you like. Just like you can order an appetizer as your entree. It isn't a law.

[Anonymous]

11 year old son order for the last time last year. He tried salmon off the main menu and hasn't looked back since.

[Anonymous]

My son stopped ordering off the kids menu around 9-10 but the portions and pricing are sometimes appealing to me! It depends on what type of restaurant and the options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Probably 7ish or so - they quickly got sick of the hotdog, grilled cheese, Mac and cheese options and preferred to eat other dishes. They would have probably continued with kid menu portions for longer if there had been better choices. I do find it really strange that somehow every restaurant has designated that stuff as kid food.

+1 We used to just order 2 entrees or 2 entrees and an app and give our kid a portion of each item. Healthier all around. If it was too much food, we just took it home for the next day.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the place and their menu. DD is 9 and has a small appetite so kid meal sizing works. But she likes steak so sometimes if she’s craving it and it’s not a kids menu option we will order her an adult filet and just box what’s remaining. But generally she’s still ordering off kids menu.

[Anonymous]

It depends on the restaurant for mine, but my youngest is 9 and has only ordered off the kids' menu a handful of times in the last year.

Sometimes they order apps instead of an adult meal. If the option of Calamari is available, my 9 yo always goes for that and a side.

If they don't finish the food I just box it and they can have it the next day for lunch.

[Anonymous]

We always helped our kids pick appetizers rather than from the kids menu, because of the health aspect of it. Fried chicken nuggets with french fries and juice, or grilled prawns? Stuff like that. Even as teens now sometimes they pick two apps rather than an entree - it depends more on the food than the size of the portion.

[Anonymous]

5 or so. But, maybe this explains why my 12 year old is 6’2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m 40 and order off the kids menu for take out (bbq, pasta, Outback).

y

[Anonymous]

I have a 12 and 15 YO and I still encourage them to eat off the kids menu because of the price. lol

[Anonymous]

Adults don’t need adult portions at restaurants. Kids don’t either. No wonder our nation is so fat.

[Anonymous]

My kids are 9 and 12 and both order off the kids' menu (spaghetti, grilled cheese), appetizer menu (calamari, brussels sprouts), and sides (mac n cheese) depending on the restaurant. If pizza is on the main menu, they'll often order one to split.