W
hen Natalie Ings takes her two-year-old
daughter out to eat, she, like a growing
number of parents, steers clear of the
children's menu which is often fraught with fried chicken
fingers, hot dog buns made from white bread, and sug-
ary drinks. Though frozen menu items like these make
it easy on a slammed kitchen to produce in a hurry, they
often fall short of the lofty food standards parents have
for their kids.
"Parenting has changed and parents are recognizing the impor-
tance of feeding their children healthy food from day one," says
Karen Cicero, nutrition editor at Parents magazine. "It puts restau-
rants in a tough spot. They have to be accommodating to the seg-
ment of the market that just wants plain pasta and have things for
families who are more adventurous."
As millennial parents demand
healthier meals for their children,
restaurants are swapping in new
options for young diners.
BY STEPHANIE CAIN
The New
Children's Menu
Restaurants like Urbana, in Washington, D.C., make dinner
interactive; Ram's Head Inn plates kid-sized portions of local fluke
like it does the adult version; Jujubeet, on the West Coast, offers
children the same selections as adults but with simpler flavors.
PHOTO:
URBANA
PHOTO:
RAM'S
HEAD
INN
PHOTO:
JUJUBEET
46 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com
kids' menu trends
