There’s no denying the excitement kids feel when they get to go out for a restaurant meal. From the thrill of being served foods they normally don’t get at home, to the joy of grabbing one of those enticing kids’ menu options — it’s a whole experience.
However, those kids’ menu choices are often highly processed, made with low-quality ingredients, and packed with empty calories and added sugars.
While an occasional restaurant indulgence won’t derail their health, regularly eating these types of meals can start forming unhealthy habits from a young age. The good news is you can recreate many of those menu favorites at home using nutritious whole-food ingredients!
Not only does this allow you to control portion sizes and what goes into the meals, but it’s also cost-effective and can be a fun family bonding experience.
With a little creativity and recipe know-how, you can revamp the kids’ menu so your children get the exciting “restaurant-style” experience along with high-quality nutrients to nourish their growing bodies. Let’s break it down by course!
1: Drink Up!
Those colorful sodas, punches, and flavored milks on kids’ beverage menus are always so appealing but are essentially just deliveries of high amounts of sugar, artificial dyes, and additives.
At home, you can craft naturally-sweetened drinks they’ll be equally excited about:
- Fizzy, flavorful options like Olipop Sodas make hydrating fun! These portable drink pouches contain only real fruit purees and are lightly sweetened with stevia and monk fruit.
- Make DIY “Gatorade” by combining an unsweetened electrolyte powder or liquid concentrate with natural fruit juices, coconut water, and nutrient boosters like spirulina powder.
- Blend up fresh fruit smoothies using a quality protein or collagen powder, nut butter, yogurt, milk, or dairy-free milk alternative.
The Healthy Appetizer Spread
Begging for an order of loaded nachos or chicken nuggets with ranch is a signature move for kids at restaurants. Luckily, you can easily recreate these appetizer-style foods in a much more nutritious way:
- Ditch the processed ranch tubs and make your own creamy, veggie-friendly dip in minutes using a base of:
- Avocado oil or olive oil mayo
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Add in herbs, spices, lemon juice, etc. for flavor
- For a fun twist on nachos, use nutrient-dense chips like cassava, bean, or lentil tortilla chips. Top with lean meat, shredded cheese, fresh salsa or enchilada sauce without added sugars/oils. Can also make “loaded” baked potato wedges or sweet potato fries.
- Instead of fried frozen nuggets, opt for homemade baked breaded tenders using egg and almond flour breading or whole wheat breadcrumbs. Serve with a fun dip or two!
The Main Course
When it comes to the main entrée, the kids’ menu standards are usually basic: chicken nuggets, pizza, burgers, mac & cheese, etc. With some simple ingredient swaps, you can elevate the nutrition:
Pizza:
- Use a nutrient-dense crust like cauliflower, chickpea, whole wheat, etc.
- Make your own sauce without added sugars
- Load it up with fresh veggies and lean proteins
Burgers:
- Use lean ground turkey or beef
- Whole wheat buns or lettuce wraps
- Top with avocado, fresh sautéed mushrooms/onions, etc.
Mac & Cheese:
- Use whole wheat or legume-based pasta
- Make a sauce with sharp cheddar, milk, and butternut squash puree to boost nutrients
Tacos/Burritos:
- Use filling combos with lean proteins, pinto or black beans, rice or cauliflower rice, salsa, guacamole, etc.
- Opt for soft whole wheat, lentil or chickpea tortillas/wraps
The Dessert Course
You can absolutely include a “dessert” or sweet treat too! Freshen it up with:
- Baked goods made with fruit purees, nut butters, dairy-free milks/yogurts
- Fresh fruit skewers, parfaits, or fruit-based popsicles
- Energy bites made with oats, nut butter, seeds, etc.
- Lightly sweetened with just a touch of maple syrup or honey
The Takeaway?
Get the kids involved in choosing recipes, doing some of the prep work, and assembling for a fun bonding experience.
It allows you to have conversations around nourishing their bodies while still providing that exciting “restaurant” feel.
With some simple ingredient swaps, you can transform their favorite restaurant foods into nutrient-dense, wholesome eats.
