Disney changing its menu for kids at its theme parks

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Nov Fri 17, 2006 11:18 pm

Disney is helping families have more healthy options.

Kids today are eating WAY less healthy than they WE did when we were kids. Look at any kids' menu in a restaurant... what are their options? Burger, Chicken Fingers, grilled cheese. Not great options if you ask me. (and I don't even HAVE kids)

I can tell you don't have any kids!! You have to watch what your kids eat, but you can indulge them more if you keep them active. I agree with:

After the kids eat all the unhealthy foods, all they have to do is run it off.

I have two teenagers who are in great health and can pretty much eat anything. You run into trouble with kids that survive on fast food and are not active! You see a lot of kids that go to school and just go home and play video games. If you really want to help your kids: after the buger and fries, take them to the park to run it off!!!!!!!!!!

knedeau · Post by **knedeau** » Nov Sun 19, 2006 11:44 am

Jacca5660 wrote:You see a lot of kids that go to school and just go home and play video games. If you really want to help your kids: after the buger and fries, take them to the park to run it off!!!!!!!!!!

This is SO true! The problem is that too many parents DON'T do this. And It's ok to indulge your kids once in a while, but if they are eating every meal at a restaurant for a week (Like many people who stay at the resorts do... especially when using the dining plans), It's nice to see that not EVERY meal will be a sugar laden/fatty one.

True, I don't have children yet, but even when I am on vacation, I do try to choose the more healthy options. I still applaud Disney for giving the children (and thier parents) more and better menu options.

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Nov Sun 19, 2006 3:27 pm

if they are eating every meal at a restaurant for a week (Like many people who stay at the resorts do... especially when using the dining plans)

We always have a car whan we are in Orlando and often eat at Cracker Barrel for home cooking! You can't eat food like that for long, it makes you feel like a slug!!

RiaLucia · Post by **RiaLucia** » Nov Wed 22, 2006 6:25 pm

Jacca5660 wrote:
Disney is helping families have more healthy options.

Kids today are eating WAY less healthy than they WE did when we were kids. Look at any kids' menu in a restaurant... what are their options? Burger, Chicken Fingers, grilled cheese. Not great options if you ask me. (and I don't even HAVE kids)
I can tell you don't have any kids!! You have to watch what your kids eat, but you can indulge them more if you keep them active. I agree with:
After the kids eat all the unhealthy foods, all they have to do is run it off.
I have two teenagers who are in great health and can pretty much eat anything. You run into trouble with kids that survive on fast food and are not active! You see a lot of kids that go to school and just go home and play video games. If you really want to help your kids: after the buger and fries, take them to the park to run it off!!!!!!!!!!

I have to agree to a point. I think having more healthy choices is a great thing. I mean, yeah, the chicken nuggets and mac 'n' cheese are still there, but now they can get fruits and veggies instead. And yes, kids can run around and burn off a lot of calories with their boundless energy and high metabolism.

BUT...the patterns you set when you're a child and adolescent often follow you into your adulthood, do they not? If you grew up on a steady diet of cheeseburgers and fries and were able to burn it off as a kid, what are you going to do when you get older and your metabolism naturally slows down? Are you suddenly going to start eating healthy once you turn 18? 25? 30? Probably not before a big ol' wake-up call. That's why people who were skinny when they were younger and ate whatever they want get pretty rounded out as they age because their eating habits have stayed the same, but the body has not.

I'll get off my soap box now, though. I don't wish to call anyone's parenting into question. I love indulging in treats at Disney, and like many others I justify it by saying that I walked miles and miles over the course of the day, so I deserve it.

I hear the bakery in France calling my name...

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Nov Wed 22, 2006 6:43 pm

BUT...the patterns you set when you're a child and adolescent often follow you into your adulthood, do they not? If you grew up on a steady diet of cheeseburgers and fries and were able to burn it off as a kid, what are you going to do when you get older and your metabolism naturally slows down? Are you suddenly going to start eating healthy once you turn 18? 25? 30? Probably not before a big ol' wake-up call. That's why people who were skinny when they were younger and ate whatever they want get pretty rounded out as they age because their eating habits have stayed the same, but the body has not

You are soooo right!!!!!! Don't get me wrong, we eat very little fast food (Less then once a month). Most of what we eat at home is fresh made and not out of a box!! It just seems when we're at the parks, we tend to eat a lot more show food. It one of the reasons we go to Cracker Barrel at few times when at WDW and in Orlando!
I just feel that if you keep an eye on you kids and let them know that it's a special occasion, you can indulge that show food fix!!

Gusman · Post by **Gusman** » Dec Sat 02, 2006 9:58 pm

But here is something else to think about... tastes do change over time. I mean, it would be nice to have some different selection mainly since the kids menu is pretty much the same regardless of where you go. Ok, that may be a rash generalization, but there is some truth to that.

Maybe it is us - we consider our dining options a intricate part of our vacation. We love to eat and love to eat good food. Disney has some great options out there for pretty much everyone and it would be good to share that kind of variety with children.

For example, I heard somewhere else that they may be testing a "toddlers" plate where the offerings are smaller portions with different options than the kids meals. This kind of tailoring to the guests could really be a good first step to "right-sizing" what the kids eat as well as what they actually eat.

Mr.ToadWildRider · Post by **Mr.ToadWildRider** » Dec Wed 13, 2006 5:25 pm

Jacca5660 wrote: You are soooo right!!!!!! Don't get me wrong, we eat very little fast food (Less then once a month). Most of what we eat at home is fresh made and not out of a box!! It just seems when we're at the parks, we tend to eat a lot more show food. It one of the reasons we go to Cracker Barrel at few times when at WDW and in Orlando!

No offense but Cracker Barrel is still pretty bad for you... I would actually consider Cracker Barrel less healthy than a number of dining options at the resorts/park...

emmala · Post by **emmala** » Jan Mon 15, 2007 5:49 pm

I am looking forward to checking out there menu on ourtrip next month. I think fruit and veggies is alot better than a greasy cheeseburger or nuggets! PLus my son would rather carrots than fries!

RiaLucia · Post by **RiaLucia** » Jan Sat 20, 2007 3:16 pm

emmala wrote:I am looking forward to checking out there menu on ourtrip next month. I think fruit and veggies is alot better than a greasy cheeseburger or nuggets! PLus my son would rather carrots than fries!

I've used this site, http://www.allearsnet.com/din/dining, quite a few times before to scope out the dining options before I go. It's updated fairly regularly.

jd3921fl · Post by **jd3921fl** » Jan Mon 22, 2007 3:44 pm

I'm with Mr. Toad on the CrackerBarrell thing. Fried Okra, Fried Chicken, Fried Livers, Its a fried feast there.

Sarah Turp · Post by **Sarah Turp** » Jan Tue 23, 2007 8:13 am

I think its really important to encourage healthy eating and certainly to offer a choice, but it is a holiday after all. If you eat healthily for most of the year then it doesn't hurt to eat a bit of rubbish for a week or so. Particularly with the amount of walking you do everyday round the theme parks. We walked an average of 12 miles a day! (seriously my brother had a pedometer!)