Catering for kids on the menu
Guest written by Chef Liam
Being a chef means you should know everything about food, menus, costings, H&S schedules and even what the child on table 7 will ‘want’ for dinner… how difficult can it be? I mean parents do it every day – I hope my comments are taken as tongue in cheek. I, like so many parents know how hard it is - some children eat anything, but most will have a list of foods they just will not even look at, let alone eat. Bring the parent aspect into the mix, who just want their kids to be a little bit more selective when it comes to choosing a ‘healthier’ option. Creating an effective kids’ menu on this level is challenging but can also be rewarding.
I must remind myself sometimes… ok a lot of the time... you need to keep it fun – but what does that mean for an adult feeding a kid? Fun food for kids is key. You want them to be excited when their plate finally lands in front of them. Think about what kind of food kids enjoy eating. Have you thought about incorporating something they can dip, roll, or sprinkle? It’s always a hit, in my experience anything that can be eaten by hand furnishes real engagement. And it doesn’t need to be chips and sauce; it could be fruit kebabs and a yoghurt dipping sauce, toasted cheese quesadilla or vegetable spring roll. Cut veggies into shapes, arrange the food in an exciting way or pattern, use colourful bowls and plates or silly straws. Small things like this may seem trivial to adults but can make a kids’ day.
We’re slowly seeing kids’ menus eschew from the deep-fried bag of brown foods like nuggets and chips for more vegetable bundled ideas. Think peas and carrots through a homemade mac’n cheese dish, mini veggie-packed chicken burgers, fresh cheese, and tomato pizza or a veggie burger using our100g Veggie patty.
If you’re looking at breakfast, try topping waffles with fruit rather than ice cream and syrup or try bunny-shaped pancakes as a base with some fruit-flavoured yoghurt. If you’re offering healthy meals that the parents are happy with, you’ll undoubtedly see return business.
Most kids won’t eat a full meal the way adults do, they may pick at one thing before moving to the next, consider the portions and make sure you have small offerings. You could also consider using many small parts to make a dish. For example, instead of ‘fish and chips’ offer kids the choice of three small foods rather than one complete ‘meal’, some kids may choose a dip, veggies and one piece of fish or garlic bread.
When looking at your establishment’s kids’ menu try not to stray too far from the style and cuisine offerings already available. It can seem nonsensical when your adult menu is Mediterranean or Indian, but your kids’ menu has fish and chips and nuggets. It doesn’t have to be traditional or have a direct relation to your style and cuisine but utilise what’s is already available and prepare it simply.
Try to remind yourself that a child’s palette will take years to develop as they grow and change a little bit every day. Flavours don’t necessarily have to complement each other like adults’ meals do, they just need to be tasty, interesting and a little nutritious. Try my Kid's meatballs with rainbow spaghetti in this month’s recipe, you might even like them too!