TREND BITES:
Kids’ Menus
Set Your Kids' Menu Up for Success
Kids' menus often seem like an afterthought with a few standard options to keep children happy while the real focus is on adult entrées. However, if you haven't revamped your kids' meals in a while, you might be missing out on some huge opportunities!
Families make up a large portion of foodservice customers—in fact, a Technomic study showed that nearly 9 in 10 adults with children eat out weekly, versus just two-thirds of adults without kids—but kids’ comfort foods and parents’ nutritional expectations have shifted in recent years. A few easy updates to your kids’ entrées can keep young eaters happy, reassure parents, and turn your operation into a family favorite. Keep Your Kids' Staples Center Stage
No matter how trends shift, the core of every kids' menu is built around comfort food basics. Datassential's 2025 Kids' Menus Report shows that 57% of restaurants with kids' menus are serving chicken strips, making them the most popular kids' item. Following chicken strips are burgers at 39% and grilled cheese at 37%.
If we dive into the most popular kids' foods across the U.S., we start to see new trends emerging. The same Kids' Menus Report lists kids' favorites by region:
- West: Breakfast burritos and orange chicken
- Midwest: Buttered noodles and mandarins
- South: BBQ sandwiches and fajitas
- Northeast: Chicken parmigiana and flatbreads
What's loved by kids in other regions will likely be tasty to the young diners you serve too, so these regional favorites would be great new additions to any kids' menu.
Once you’ve locked in your staples, the next step is adding creativity that keeps your kids’ menu fresh.Refresh the Classics with On‑Trend Upgrades
Give your kids' classics slight touches that nod to overarching foodservice trends. This bring your kids' menu to the next level and show parents that you care what their kids are eating. Here are simple upgrades to impress kids and parents:
- For irresistable chicken, take a cue from school lunch menus and offer the kid-favorite "boom boom sauce" either as a dipping sauce for tenders and nuggets or in a Boom Boom Chicken Snack Wrap.
- To give handhelds a refresh, add a global touch. Gen Alpha is growing up with global cuisines being just as popular as traditional American classics. Try Greek-inspired ingredients in a Chicken Strip Pita Wrap, or use guacamole and pico de gallo in a Fiesta Chicken Pattie.
- For healthy options, consider offering rice bowls instead of basic salads. With parents seeking nutritious foods and kids wanting tasty flavor and familiar textures, it's hard to find the perfect balance. Bowls with rice, protein, veggies, and sauce are simple enough that children enjoy all the ingredients, yet much more exciting than basic salads. Try these recipes: Teriyaki Chicken Bowl and Hawaiian Chicken Bowl.
Easy-Prep Applications that Kids Will Love:
These children's entrées can be prepared fast and have the nutritional benefits required by school lunch programs and health-minded parents, which makes them great for schools, restaurants, hospitality, and healthcare menus. Plus, they all use fully cooked chicken that you can just heat and serve!
Transform Adult Favorites into Child‑Friendly Options
Save time and money by using fast, portion-controlled kids' ingredients like chicken nuggets and patties in smaller versions of your adult entrées. The small portions look cute and feel special to kids because they're sized just for them. They also give your kids' menu more variety and help transition older kids into ordering from the adult menu.
We used chicken nuggets to make this adorable and delicious Chicken Nugget Parmesan. Other adult menu items that can be turned into kids' options are wraps, tacos, quesadillas, and bowls. Our recipe library has some great, simple ideas for using chicken nuggets and boneless wings to make entrées kid-friendly. Kid-Approved Chicken You Can Count On:
Get Started with Your Updated Kids' Menu
As you keep enhancing your overall menu, don't forget to change up the kids' items too. By giving your kids’ menu a few thoughtful updates, you can keep the classics kids love while meeting parents' expectations for healthier, more exciting options. Simple upgrades, global flavors, and child-sized versions of your adult entrées help you streamline operations while creating meals that feel fresh, fun, and genuinely satisfying. When you approach kids’ menus with the same care as your main menu, you create experiences families come back for again and again.
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