Our weekly reader poll in Restaurant SmartBrief — SmartPulse – tracks feedback from restaurant owners and managers about current trends and issues.
Last week’s poll question: Does your restaurant offer a children’s menu?
46.74% — Yes, it is a separate menu.
28.26% — Yes, it is small portions of dishes on the regular menu.
17.39% — No, my restaurant does not offer a children’s menu.
7.61% — This question is not applicable to me.
Children and their meals have been on a lot of our minds as of late. Last week, federal agencies proposed that food companies — including restaurants — voluntarily limit advertising and marketing efforts aimed at children to products that are low in salt, fat and sugar (read more). Also last week, at The Atlantic’s Food Summit, chefs, food makers and food-policy experts tackled the topics, with Alice Waters touting the importance of universal and free lunch through school gardens and incorporating culinary training into the curriculum (read more).
How can you move beyond the chicken fingers and mac-and-cheese? Focus on nutrition and engage children with fun-to-eat items and interactive activities such as the cooking classes offered by Bean Sprouts Cafes across the country (read more).
Share your thoughts on food and kids in the comments, or connect with me on Twitter at @SB_Food.