Children's Menu Choices Stuck in a Rut, Says Mintel

September 1, 2009

New research from Mintel, which tracks menu trends in restaurants and fast food outlets in the US, reveals the average children’s menu doesn’t offer enough variety or healthy food.

Mintel Menu Insights has analysed kids’ menus from 2005 to date. It has uncovered the same clichéd foods repeated year after year. Chicken fingers continually account for 10% of kids’ menu items, followed by grilled cheese sandwiches, mac & cheese and burgers. Other top kids’ menu items include hot dogs, pizza and corn dogs. This is despite increasing health and obesity concerns and parents calling for healthier options.

Burger King: Fresh Apple Fries

“Our research shows parents want more nutritious options for their kids, and children are open to fruits, veggies and healthier versions of standard fare,” said Maria Caranfa, RD and director of Mintel Menu Insights. “The generic kids’ menu really doesn’t meet the needs and desires of today’s families.”

According to Mintel, only three in 10 parents say their children eat healthfully at restaurants. But more than three in four children (77%) are open to ordering foods with vegetables, and six in seven (86%) would order fruit-containing items, it says.

Mintel reports some restaurants have started toying with healthier menus for kids. Though french fries are still the most common side (offered with 66% of kids’ menu items), fruits and vegetables have risen in popularity (now at 43% and 39%, respectively). Even rice and salad (18% each) are showing up as kids’ side options.

Additionally, more restaurants now use menu descriptors to quantify health. ‘Fresh’ is the top marketing claim on kids’menus, appearing on 17% of items during Q2 2009. In Q2 2005, only 8% of kids’ menu items carried the ‘fresh’ claim.

“Restaurants dabble in healthier menus for kids, but there’s still significant work to be done,” said Caranfa. “Health and obesity issues, the popularity of ethnic foods and increased media coverage are creating pressure for revamped kids’ menus. Soon, health and menu variety will be the new standards in kids’ dining.”

Caranfa points out recent innovations in healthier kids' menu items:

• Bob Evans: Grilled Chicken Strips with a fresh garden salad
• Burger King: Fresh Apple Fries
• Elephant Bar Restaurant: Tropical Citrus Salad with Chicken