Table Talk

By Active Duty Mom

December 16, 2008 12:58 PM | Link to this

As a Registered Dietitian and food service manager, I would discourage parents from bringing outside food or drink into a restaurant for their child, simply because they have a “picky eater”. Part of the experience of going out to eat in a restaurant is to experience new and different foods. I cannot tell you how many adult patients I see now who have very limited diets because their “loving parents” did not discourage their picky eating habits at an early age. As a result, they are suffering from Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels because of a steady diet of nothing but high-calorie, high-fat so-called “kid-friendly” foods—e.g., chicken nuggets, grilled cheese sandwiches, french fries, etc. For any parent dealing with a “picky eater”, I highly recommend the book “How to Get Your Kid to Eat, but Not Too Much” by Ellyn Satter. She recommends some great techniques and is not only a Registered Dietitian, but also a Social Worker. Food for thought.

By DB

December 16, 2008 1:44 PM | Link to this

Absolutely not, I would not cater to his “pickiness” by bringing fast food (from WENDY’S!?) for the kid to nosh on while we were eating a meal at a restaurant. The reason the kid is picky at this age is because they have gotten in to the habit of catering to it.

Kids won’t starve. Take him to the restaurant, tell him to find something that he likes, even if it’s just a dish of green beans, and that’s his dinner. End of discussion. As the mother of a former extremely picky eater (four major food groups: peanut butter, jelly, macaroni, cheese), I drove myself crazy until I finally realized — “ENOUGH!” He didn’t starve or have his growth stunted — he’s now 6’3” and 195 lbs. :-)

Not to mention it’s just a bit tacky. My brother-in-law allows his daughters (14 and 17) to bring Chick-Fil-A to their grandmother’s for dinner, because they are “picky”. Grandmother is a superlative cook and is NOT amused — and finally stopped inviting them.

By Rodney

December 16, 2008 4:59 PM | Link to this

While I’m not as aggressive as the above posters, I do agree with them - outside food should not be brought in.

For me, it has nothing to do with teaching children the importance of not always getting what they want or with exposing them to different choices and cultures or any of that altruistic nonsense … bringing outside food to a resto is plain tacky to me.

(Disclaimer - I don’t have any children but I’m seen them on tv and they seem reasonably easy enough to handle)

By Lissa

December 16, 2008 5:15 PM | Link to this

I was/am a very picky eater, but my parents NEVER allowed me to bring in outside food to a restaurant. It wasn’t even something that was considered. I either had to find something on the menu that I would eat, or do without. Enough times of doing without and you learn to find something!

By deegee

December 16, 2008 6:52 PM | Link to this

Okay, here’s the deal. The parents like to eat at a restaurant where there is no kids menu. Typically, that’s a good indication that the restaurant doesn’t cater to families with small children but what the heck. The parents don’t give a rat’s azz about that, they just want what they want. So rather than order some expensive ala carte item off the menu or pay for a special order, they stop at McDonalds and get a $3.00 happy meal and bring it into the restaurant. Mom and Dad can swill a bottle of wine and dine to their heart’s content while the kids eat cheeseburgers and fries and smash crayons on the floor.

By PTC DAWG

December 17, 2008 10:18 AM | Link to this

Picky eaters are ridiculous.

By Kar

December 17, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this

My nephew has severe food allergies for common things like eggs, peanut (& peanut oil) and common preservatives/flavorings.

As a result, they try to only go to places that they know do not use peanut oil for frying and other safety concerns.

However, if they’re invited by friends or family to a specific restaurant and they’re not certain if the food would be “cross contaminated,” they will often bring food for him.

It’s not a matter of being picky but a concern for his life. After several visits to the ER for inadvertant exposures, they would rather be safe than sorry.

However, they can’t keep him in a bubble and try to balance his dietary restrictions with normal life.

By Lillie

December 17, 2008 11:09 AM | Link to this

ABSOLUTELY not! Children need to be able to adapt - it’s a great characteristic to have in life.

By Leila

December 17, 2008 11:15 AM | Link to this

You go to a nice restaurant where the child won’t eat….get a babysitter. Head to a more family friendly venue when you all go out to eat. Bringing McDonalds to a nice restaurant is tacky.

By rave dome

December 17, 2008 11:40 AM | Link to this

if you think that the food at these restaurants is more healthy than what i’m bringing for my kids, you’re dead wrong. We bring milk and fruit to restaurants that do not have what we need to keep our kids healthy. There’s more salt, fat and corn syrup in these restaurant meals than you think, that’s why the food tastes so good! Examine what you are serving in your entree’s as a “food service manager” and tell me that i’m wrong. Restaurants are places of hospitality and always have a great attitude with my kids. If i sound defensive, its only because parenting limits your options, and this is one option that i don’t want to lose. Meredith, I think if your friend’s husband has worked in a restaurant he would understand that the mgt wants you to be happy (within reason). I would suggest being discreet with the “Wendy’s” and keep bringing it. They’ve got some healthy side items at Wendy’s.

Happy holidays and Bah Humbug too!

By Rake

December 17, 2008 12:10 PM | Link to this

On occassion we let our daughter do such things.

1st - If we are going to a resturant that us parents really want to go to and know any meal for the kid will be wasted anyway. And - Only fast food to fast food location.

2nd - We wouldn’t let our daughter bring fast food to a sit down resturant.

3rd - sometimes at her request she ops out of eating at a fancy resturant to have a meal back home. Again - its somewhere her mother and I really want to go.

She is under 10. Very healthy. She is a straight A student.

It not a routine thing.

And, for ative duty mom above - she has learned to eat different foods by us not forcing her to eat them but to just be nice and enjoy those different foods in her presence.

Not advise like the people above - just what what actually happens in our lives.

By AJ

December 17, 2008 3:49 PM | Link to this

Kar - Different issue for your nephew entirely.

As for the rest of you that do think it’s OK because you want to try a restaurant - you’re SELFISH. It’s sad that it’s easier to have a child than it is to get a dog. Things change when you have children.

By Rodney

December 18, 2008 10:30 AM | Link to this

I’m with Leila above - whatever happened to babysitters?

And to rave dome - I think it’s funny that you make your kids eat milk and fruit but mention nothing about yourself eating “salt, fat and corn syrup in [these] restaurant meals … “.

If you’re making your child eat fruit and milk in a resto and you’re eating a NY strip and roasted fingerlings … well …

Bottom line, at least in my humble little opinion, is that you hit it on the head - parenting limits your options. If you have to bring outside food because either your kids won’t eat what you order for them or they have allergies, then maybe you shouldn’t go to that restaurant with your kids. Find a babysitter and enjoy the evening without them - goodness knows the rest of us dining next to you will probably enjoy the evening more.

We’ve been over and over this topic in this blog - kids under a certain age (for me, that age should be 12 or 13) should not be in a non-family oriented resto.