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Research finds kids' menus not in step with kids' tastes
August 20, 2009
Today's kids' menus are so ... last year, Mintel Menu Insights has found. The restaurant menu trend trackers have found that the average kids' menu doesn't offer enough variety or healthy food, even as parents, kids and chefs alike call out for better options.
National Restaurant Association research predicted earlier this year that healthy kids' meals would be one of the hottest menu trends in 2009.But with only Burger King adding any new healthy options this year, it doesn't seem the trend has trickled down to quick-serve restaurants.
Analyzing kids' menus from 2005 to the present, Mintel Menu Insights found the same foods repeated year after year. Chicken fingers steadily account for 10 percent of kids' menu items, followed by grilled cheese sandwiches, mac & cheese and burgers. Despite increasing health and obesity concerns, other top kids' menu items include hot dogs, pizza and corn dogs.
Yet kids and parents are looking for something different.
"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."
Only three in 10 parents say their children eat healthfully at restaurants. But Mintel found kids will eat fruits and veggies. More than three in four children (77 percent) are open to ordering foods with vegetables, and six in seven (86 percent) would order fruit-containing items.
A new study by foodservice consultants Technomic and kid-focused brand marketing agency C3 has found that kids are well aware of which foods are healthy. Their research also found that salads are among the leading entrée items on kids' menus at the Top 250 full-service restaurants, which opens new menu options for QSRs.
That knowledge is impacting their food choices, including at restaurants, according to the Better Health blog in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. TheKids & Moms Consumer Trend Report (Family Attitudes and Motivations in Foodservice) findings include:
- About 80 percent of the children surveyed said they have tried to eat more fruit in the past six months, with 77 percent saying they tried to eat more vegetables.
- One-third said they consider health information when dining out, with salads the most popular offering on kids menus
- Older children said they bypass the chicken fingers and pizza offerings and opt for healthier items from the adult side of the menu.
Menu changes on the way
Mintel has found that some restaurants have started toying with healthier menus for kids. Though french fries are still the most common side (offered with 66 percent of kids' menu items), fruits and vegetables have risen in popularity (now at 43 percent and 39 percent, respectively). McDonald's and Burger King are among QSR brands offering some type of apple slices and low fat caramel dip as a side.
Additionally, more restaurants now use menu descriptors to quantify health. "Fresh" is the top marketing claim on kids' menus, appearing on 17 percent of items during the second quarter of 2009. In Q2 2005, only 8 percent of kids' menu items carried the "fresh" claim.
"Restaurants dabble in healthier menus for kids, but there's still significant work to be done," Caranfa said. "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."
Recent innovations in healthier kids' menu items include:
- Bob Evans: Grilled Chicken Strips with a fresh garden salad
- Burger King: Fresh Apple Fries
- Elephant Bar Restaurant: Tropical Citrus Salad with Chicken
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