Kids' Menus
With a great deal of media and consumer focus on healthy lifestyle choices and federal guidelines for kid's meals at schools, there is a growing focus on kid's menus in foodservice outlets. Although operators excel in kid-friendly promotions and entertaining printed kids' menus, children's menu choices are behind those of adult menus when it comes to healthy eating.
On one hand, parents request the high-fat, high-calorie traditional kids' items such as burgers and fries, pizza, and chicken-nuggets, but there are many ways operators can weave in nutritious staples.
- Add a cup of fruit to breakfast, lunch and dinner items and offer kids a fruit choice.
- Instead of serving French-fries, offer choices such as baked potato, rice, mashed potatoes, or vegetables and cut portions in half.
- Include fresh juice and berry smoothies on kid's beverage menus.
Operators can also be creative and have a little fun with kids' items.
- Encourage a berry or juice smoothie. Serve with bright-colored, curly-cue straws that kids can take home with them.
- Offer kids a grazing-style plate filled with various menu items. You can even let them mix-and-match what they would like.
- Kids' meals can also be served on specific styles of dinnerware or packaged individually, like kids' meals at quick service restaurants.
Marinades, Rubs & Pastes
Besides imparting distinct flavors, marinades, rubs and pastes tenderize, add flavor and visual appeal. Marinades typically employ an acid, such as soy, sherry, or vinegar. Dry rubs rely upon chopped or ground herbs and spices, while wet rubs or pastes are made from a dry rub with the addition of minced garlic, citrus juice, or other moist ingredients.
To create impressive marinades look to spices, seasoning mixtures, herbs, vegetables, and fruits and region-typical ingredients.
Marinades
- Asian Inspired
Use soy, honey or sugar, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and garlic.
- Latin-inspired
Mix together garlic, chili peppers and/or spices, and lime or orange juice.
- Argentinean
Combine garlic, sherry, white wine vinegar, olive oil, herbs and red pepper flakes.
Rubs & Pastes
- Jamaican jerk
Allspice, cinnamon, hot pepper or cayenne, thyme, minced onion, sugar
- Cajun
Paprika, onion powder, cayenne, thyme, oregano, and fennel
- Indian
Curry, cardamom, ground ginger
- Southwestern
Cumin, mesquite barbecue seasoning, garlic, and chili powder
Menu Items
- Combine healthy menus with cost efficiency by saving all vegetable peelings and remnants to create house-made stock.
- Use leftover bread for scratch made croutons.
- Extend protein portions and lower fat by adding prune puree to ground beef and burgers.
- Steam vegetables and seafood with strong-scented herbs (such as rosemary, lemon grass, Thai basil, or lemon thyme), balsamic vinegar, walnut or sesame oil, gingerroot, or horseradish.
- Heighten the flavor of grilled foods by adding grapevines, nut shells, branches of lavender, rosemary, seeds, fennel stalks, or citrus to coals.
- Cook chicken with its skin on to retain moisture and flavor; remove before serving to cut down on fat, or offer with skin on. Allow customers to choose.
Recipe Suggestions