Kids' Cuisine?

In my casual food reading, I thoroughly enjoyed this piece on eating out with children. David Kamp, the writer, contends that across the restaurant spectrum almost all kids' menus offer the same six options: chicken fingers, grilled cheese, hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and some kind of pasta.

The above picture was the first result in a Google Images search for "chicken fingers." In light of the homogeneity of kids' menus discussion, its source is fitting--Nawab Indian Cuisine.

Not only are restaurants offering children unhealthy choices, they're not doing kids' palates any favors. As Kamp writes,

Far from being an advance, I’ve concluded, the standard children’s menu is regressive, encouraging children (and their misguided parents) to believe that there is a rigidly delineated “kids’ cuisine” that exists entirely apart from grown-up cuisine.

Because most restaurants serve the same kids' meals, many children don't try new foods. On that note, thanks Mama and Papa Fork for keeping me away from the children's menu and close to Peking Ravioli, steamed clams and a whole mess of other foods.