Eating out is more than just a meal – it is a chance to teach kids about food, choices, and balance in a fun, relaxed setting. Restaurants provide an opportunity to show children that meals can be enjoyable and nourishing, while also encouraging curiosity about flavors, textures, and colors on the plate.
We spoke to Lauren Cornay, a Registered Dietitian at Sanford Health, who shares her expert tips for helping kids make balanced choices at restaurants. “Fueling our bodies can be fun and needs to be flexible. Restaurant dining is a great way for caregivers to demonstrate fun and flexibility,” she says.
In this guide, Lauren provides practical advice on how caregivers can make dining out a positive, low-pressure learning experience, helping kids explore new foods, enjoy their meals, and build healthy habits that last a lifetime.
1. Start With Your Drink
Before the food even arrives, drinks can set a refreshing tone for the meal. Water or milk are always solid choices, but it is okay to get creative too. Add a lemon slice to water or try unsweetened tea or sparkling water if available.
Even if a beverage comes with a kids’ meal, Lauren recommends encouraging water. Hydration supports both body and brain development, which helps set a balanced tone for the rest of the meal.
2. Make Sides Colorful and Nutritious
Adding fruits and vegetables helps children get vitamins and nutrients while exploring new flavors. Many restaurants offer side salads, steamed vegetables, fruit cups, or low-fat yogurt.
Lauren advises, “Encourage kids to pick available vegetables as their side. However, I would order a side of fries, or whatever the child’s more typical choice would be, so everyone can still enjoy a few.” This approach shows children that balanced eating can include favorite foods while still incorporating nutritious options.
3. Ask for Dressings and Sauces on the Side
Serving dressings and sauces on the side gives your family flexibility at mealtime – kids can dip, drizzle, and discover new favorite flavors. It is a simple way to enjoy your meal while keeping it balanced.
4. Aim for a Balanced Plate
A balanced meal does not have to be complicated. Lauren shares a simple guideline, “Like any meal, the ideal plate would have a palm-sized protein, a fist-sized serving of a grain or starch, and then some color (ideally vegetables).”
Caregivers can also share dishes or order appetizer portions if restaurant portions are larger than expected. This allows kids to try a variety of foods without feeling overwhelmed.
5. Enjoy Your Meal and Be Kind to Yourself
Not every meal will be perfectly balanced and that is okay. Lauren encourages caregivers to focus on enjoyment. “Especially if it is only happening on occasion, just enjoy it! In my opinion there is no such thing as a ‘perfect meal.’ A relationship with food is about fun and flexibility, so let your restaurant experiences be just that,” she says.
Dining out is an opportunity to connect, try new foods, and show kids that eating well can be enjoyable and flexible.
Strategies When Options Are Limited
Sometimes dining out means fast food, amusement parks, or venues with limited choices. Lauren advises, “Protein is critical for more sustained energy. Make sure they include a protein source even if it is battered and fried. If traveling to an amusement park or entertainment venue with minimal protein options, caregivers should consider bringing meat sticks, roasted edamame, or a trail mix to help bridge the nutrition gaps. If road-tripping for the weekend, bring along some freeze-dried fruit and shelf-stable vegetables (mini cucumbers, mini peppers, carrot sticks) as produce is often lacking.”
Even in these situations, flexibility and balance remain the goal – not perfection.
Use Restaurant Visits to Teach Flexibility and Fun
Lauren emphasizes that restaurant trips can be an opportunity to model balanced eating without pressure. “Food choices at home often become very routine. Caregivers stick to what they know kids will eat. Especially if dining out is a special occasion, make it truly special. Plan to share entrees; ordering just a few dishes at a time. The child can always order chicken strips and fries at the end of the meal if they haven’t found anything else they like.”
She also reminds caregivers that restaurant meals are a chance to teach kids to respect hunger and fullness cues. “It is important we take time to fuel our bodies consistently throughout the day; however, we need to be flexible with how and where that happens. Grabbing something from a restaurant nearby is a great reminder to kids to pause what they are doing and listen to their bodies.”
Model Positive Choices Without Pressure
Children learn more from actions than words. Lauren explains, “If caregivers are intentional to pick balanced entrees and water to drink, the kids are watching and learning. If the family dines out frequently, consider having the caregiver pick the restaurant. There are fast food options that offer leaner proteins and more produce. Putting the family in that type of environment is more likely to lead to balanced decisions, without any extra conversations.”
This teaches children about healthy choices naturally, without framing foods as “good” or “bad.”
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