Pass the Sushi, Dad
David Kamp struck a chord with parents everywhere with his column on the numbing ubiquity of chicken fingers on kids' menus. My favorite line: "I came to the realization that America is in the grips of a nefarious chicken-finger pandemic, in which a blandly tasty foodstuff has somehow become the de facto official nibble of our young."
My son is 20 now, and though he ate his share of chicken fingers growing up, he was always a reasonably adventurous eater. However, he wasn't one of those weird, obnoxious foodie "trophy" kids who ordered sardines, anchovies, and foie gras with impunity. Restaurants serve chicken fingers to kids because they offer parents the path of least resistance. But every ethnic cuisine I know has alternative kid-friendly dishes that aren't, in Kamp's words, palate-deadening.
Here's a partial list of what Will liked growing up:
- Pasta with butter and cheese. Let's face it. Kids and parents love noodles in any form
- Dumplings, any kind of dumplings. They could be steamed, fried or boiled
- Pizza or any kind of melted cheese on warm bread
- Chow fun, no vegetables. See number 1
- Chicken satay at Thai restaurants
- Sushi, especially maki made with crab stick and/or vegetables
- Anything with bacon in it
All tasty, reasonably cheap, and nutritionally sound when eaten in moderation. I'd be curious to know what other parents, aunts, and uncles have found. We can compile the list of Serious Eats–approved kids menu items for parents to access any time.
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4 Comments:
Yes, the trophy kids - the kind who at the age of 2 are held high like foodie merit badges, parroting words like SHITAKE MUSHROOMS DADDY (these are the parents who will face crisis when their little gourmand progenies launch their own white food rebellion). Your picks are right on - I would add that my own kid, an average eater, loves the stewed squid at the Spotted Pig. And the gnuddi there is the worlds most exquisite baby food. The thing is kids never finish their meals, so their meals should be something that you want to finish for them.
loulou at 11:18AM on 05/31/07
My son has the NY version of this limited list. Chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, sushi (Cali rolls only), pizza, Dumplings (especially soup dumplings) & Pate. I don't know how we slipped pate in there but he is discerning enough that when I tried to pass off chopped liver when he was around five, he spit it out.
We recently were able to get him to try fried calamari (must be the breading) which he likes, as long as it's not the tentacles.
crackblind at 12:42PM on 05/31/07
In my nannying days, I made a lot of Annie's Mac and Cheese and chicken nuggets, but the little one (age 7) also loved proscuitto, Comte cheese, smoked duck breast, and chorizo.
leilacohan at 6:10PM on 05/31/07
i'll never forget the day i heard a 3 year old boy say "arugala" at Columbus Bakery. Not kidding. I'll defend chicken fingers to the end. Slap some ranch dressing on the side and you've got yourself some goodness.
crafty at 6:54PM on 05/31/07