As we get older, the world gets harsher. Year by year, the delicacies of our childhood get taken away from us. It’s true that the older we get, the wiser we get, but sometimes we just want a piece of our past to get us through a hard week.

One of the biggest burdens of becoming an adult is having to order off the main menu. Gone are the days where you get perfectly portioned meals with an exciting toy on the side. We no longer get a free small custard at Culver’s or a pack of crayons upon entering our favorite diner.

Now this may sound like something that is insignificant or even petty, but hear me out and I think you’ll agree.

Portion Size

kids' meals

Photo by Jared Atkins

Sometimes we are not hungry enough to eat six chicken fingers, fries, and a drink in one sitting. Maybe we don’t want a hamburger with three patties and all the toppings. This is where kids’ meals are an ideal choice. Perfectly portioned sizes for a light meal or even a snack.

Bonus: The smaller the portion size, the lower the cals.

It’s cheap AF. You can satisfy your cravings without having to shell out the big bucks. Why pay for a full meal that you aren’t going to finish? If you really think about it, by ordering off the kids’ menu, you are really saving a lot of food from being wasted. You’re getting a delicious meal and saving the world.

Options & Extras

kids' meals

GIF courtsey of giphy.com

While I agree that kids’ menus have limited options, the items they offer are pretty appealing to everyone. There’s a reason why they are called “kid-friendly” foods. It’s because EVERYONE loves them. The only people that the kids’ menu usually wouldn’t satisfy are vegetarians or vegans.

Not only do you get to take a stroll down memory lane with each bite, but there is a solid chance you get some type of surprise with your meal. Who remembers getting a Happy Meal from McDonald’s solely to receive a mini Beanie Baby or some other precious toy? I do.

In reality, we probably would not know what half the toys are these days, but the surprise is always nice.

The Ugly Truth

kids' meals

GIF courtesy of giphy.com

Believe me, I will always love a good meal from the kids’ menu, but I understand why waiters and waitresses reject people over twelve-years-old from ordering off of it.

If everyone ordered from the kids’ menu, they would probably lose a hell of a lot of money. Kids’ meals can be less than half the cost of its full-priced counterpart, which could be a serious blow to the funds. These chefs also go through a lot of work to create “adult” meals, but that doesn’t mean I don’t occasionally miss the chicken fingers.