Card for ordering off the kids menu

Can anyone tell me where or how I get that card?   And if you can share any stories, how well it was received ?  Do the restruants honer it?

Thank-you,
Karen

Most things on kids menus are too high in fat, fried, too high in carbs.

Try ordering off the appetizer menu. Soups are great! Share with a friend, or take home leftovers for the next day's lunch.

Some restaurants will let you order off the kids menu. I think Cracker Barrel is one of them.

I got a card from my surgeon's office, but I've never used it. I have ordered appetizers or shared entrees (on the very few occasions I've even gone to a restaurant).

Often a surgeon will give you a card, but there are no guarantees anyone will honor anything about it. And besides, rarely is the kid's menu a healthy option for a WLS patient. You are often better off to order an appetizer or a protein based soup, or share from someone else's plate. (In some restaurants, usually higher end ones, there may be a plate charge of $2 - $10.)

Remember, restaurants already have a low profit margin so catering to your needs may not be in their best interests.  This is the path we chose, so sometimes we have to accept less than ideal cir****tances regarding eating out. As a former restaurant owner and chef, I can tell you that a small portion of your cost for dining out actually goes to the food. There's also rent, insurance, maintenance, staff, advertising, legal, etc. and that cost is fixed per person no matter what you order. The fact that there is a kid's menu is simple a promotional way to get families and thus adults in the door too, and frankly, compete with places like MacDonald's for your dining dollar.

You can save yourself time and embarrassment by visting the restaurants you want to try out during a non busy time (from 2:30 to 4:00 is usually ideal) and discussing your needs, wants and concerns. I did this a lot inthe first couple of years with excellent success. I was also always prepared to take home leftovers by having a small insulated cooler and icepacks with me. It's a good idea to take your own food containers too so they fit in your cooler, and order food you think will be good as leftovers--some food simply isn't.

Just my thoughts and opinions.

Ann

Hi I got one from my surgeon's office after my band. Although I have never used it.

Now that I have had RNY, I willl probably just order small or ask for a to-go container.

Frankly, Kid's menu never looks too good.

 Karen,

Just my opinion, but I wouldn't bother with the card. Most restaurants have better choices in their appetizer menu than they do in the kid's menu. 

If you do find a good choice from the kid's menu, you can always tell the server "I'm not too hungry today, would it be all right if I order something from the kid's menu?". If they won't honor that request, it's likely they probably wouldn't take the card either.

Another tip, you can order an entree and ask them to bring out a to-go container at the beginning of your meal. That way, you can put whatever you don't want in the container and you won't be tempted to overeat. 

Jenna

I got my card from the surgeon's office.  I used it one time in a Red Robin retaurant, to order a kids hamburger instead of the large one.  But the problem was that even though I showed them card they had to prepare the burger well done, but state law, even though no child was going to consume it.  I have since decided that it is the appetizer section for me 99% of the time.  Although I can bring home the food, the sight of the large portions becomes overwhelming and I sometime still overeat.  Stick with appetizers or ask for an appetizer portion of any main entree.  Most restaurants will do that.

I've had really good luck at restaurants over the years ordering from the kids menu, ordering just a side dish, asking for something special not even necessarily on the menu. I'm just nice to the server. Most of the time I don't even have to explain why.

You can find one online.  Just google it.  You can print it out and take it to your surgeon to sign it.  But as others have mentioned, the kid's menu does not often have very good choices for WLS people.  And some restaurants honor it and some don't.  They don't have to.  And many restaurants will let you order off the kid's menu if you ask even if you don't have a card.  And besides, I don't really want to tell the waitress that I had a gastric bypass every time I go out to eat.

Kelly

I have not recieved one from my sugeon, although I was told I would, but honestly, if you go out to eat, ask about 1/2 portions also. Alot of times you can order things in 1/2 portions and it is not listed on the menu that way. Also, ordering just single items (al a cart) works well as does the appertizers as previous posters have mentioned. And a to go box is a wonderful thing... can get 2 meals for the price of one!