I love to eat out!  No menu planning, no shopping, no dishes to clean…ESPECIALLY the no dishes to clean part!!  But I find it challenging to have my 5-year old with me and find healthy alternatives that she will enjoy.  So many kid’s menus only have the requisite Hamburger, Hot Dog, Mac&Cheese and Chicken Fingers selections --- which I’m not opposed to these foods necessarily, but I am concerned with where they come from and the ingredients they contain.

So, I have been taking note of some restaurants that I feel comfortable bringing Lily to and wanted to share.

One of Lily’s favorites is Jamba Juice.  Okay, so it’s not perhaps the most balanced ‘meal’ of all time, but I can feel good about her having a Tomato Cheddar Twist and All Fruit™ smoothie – I’ve looked up nutrition facts online (kudos to Jamba Juice for full disclosure!,) and while I know this snack is a little high in carbs and sugars, I also know the sugars are from fruit and along with those elements she is still getting some good protein and other nutrients.

Another one high on Lily’s list is CPK (California Pizza Kitchen.) I am partial to CPK   because I have always been impressed by how they have maintained integrity while growing crazy fast. I LOVE that one of their kid’s items is grilled chicken served with broccoli and you can add edamame to the mac ‘n’ cheese dish for only $0.49!  Although our order is cheese pizza about 50% of the time (in my opinion the healthiest  of ‘junk foods’) she is just as happy when we order the chicken and broccoli!

Souplantation is another good one, although I don’t have one in my immediate area, I love it for when we are on the road and looking for something fast.  Lily loves going through the salad bar line picking out some of her favorites: tomatoes, broccoli, shredded cheese, olives, corn and peas.  She usually rounds it out with some soup and finishes with some fruit and pudding or soft-serve ice cream.  She loves choosing her own food and I love seeing what she chooses.

An up-and-comer (I hope!) is Evos. They are all about the ingredients and cooking methods to deliver fresh, delicious and nutritious food. It looks like a pretty typical fast-food menu, but all the beef is natural with no hormones or antibiotics, the poultry is air baked (as are the fries,) the milkshakes are made of organic dairy products.  So when I am in the mood for a burger, fries and shake, I know I can go here and not feel (too) guilty.  They have made their way into California, Georgia, North Carolina and Florida so far, but I hope they will make it across the states some day.

What restaurants do you feel good about feeding your kids at?

Stay Playful,

Karen