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Top 100: Menu Trends – Healthy kids menus

Healthy kids menus are number ten on our list of the 2014 Top 100 Fast Casual Movers and Shakers: Menu Trends.

December 12, 2014

Healthy kids menus are number ten on our list of the 2014 Top 100 Fast Casual Movers and Shakers: Menu Trends.

We all want our kids to eat healthfully. Until recently, however, finding healthful menu choices that kids wanted to eat was a challenge. Thankfully, that's changing. The National Restaurant Association's Kids LiveWell program is being adopted by restaurants such as Mama Fu's that realize a high standard must be met in order to be included on the organization's dining guide.

McAlister's Deli made strides to provide options to kids by adding a garden salad and a kids' baked potato to its menu. But the leader when it comes to this space, however, is arguably Seattle-based Bean Sprouts. Founders Shannon Payette Seip and Kelly Parthen offer a "wholesome and whimsical menu that focuses on playful presentation and gets kids moving and involved in the café with silly activities," Payette Seip said.

A customer favorite, for example, is the "Bean There, Ate That" gong that kids ring when they try new foods.