Eating out with kids

[sing2phins]

How often do you take your kids out to eat? I feel like we eat out way too much, but I'm not sure what's "normal."

*full disclosure: posting while the kids are in the CFA playplace.

[sing2phins]

Also, hi!

[trtlcrzy]

Well...we are out to eat right now but it’s a special occasion. We eat out pretty rarely, but get pizza on fridays and bring it home. My children have the most FOMO of any children I know so they don’t eat well when we eat out.

[wineallthetime]

We go out with the kids every few weeks. Honestly, A is just at a difficult age for it now since he just wants to walk around and explore. If it weren't for him we would go a lot more often. We enjoy going out with the other two for the most part!

[guster]

We go to dinner once a week, either Friday or Saturday night.
And we probably grab one more, much more casual , breakfast or lunch meal out as we’re running around on the weekends.

[peachsmama]

More than I'd like but 🤷‍♀️ we do dinner out one night a week. And lunch probably 2-3 times a week.

[lahdeedah]

We’re all over the place. Some weeks it’s more than others, but I would say we average about twice a week. Last week when Mh was out of town, we ate out twice and had enough leftovers to make it through both lunch and dinner Saturday.

This includes whether we go to a restaurant or I get takeout. I’ll be honest and say that when we do go in restaurants, the kids have the iPad. It makes it so much more bearable for me, so It’s worth it.

[wineallthetime]

Oct 2, 2019 18:30:29 GMT -6 lahdeedah said:

We’re all over the place. Some weeks it’s more than others, but I would say we average about twice a week. Last week when Mh was out of town, we ate out twice and had enough leftovers to make it through both lunch and dinner Saturday.

This includes whether we go to a restaurant or I get takeout. I’ll be honest and say that when we do go in restaurants, the kids have the iPad. It makes it so much more bearable for me, so It’s worth it.

I was not including takeout in my answer! We do that typically once a week on the weekends for lunch/dinner and will also grab to go breakfast once (donuts/breakfast sandwich) and the kids get happy meals usually every week or two.

[sing2phins]

We never do take out or delivery with the kids except for pizza, and even that is rare. But we are regulars at CFA, Noodles, Chipotle, and MOD. I really wish I could get it together during the week. Weekends I don't worry about so much because it's just part of our day being out and about. It's the weekdays that bother me and make me feel like I'm not doing the best thing for them.

[lfig]

Are your kids fed? Then you are fine!!

Really!

We eat out a lot. 1. I hate cooking 2. We are always on the go. 3. I hate cooking.

And like lahdeedah my child had the iPod playing Peppa or Elmo or Bubble Guppies while we are in restaurants. MH and I actually are on opposite ends of the spectrum on this. I want to enjoy my meal and everyone else to enjoy theirs too. He wants to take it away, make her “mind”, which I’d be all for, if it wasn’t just me trying to keep her happy and fed without a device.

[lahdeedah]

Oct 2, 2019 18:35:31 GMT -6 sing2phins said:

We never do take out or delivery with the kids except for pizza, and even that is rare. But we are regulars at CFA, Noodles, Chipotle, and MOD. I really wish I could get it together during the week. Weekends I don't worry about so much because it's just part of our day being out and about. It's the weekdays that bother me and make me feel like I'm not doing the best thing for them.

I get where you are coming from. As a working parent, it was hard to keep up with cooking and meal planning. You are feeding them- and your regular spots seem on the healthier side- so you have nothing to feel guilty about. Half the time I want to just take mine out, too. It’s less work in prep and in cleaning after. If it’s less stress for you, don’t sweat it.

[peachsmama]

Oct 2, 2019 18:47:45 GMT -6 lfig said:

Are your kids fed? Then you are fine!!

Really!

We eat out a lot. 1. I hate cooking 2. We are always on the go. 3. I hate cooking.

And like lahdeedah my child had the iPod playing Peppa or Elmo or Bubble Guppies while we are in restaurants. MH and I actually are on opposite ends of the spectrum on this. I want to enjoy my meal and everyone else to enjoy theirs too. He wants to take it away, make her “mind”, which I’d be all for, if it wasn’t just me trying to keep her happy and fed without a device.

A is like your H. But then he plays on his phone while we're there. If he tells them no, I take his phone. Either let the device keep them quiet or talk and play with them. Dont just stare at your phone and expect them to sit and act perfect while you ignore them.

[Sunny41]

I go out 1 night a week so mh takes E out that night. He goes out 1 night and I get CFA. We go out as a family. I look around and there is no fresh fruit or veggies in the house because I have to hang out and watch my kid run around and play. He's great at reading out though. I'm starting to feel bad about him buying lots of school lunches but he's got to eat.

[flamingo]

Once a week for a sit-down meal, usually Fri or Sat.
Take-out / fast casual...maybe once every other week?
Fast-food lunch or breakfast out probably 1-2x/week

DH and I both enjoy cooking (and have time to do it), but honestly, to me it's most important that we're eating dinner together, whether that's out or at home. So I wouldn't beat yourself up too much I also am a big fan of making large meals so we have leftovers for busy nights.

[mwhip]

We eat out a lot. I would guess 3-4 times a week, on average. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

Pretty much every Friday night. Then lunch once or twice on the weekends. And usually one other random night during the week because I forget to set stuff out or just don't feel like cooking. I work all day. I'm tired when I get home. Sometimes I don't feel like standing in the kitchen for 30+ minutes while everyone else is watching tv or playing on their phones/tablets, so I say fuck it.

Tonight will be a fuck it night. I have to go to the school and pick up Evie's fundraiser stuff plus hit family night at the book fair, so it will likely be 5:30/6ish before I get home. My kid needs to be in bed by 7 or she's a 1-girl shit show. So totally getting something out tonight.

[chrisy01]

This is a struggle for us. We try not to eat out but it happens even if I meal plan. I think whatever gets your kids fed is fine.

[jewels]

It really varies for us. B is... not fun at restaurants still. S is a dream. Whenever MH or I do 1 on 1 time with S it almost always includes a meal. But with MH away so much, I rarely take both kids out on my own.

So I'd say out with the whole family maybe 1 X per month. And another 1-3 times with just S.

But We order pizza a few times per month, and if I counted how many times I made them chicken nuggets or breakfast for dinner (Frozen Eggos and yogurt), well, I'd run out of fingers.

So all that to say I don't think it's much different then what you are doing sing2phins. Just in the house where I don't have to chase B around.

[tgrimes]

We probably go out to eat once every other week. We meal plan and prep stuff on the weekends. #1 I'm cheap and eating out adds up quickly a. We can make dinner much cheaper. #2 My kids are hellions at night during the week and it would not be delightful.

I have a very short time frame from getting home, to feeding the kids, to baths & bed. Eating out wouldn't work for us time wise either.

[klong11]

We eat out a couple times a week, more often on the weekends because I try to stick with the meal plan during the week.
I don't feel bad about it though because Cadence doesn't eat most of the stuff we get. There are times where we get drive thru and then she ends up eating a turkey sandwich at home instead because she refuses whatever we bought.

[tallb]

We eat out maybe once a week? Exclusively fast casual places though, like 5 guys, chipotle, CFA, etc. I don't think it's a problem to eat out too much unless you can't afford it. We used to get takeout or eat out more when we were in our old apartment, but convenience and cash flow were higher..

My mom and I used to go out a lot in middle/high school since I had late sports most nights and just the two of us. Normally on the nights that restaurants had deals and then the leftovers would be lunches.

[wineallthetime]

sing2phins, do you WANT to start eating at home more? If so, are there things you could do to help this goal? For instance, I plan 3 meals for the weekdays. I try to make them big enough for leftovers for lunch and typically one other dinner night. Nights I know I'll be lower on energy/time (like tonight) meals are super easy. Tonight is chicken sausage (fully cooked, just needs to be heated up) and parmesan zucchini. Making this sounds way easier than going out in my mind!

Just some thoughts!

[klong11]

wineallthetime, talk to me about parmesan zucchini. Is it zucchini strips with parm roasted in the oven?

[wineallthetime]

Oct 3, 2019 10:40:36 GMT -6 klong11 said:

wineallthetime , talk to me about parmesan zucchini. Is it zucchini strips with parm roasted in the oven?

Yup. Nothing fancy:

www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/03/parmesan-roasted-zucchini-recipe/

[klong11]

Oct 3, 2019 10:44:28 GMT -6 wineallthetime said:

Oct 3, 2019 10:40:36 GMT -6 klong11 said:

wineallthetime , talk to me about parmesan zucchini. Is it zucchini strips with parm roasted in the oven?

Yup. Nothing fancy:

www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/03/parmesan-roasted-zucchini-recipe/

Thanks!

[nam2013]

We never eat out with the kids, it it just not a thing (as far as things can go) over here. I liked eating out with the kids in the states, it is much more child friendly than here. It was fun !

[wedding]

Fast food once a week- usually a reward/bribe for not bitching before karate

Dunks- once a week or once every other

Sit down restaurant maybe once every other week


I hate cooking. My meals looks something like this with pretty simple, quick things to cook.

Monday- tortellini with jarred pesto
Tuesday- frozen pizza since dh works late
Wednesday- burgers and hot dogs
Thursday- McDonald’s for him sometimes us otherwise breakfast sandwiches I make
Friday- tacos or quesadillas
Saturday- take out or out
Sunday- hopefully we have some leftovers from the night before

We started tightening up our food budget in July so that’s our motivation. We are also given $30 each during the work week for coffees, lunch, snacks. Or we can save it and get another night of takeout or something.

[inthekitty]

I'm channeling lfig on this one. I don't necessarily hate cooking, but I rarely have time for it and the kids won't eat most the stuff I make.

We would eat out more if we had better places to eat here and it wasn't such a time-consuming ordeal.

Because we do TKD 5 nights a week there's not a lot of time for dinner. I usually make the kids something like a lunch or throw some taquitos in the microwave and make some pasta-roni/tortellini. Whatever can be done in 10 minutes. 🤷‍♀️

[lahdeedah]

Oct 3, 2019 19:30:34 GMT -6 inthekitty said:

I'm channeling lfig on this one. I don't necessarily hate cooking, but I rarely have time for it and the kids won't eat most the stuff I make.

We would eat out more if we had better places to eat here and it wasn't such a time-consuming ordeal.

Because we do TKD 5 nights a week there's not a lot of time for dinner. I usually make the kids something like a lunch or throw some taquitos in the microwave and make some pasta-roni/tortellini. Whatever can be done in 10 minutes. 🤷‍♀️

My kids LOVE pasta-roni. I’ve tried to find recipes to make from scratch of similar sauces to make real pasta, but no luck, so I keep buying pasta-roni.

[klong11]

My kid eats hamburger helper like it's the most amazing gourmet meal she's ever had. I throw it into my meal plan at least once a week.

[chrisy01]

Oct 3, 2019 23:41:30 GMT -6 klong11 said:

My kid eats hamburger helper like it's the most amazing gourmet meal she's ever had. I throw it into my meal plan at least once a week.

We do too. It’s also a good meal to get veggies in.