31 answers

What Do Your Kids Eat at Chinese Restaurants?

We're meeting some friends at a Chinese restaurant tonight with our 4 year old and 2 year old. We usually only go out for either sushi or pub food, which is pretty rare anyway. Just curious for those of you that have taken your small kiddos to Chinese restaurants, what do you order for them? This is supposedly a yummy and pretty authentic place so the food should be really good. Just trying to get some ideas from the experts before we go. Thanks!

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So What Happened?™

You guys are so awesome. To B P., no I really have never taken them to a Chinese restaurant. My husband has traveled to China a few times for business over the past 6 years, and it's turned him into a Chinese food snob. :) I guess food in China is mostly a lot healthier, a lot less greasy than many American Chinese restaurants, and he says he just can't eat it here. So we never even order Chinese food at home. The only reason we talked him into going tonight is that the the reviews are great for this place and it's supposedly more healthy/less greasy than your typical American Chinese fare. Thanks so much you guys! Anyone else hungry for Chinese now?!

Featured Answers

I probably can't be much help, my 5 yo. likes it as spicy as she can get it.
DS (1) likes fried rice.

2 moms found this helpful

My kids love the orange chicken, honey seared chicken, or sesame chicken with steamed white rice. They also love the eggs rolls. Sometimes they eat the terayaki chicken with added sauce on the side and also like a small think of beef and broccoli. I typically order two plates and my family of 4 shares off everyones plate.

1 mom found this helpful

usually I get chicken lo mien and I ask for a little plate and she eats some of that. she's 4 and she also likes crab rangoon.

1 mom found this helpful

More Answers

My daughter is a picky eater so all she eats is the white rice and fried wonton at a Chinese restaurant. I know not super health but we go maybe once a month so we let it slide.

There usually is so much on the menu that many can find something that they can eat. Can you look online the place, they might have a menu posted. Shrimp Fried Rice, Beef (in steak strips)/Pepper/Onion with white rice on the side, Wonton Soup... pick what your favorite food is chicken, shrimp, beef, veggie and have fun :)

3 moms found this helpful

My 3 yr old grand daughter went thru a stage where all she wanted was noodles, pasta, top ramen, the longer the better! She loves rice, and cant get enough broccoli now, so Chinese food is easy. We gave her the noodles in chow mein and broccoli from the broccoli and beef and told her the wontons were chips. She ate fine! If your kids are good meat eaters you can go with chicken pieces in the chow mein and veggies too. Now Im hungry!

2 moms found this helpful

Wow, I never thought about what my kid eats...he usually eats what we eat, unless we order something too spicy.

I guess he likes fried rice w/some sort of meat in it. Its ideal b/c it usually has some sort of veggie in it.

When we go to any Chinese/Japanese restaurant we order endamame - he likes popping the beans in his mouth.

2 moms found this helpful

Depends on the age and tastes of the kid. Mine like everything...and they're normally very picky. But Chinese cuisine offers alot of soft and easy to eat finger foods and more that kids tend to like.

You can't go wrong with fried rice with or without chicken, beef, or pork. The tempura type things like sweet n' sour shrimp, chicken and pork, sesame chicken or pork, lemon chicken are usually a hit with kids. Just ask to keep the sauce on the side, so your child can use as much as they please, or can dip the meats.

Cantonese style of chow mein (the more soupy celery based kind) kids usually like too.

Some kids enjoy Egg Foo Young (sp?) and as others have suggested, Lo Mein is great. It's basically spaghetti!

Dim Sum or Appetizer trays are always fun for kids too. Little asian style drummies, BBQ Pork, cream cheese wontons, potstickers etc. are easy finger foods and usually appeal to kid appetites.

If all else fails or you're not sure...most Chinese restaurants in our area offer American kid delights like chicken fingers, fries, etc. too.

2 moms found this helpful

I probably can't be much help, my 5 yo. likes it as spicy as she can get it.
DS (1) likes fried rice.

2 moms found this helpful

Normally some variation of fried rice - usually shrimp, chicken or vegetarian. He likes kani, and some very simple stir fries.

Have a nice dinner!

God Bless

2 moms found this helpful

It really depends on your kids. Neither of ours would eat the "standard kids food" (sweet & sour chicken). Our daughter, however, would eat just about any meat that wasn't doused in sauce, so she would eat chicken on a stick (whatever name they use - chicken satay maybe?). Our son was the same, although he did like steamed rice also. He also really liked the crab wontons (cream cheese & crab filled). He is our more adventurous eater, she is the "picky" one. He started LOVING chinese food around age 8. Daughter (almost 10) JUST 'discovered' it in the last 6 months.

1 mom found this helpful

We do beef and broccoli ... steamed Veggies, rice (my kids only eat plain, not stir fried) I would pick any entree where the chix or beef is not deep fried and just pull it out for them to eat. enjoy!!! Man i wish we had a decent Chinese food place here.... :)

1 mom found this helpful

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