Kid's Meals for Adult Post ops?

I have been antsy about showing my medical alert card and asking if i can purchase a kids meal at restaurants in the Baltimore County area. Some state in the menu there is no exception to the kids meal rule One place i want to go to with family is Friendly Farms up in Northern Baltimore Co. off I-83. I am not sure how they would respond. I thought perhaps to go with my family group- watch them eat the food - ordering nothing myself- except order myself an ala carte crab cake to go?... Wonder if they charge for plate sharing when I would only be eating part of someone's crab cake- and would not be eating the appetizers or side dishes brought to the table...??? I can cope with the strange looks and comments like "Is that all you are ordering/eating?" but I don't want a battle over the portion/plate/charge. Does anyone know of eating establishments (besides fast food places) that are "bariatric friendly" i.e., let you order smaller sized meals/items? Perhaps we could get a list together of places that are friendly versus non-accomodating to save lots of us the bother of wondering and hesitating (I can get ticked off easily too when faced with rude waitstaff which can ruin the occasion altogether for me and whomever is with me) I promise to post my experiences here or on my profile about this issue. Will you? Karen

Hi Karen, I havnt used my cards yet I just order regular portions and ask for a take out thing right away and the resturants are really good about telling you whats in the food if you ask them. Good Luck. I have only been to chili's and applebee's so far and both have been great experiences and great waitresses. Take care kelly

Karen, I've eaten at several restaurants over the months since my surgery and not had one bad experience. I was given a card by my surgeon, but I never used it. I don't intend to ever use it, I don't want to draw attention to myself. In most situations, I just make the best food choice. I've never been able to fini**** so I either give it to someone I'm dining with (knowing that they don't mind eating after me) or I take it home in a take out box. Early on, I didn't eat out and I hated the thought of "wasted food" (I still do), but after awhile I was like, I'm not going to let this surgery ruin dining out for me. I just adjusted my thinking to that I'd always have a take out carton. I have to say, I used to order steaks medium well. Now when I get them, I get them medium, so that on the reheat they're not like shoe leather. This has worked well for me. Although I was 7 months out before I tried steak. The restaurants I've eaten at are: Ruby Tuesdays Cheesecake Factory (yes, I had the low carb cheesecake to go) Qdoba Chipotle Medival Times Blue Star Grill Chevy's Friday's Cracker Barrel Texas Roadhouse Carrabbas Olive Tree There are many more that I just can't think of right now. I've noticed that most of the time the kids menus are foods that aren't really in my program (hot dogs, mac n cheese, spaghetti, etc). HTH Take Care, Terry

Hi, The few times that I did order off the kids menu there were no questions asked...I just mentioned that I wasn't very hungry....but...I do NOT order off the kids menu (anymore) because basically it sucks...sometimes the appetiziers are just as bad.... I typically order an entre with the idea that I will eat the rest at another time....and if I throw some of it away, that is OK now...wasn;t initially, but now I am. Also I am not against sharing with others at the table. I realize that I need to eat good quality food to stay healthy...I am not going to eat crap just so I don't waste any...also, I LOVE having left overs as I eat a little bit every 3 hours....so typically I can almost finish my dinner by the next day. We eat out just as much as pre-wls, but I have a whole lot more left-overs....which leads to more lunches, snacks, etc... I have shared off others plates at many restaurants and never had a problem...some restaurants do charge like $3 to share a plate but it would be worth it if almost the entire meal was going to waste...but I have never been charged an extra plate charge even when we did share...also, ordering a la carte makes it much easier on me...especially at mexican restaurants where they serve so much rice and beans...but I do like rice and beans so many time I will get it and just take a bite or two and throw out the rest...I enjoyed what I ate. Best wishes RAE

I know it's frustrating but if you look at the nutritional value in kids meals (even in a decent restaurant), it's not really good for you anyway. It would be better to order from the adult menu and take food home. I'm not too far from you and I can tell you that in Bel Air, the restaurant's have been very accomodating to me. I have had great experiences with Applebee's, Outback, Friday's, and Chicago Uno's, etc. Best of luck

Thanks for all the support and suggestions. I guess its just the "mom and pop" restaurants i prefer to go to---not sure how they would react. I just wish they had an ala carte entree rather than just ala carte side dishes. I just have to stop being so sensitive to the comments and reactions of the waitstaff. Don't sweat the small stuff, right?