card

I have a counterpart in the US and she was able to get a card from her surgeon that explained her RNY and gave her authority to pay kids prices at buffets and order off the kids menu without question. Do we have that up here? If so, do you find it beneficial? 

I've seen the card posted before but feel it silly to print/use.. no restaurant I have eaten at has prevented me from ordering from the kids menu... the worst part of eating at a restaurant has nothing to do with the food, it is stopping them from bringing you a drink even after refusing vehemently that I do not want one lol

I never looked into it.  I usually avoid buffets, and once my meal arrives, I ask for a take out dish.  I already know I'm going to have leftovers.  Most places design the kids menu for fun, not healthy.  They have healthy options, but the mains may not be as healthy as you would like.

Cathy

yup we got one in Ottawa i have never used it

I eat out a lot with my 7 year old and most food on the kid's menu is very unhealthy, aka full of carbs.

As others have said it's easier to order something healthy and just take 1/2 of it home. I do that all the time and it's great because I don't have to plan out my lunch/dinner for the next day.

Restaurants don't have to let you order off the kids menu so don't expect them to allow that if you try it. They are in the business to sell you food, not cater to our dietary requirements.

When I had my surgery almost 8 years ago, I got one.  In Michigan you automatically got the card.  (You can print them up on obesityhelp here if you so desire).  To this day, I have never used the card.  Here are my reasons:

I never felt that the world needed to change for me.  I didn't think that altering my stomach makes me any more priviledged than anyone else.  In fact, when I went for events, I brought food with me much of the time rather than thinking my hosts had to cater to me. 

If you read the menus, kids food are CRAP.  Most places do not have grilled chicken (other than strips) or fish on the menu. Those were my "go to" staples my first year out with veggies.  The best thing I was I always had lunch for the next day with leftovers.  You can even get a little cooler for your car in the summer.  Many times I could get 2-3 more meals!  Wonderful for freezing and eating later.

Dawn

I avoid buffets. I do not eat enough to make it worthwhile. I either have an appetizer or full meal and take it home. I recently went out with people from work to an all you can eat meal. You kept ordering more small dishes. I tried ordering from the menu but could only do this if I sat by myself. So I had twp satay strip and a very small mango salad for $14.95. The person the lunch was for I had worked with for many years or I would not have gone.

Ottawa gives you one when you leave the hospital. I think Kingston has them too. 

I was asked to prove I had surgery by presenting the card when I travelled in the US. Not just at buffets restaurants. I used it to order a half order of an entree.

As to ordering from the kids menu I find that most restaurant kid's menus are low in protein and high in carbs and processed foods.

Hope this helps.

Karen

I never got any such card in Ottawa... weird.

I don't think I'd bother with it to order from a kids' menu (eeesh, those choices are usually not the best, are they?!) but I would think it might come in handy for a buffet restaurant!

Hmm, maybe I should check with OWMC to see if I can get one? We travel to the States frequently and having a card for the buffet style restaurants would be nice indeed. These days, I eat less than my 4-year old!

Funny note: I went out on Saturday evening with a girlfriend for the first time. I ordered a grilled steak/cheese/veggie wrap with mashed potatoes. I got four meals out of the wrap, and my husband ate most of the mashed potatoes when I brought them home! I'm a heck of a cheap date these days!