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I'll Have The Kids Meal Please!

 "Is the toy for a boy or a girl?" the faceless speaker-voice asked me as I went through the drive through.

"Uh - for a girl...?" I answered, not sure what the person would think when I pulled up to the window to pickup my takeout meal - as there was no child to be seen.

I always feel a little guilty ordering the kids meals at fast food joints - especially when they come with a toy.  

But they are the only portion size I am comfortable eating.

I love the un-supersized fries, the smaller burgers, the snack sized (should be normal sized) wraps, the sides of yogurt, fruit bars, or a choice of apple slices, and a small juice or a milk.  The bright boxes or bags.  Not to mention, sometimes a toy!

And then there's the good that comes with ordering some kids meals, in that a portion of the proceeds are donated to charity.

One fast food server even asked me if I minded that it came in a brightly coloured "kids" bag.  Oh, no, I don't mind at all!  In fact, I love it, I told her!

I think it sometimes embarrasses the people I am with, however.  Especially when they are all adults.

But I soldier on.  Steadfast in my quest to not overeat at fast food restaurants.  To slake my thirst for salt and fat (and some goodness, I hope) and not feel like a bloated whale at the end of it all.

But I am worried I will be busted one day.  And told, by the young person behind the counter, that no, I CANNOT have the kids meal, because I am not a kid!

Some dine-in, sit-down restaurants clearly state on their menus that in order to have the kids meal, you must indeed, be a kid.

But thankfully, fast food restaurants have not caught onto that.

They are happy to sell a child sized, kids meal to anyone.

And thank goodness!

When will everyone realize that less is more when it comes to meal size.

When will restaurants offer a "small" sized portion, similar to when you order a coffee.  Small, medium, and large.

No more ginormous plates filled with so much food, obesity is becoming the norm.

We are a society where food addiction is becoming a trend.  Something to be turned into reality TV shows, where we sympathize and empathize with the "victim" who cannot say "no" to an entire birthday cake.

All restaurants should be offering smaller sized meals.  Lesser portions, along with that lesser price.

I understand how some restaurants don't want to serve the kids meals to adults because of the lesser price involved.

They have a business to run.  And I get that.  They don't want to be taken advantage of.

But to discriminate from serving a smaller portion size to an adult, because of the lesser price, when perhaps that adult just wants to have a smaller serving size, is wrong.

I hope and believe that the new reality will be to have the option of a smaller portion.

Thankfully, fast food restaurants don't discriminate against any adult who would like a smaller serving size.

Yet.

And I hope they never do.

Because, at the end of the day, even with all the added salt and fats and calories, the smaller portion is just that - less.

And, as always, less is more.


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