Is My Kid the Only Kid That Doesn't like Chicken Nuggets?

Updated on July 06, 2012
F.B. asks from Kew Gardens, NY
26 answers

The day care called me yesterday to report that my kid doesn't like chicken nuggets. Apparently they've been trying to feed him chicken nuggets for the past few Mondays with little to no success. He refuses them. Chick Nuggs are their Monday lunch item. He's OK with the menu on the other days he attends.

OK, its not the end of the world, and I am sure that this too shall pass. Hubs and I don't eat junk food, and don't even keep chick nuggets in the house. Here's my concern though, chicken nuggets is a staple item on kids menus everywhere. I'm a little sad that everyone's go to food in a pinch/ while traveling is off the table so far as my kid is concerned.

What can you count on your kid eating? What do you order when your toddler is out and about? What are your go to kids menu items when eating out?

Thanks a bunch,
F. nummy

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J.M.

answers from Missoula on

My DD HATES processed chicken nuggets, but she LOVES the ones I make at home. I cut chicken breasts into chunks, (If I'm feeling creative I make shapes. lol) bread them (bread crumbs, and lots of whatever seasonings sound good at the moment) and bake them. Delicious AND healthy for both of us! :)

I rarely order for her from the kid's menu... I usually order her the healthiest 'side' item I can find (Like the apples, oranges, veggies, potato, etc.) and she eats that along with however much of my stuff she wants. I never finish my food when we are out anyway, so it's win-win.

As far as at-home snacks go... My DD LOVES corndogs, so they are my go-to quick meal. :)

1 mom found this helpful
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B..

answers from Dallas on

I make chicken nuggets at home, from chicken breasts. My son doesn't prefer the lesser versions (not homemade) but he will tolerate chicken nuggets if he needs to. We don't really order anything specific for my son. My son just shares a plate with me...I never finish my meal! I find the kids menus very unhealthy and limited. I would rather him eat some of my grilled chicken sandwich and broccoli, then a plate of processed nuggets and fries.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

Ha! Well, I think I might have the only kid that does not like hot dogs. He will pound some chicken nuggets though ;0)

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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

My kid has NEVER gone for the "kid menu" fare. He's always had more sophisticated taste. He's 9 now so he orders what he likes. When he was younger he & I would split an entree.

Don't buy into the whole "kid fare" myth. It's WHY some kids eat ONLY Chick Nuggs and Pizza and Hamburgers!

7 moms found this helpful
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R.M.

answers from San Francisco on

Yes!! That's terrible! How on earth is he going to survive in America if he doesn't like Chick Nuggs!? That day care should definitely keep trying to convert him.

Man, some day cares. Calling a mother over something so trivial instead of offering another food choice. I'm sure the day care has other attributes, though.

6 moms found this helpful

M.D.

answers from Dallas on

My 5 year old doesn't care for pizza... what kid doesn't love pizza? I think it may pass in time, but there are plenty of good food out there and chicken nuggets aren't that great of an item...

Be proud of your child!

3 moms found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Dallas on

Chicken nuggets are gross. I don't like them either. My DD is 4 and won't eat mac and cheese. IF we eat fast food, my DD likes a hamburger.

Also, this is why I'm glad that my daughter's preschool next year doesn't serve food. I'll get to pack what I find healthy for her.

2 moms found this helpful

N.B.

answers from Minneapolis on

Did they really call you because this was a problem?? Wow! Seriously?

My dd never cared much for them. She never liked pizza or spaghetti sauce when she was young either (the horror..I am Italian and this is what we serve on major holidays...some sort of pasta dish, home made sauce that took a day or 2 to cook, etc). She grew out of it eventually but she is a bit of a foodie.

Her fave food? Salmon and asparagus...oh and cheeseburgers. LOL

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C.P.

answers from Albuquerque on

It could be the opposite: I have 2 nephews who will ONLY eat chicken nuggets! I'm not even kidding--when they came to visit for Thanksgiving, I had prepared all the fixings, their mom heated up a microwave dinner of nuggets & fries for each of them! My girl will eat nuggets, but she prefers a cheeseburger or hotdog (she loves my homemade nuggets--pieces of chicken breast, breaded and baked)! For the most part, we usually just pick things off of our plates to give to her--it's only when we have a good deal on kids meal (buy adult meal, get kids meal free, or under $3) that we order her own plate. She's almost 4, though, and knows that she's expected to eat what's put in front of her.

I know that she will always be game for mac n' cheese, corn on the cob, and pretty much anything with cheese on it! This is my "trick" for getting her to eat things she doesn't really like (meatloaf, potatoes, veggies, etc)--just sprinkle some cheese on it and viola!

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S.S.

answers from Cincinnati on

My son is a chicken nugget snob. He will only eat Mcdonalds or BK, but not frozen from the store. I use to think that my kid is the only one that will not eat bread, but he started eating it last week (whole wheat peanut butter toast so far, but its better then not eating it at all. When I am out with my son (we usually don't have money to go out to eat) I bring a whole grain cereal bar in my purse for him. Oh and Melanie S. you are not alone my son hates hot dogs too! I think he thinks they are real dogs, because he cried when I tried to serve them.

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K.B.

answers from Detroit on

DD is almost 5 and has never been interested in chicken nuggets - which is fine by me. She will eat grilled or rotiseree (sp?) chicken if she has BBQ sauce to dip it into but otherwise she is not a fan. She is also the one kid I know that does not like any kind of mac-n-cheese and thinks it is "gross". She likes peanut butter sandwiches but not with jelly. She is more of a cheeseburger and hot dog kid. As well as pizza.

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K.M.

answers from Kansas City on

My oldest (almost 7) doesn't eat chicken nuggets or any fast food. He just won't! When we travel, he will eat a turkey sub from Subway.

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D.K.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Chicken nuggets are junk food so just be happy. My son eats what we eat. We have NEVER ordered off the children's menu (ok, when the breakfast menu is identical but smaller portion size we might). When my son was a toddler, DH and I went to regular (non-child friendly) restaurants, ordered what we would have ordered anyway and put a little of everything on my son's plate. He ate it. When I was asked if we would like a children's menu. I accepted, assuming it would be smaller portions of the regular menu. So wrong. And so completely disappointing. At what age do people think their kids will magically go from eating hot dogs, chicken nuggets and fake pizza to eating real food? Since I would never order chicken nuggets for myself, I would never order them for my son.

I always brought my son's lunch to daycare and then preschool. When you bring your own, you know it is fresh, healthy and (if you choose) local +/- organic.

1 mom found this helpful

J.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

my daughter didnt like or eat nuggets for that matter until she started k in a public school and she wanted to buy.
She never ate off the kids menu...she ate off my plate. I;d J. get an extra little plate and M. and whoever i was with would both give her a sampling from each of our plates. the kids menus are so limited and junk food. (not that she doesnt eat her share of junk food) but she would always share my ceasa rsalad and then she would eat whatever dinner i got (i would ussually pick something both of us would enjoy, seafood, pasta, steak...)

ETA: this is how i think she got a good amount of things in her she would have normally never liked. she started liking slad at one, because it was mine and she wanted whatever ii ate...and eats sushi and so no now. J. the other day I made the mistake of letting her pick off the kid menu..she ordered mac and cheese and ended up not touching it and decided she;d rather steal my and my boyfriends shrimp, crab, and scallops

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S.R.

answers from Washington DC on

my dd doesn't like any kind of meat or poultry. Hy dh is allergic to poultry, so I'm guessing her body is telling her to avoid it. She is also allergic to eggs.

My dd usually orders grilled cheese or mac n cheese or pizza in restaurants.

Chicken nuggets are usually highly processed and deep fried. You are better off not having your kid eat them. Granted, most items on kids menus aren't healthy, but you do have other choices.

1 mom found this helpful

X.O.

answers from Chicago on

Count your blessings! Actually, it is better for kids not to eat from the kids' menu anyways. I try my best not to do it. Hubby lets them get kids' items, but if he's not with us, I just order a large portion of whatever it is I am getting for myself and share with the kids.

From time to time the kids DO get chicken nuggets with me, usually at Chik-Fil-A. They actually taste really good.

My kids love the Yummy brand of chicken nuggets that Costco sells. After eating those, they won't even touch any other store-bought brand. The Yummy ones are all natural and white meat. Perhaps that brand would go over with him, if you introduce him to it at home first.

Seriously, though, the day care should have more than one option for foods. Not ALL kids like chicken nuggets. Do they have any vegetarian menu options that they could give him on nugget days?

1 mom found this helpful

C.P.

answers from Columbia on

My youngest doesn't like chicken at all. But he loves turkey. Oddball child. :-)

(Mama, Not Mommy, I'd be completely offended if someone came to my house on Thanksgiving and brought nuggets and fries! My boys eat what there is or don't eat at all).

1 mom found this helpful

C.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

There's always other choices on kids menus. Our kids also like ordering an appetizer....sometimes a side dish as well. We often just have them split something off the main menu.

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H.W.

answers from Portland on

Can you bring him a different protein for that day? Maybe a couple of string cheeses, if need be?

My kiddo-- he has tried chicken strips, (not nuggets, but we don't really do fast food) and didn't care for them. At home, he'll eat a bit of the Morningstar chicken strips. (We call it what it is--pretend chicken.) At a restaurant, his favorite thing to order is either peanut butter and jelly or mac and cheese. He'll do 'gorilla cheese' (that's what we started calling grilled cheese sandwiches, for some strange reason). He's also completely uninterested in hot dogs, hamburgers, corn dogs, french fries or tater tots--you get the picture. He would much rather have a hard-boiled egg and ploughmans lunch with some fresh veggies, apple, good cheeses and bread. Or, if we are doing Chinese/Japanese, he'll go for the pepper salted squid or the edamame or eel nigiri and rice. Likes tofu.

Our favorite pub is great; they will do pbj with apple slices and carrot sticks. Perhaps you could order a yogurt or fruit side dish? Sometimes, the adult sides are better than what's on the kids menu. Or, visit the salad bar...you can come up with something decent there.

Oh, and he'll be brown-bagging it to school most of the time. I just can't keep up with the crustless sandwiches and junk food a lot of schools serve.

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R.M.

answers from Dallas on

Niether of mine will eat Mac n' cheese or PB&J!!!

A.R.

answers from Houston on

Our 18 month old doesn't eat chicken nuggets of any variety. For the most part I think he's typical toddler in that he won't really eat meat in general. He will try things if they are on your plate (automatic induction into 'cool food' category) which is helpful. When we eat out, we feed him off our plate unless it's ridiculously spicy (Cajun for instance) but even then he wants to at least try it (boudin, etouffee, curry, etc.). If we do order something just for him, it's pasta of some variety or mashed potatoes with a sauce, any sauce. He's a sauce nut so we have to watch him. He'll dunk bread and/or fingers in your plate if he thinks the sauce looks appealing enough. It is frustrating when you find yourself not able to feed your child the go to kid foods. It can make you the odd man out at gatherings which has happened to us once or twice. Fortunately he'll eat bread and graze sufficiently to make it through these occasions. We feed him when we get home. Humorously enough at sub shops he won’t eat his staple (bread) but he will chow down on the dill pickle spears. Kids…funny little creatures.

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L.M.

answers from Cleveland on

oh mine will eat nuggets and hot dogs. son didn't like pizza for a long time now he does.

They don't like side dishes at all at resturants, well except french fries, but no applesauce, no mac and cheese, no grapes,

I know people are riding you, but i get it it is a bit annoying in situations like daycare and kids parties etc. Hopefully since he likes other things you'll be ok.

J.P.

answers from Lakeland on

My daughter (almost 6) did not eat them until she was 4. She still will not eat ice cream, french fries, soda and most candy.

T.C.

answers from Austin on

Lots of restaurants serve chicken fingers, instead of nuggets. They are slightly less processed, but sometimes have more spices in the breading. My son is still a picky eater at age 10. At restaurants he tends to eat the fries, noodles, or maybe salad. He likes chicken nuggets only if they're from McDonalds, and hates all hamburgers. He was thrilled to find out that Chick-Fil-A now has grilled chicken bites for kids.

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K.L.

answers from Savannah on

My 19 month old refuses to try them. I have offered numerous times with no luck.

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M.B.

answers from New York on

I don't understand why that's a bad thing, or why people order off the kids' menu. The only thing I've ever ordered off the kids' menu for my kiddo is pasta with marinara; otherwise, we get an extra side of veggies and share our plates (we have a toddler who doesn't eat an entire meal yet).

As far as I'm concerned, barring texture issues and other problems, kids learn to eat what you serve them. So I serve regular adult food, and we all eat it. Don't get me wrong, we have gone out for hamburgers and had other "junk" or fast food, but the kiddo only gets it when we all do. :)

We don't eat out often, but when we do, I honestly don't worry if the kiddo doesn't want to eat too much. No child has ever starved over picking at a meal. :) But pasta and a side of veggies are usually a hit.

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