“Kids are different today than they were a decade ago,” said Bonnie Riggs, restaurant analyst for consumer market research firm The NPD Group, in a May report. “They want to grow up fast and don’t want to be thought of as kids. Moms are also more concerned with the foods that their kids are eating. Restaurant operators and foodservice manufacturers understand this and are offering more varied options on kids’ menus, downsized portions and healthy alternatives.”
