By Kathryn Taleporos | January 27, 2025
Olive Garden Kids’ Meal
Photo Credit: Kathryn Taleporos / The ASP
College is expensive, and the dining hall and Campus Center food can get old fast. Going out to restaurants is also expensive and sometimes out of budget for a college student. An easy way to budget while eating out is by ordering a kids’ meal.
Kids’ meals often are much cheaper, and while they come with smaller portions, they typically also come with sides and a drink that make it a perfect meal. However, some have better value than others. Here is a guide to the best kids’ meals for the best value.
Olive Garden: In my opinion, this is the best kids’ meal out there. You can get your choice of any of the 11 entrees with a side and a drink. The total price without any add-ons for a kids’ meal is $7.49. The portions of these meals are also definitely not kid-sized. They’re enough to feed an adult and bring home leftovers.
Chipotle: This kids’ meal went viral on TikTok as a cheaper way to get Chipotle. A Chipotle kids’ meal includes a choice of meat, two sides, tortillas or chips, fruit or an extra side of chips and a drink. This portion is smaller than Chipotle’s adult size, and while it may fill an adult, it won’t offer leftovers like Olive Garden’s kids’ meal.
Chick Fil A: Another great option if you’re looking to save money when eating fast food is Chick Fil A’s kids’ meal. At just $7.09, you have the option of a 5-count order of grilled or regular nuggets or a two count order of chicken strips. The meal also comes with a drink and a choice between fries or fruit. There’s also the option of a sweet treat with your meal, originally the meal comes with a toy, but if you don’t want the toy you can exchange it for a free small ice cream cone.
Texas Roadhouse: This kids’ menu has a lot of options. The cheaper options include your typical kids’ meal items such as hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and “dino bites” which are steak bites. These options range from seven to eight dollars. However, there are more expensive options on the menu including the “Ranger Steak”. While on the pricier side of kids’ meals at $11.99, it is still a good deal. The meal comes with a hand-cut sirloin steak, a side, and a drink. Also all kids’ meals are accompanied by Texas Roadhouse’s legendary rolls and honey butter.
Overall, most places have kids’ menus that offer the same or similar meals as the adult menu, but at a much cheaper deal. These are the top four kids’ meal deals, but there are so many more. When eating out on a budget, kids’ meals are a great way to save money.
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