MW Nearly 50% of adults are now ordering kids' meals. 'It's economical and it's filling.'

By Charles Passy

It seems we're all in the mood for miniburgers and chicken fingers

Kids' meals are typically a few dollars cheaper than regular menu items. But saving money isn't the only reason adults order them.

Apparently, grown-ups love a good kiddie meal, too.

That's one of the takeaways from a new survey conducted by Lightspeed Commerce $(LSPD)$, a company that provides payment systems to the hospitality industry. The survey found that 44% of U.S. diners say they've ordered children's meals for themselves at restaurants.

And their reasons for doing so? Those surveyed cited smaller portions as a key factor but also pointed to budget-friendly prices and simpler choices.

"Whether it's a mini burger or mac and cheese, the kids' menu is becoming a smart option," Lightspeed said of the results.

The boom is also reflected in data from market researcher Circana, which found that orders by adults for kids' meals increased by 30% from 2019 to 2025 - and that's in spite of the fact that overall restaurant traffic is down for the period.

A MarketWatch poll, conducted on the X platform, offered similar perspective. Of the 1,400 respondents, 33.8% said they order kids' meals, while 54.6% said they stick with grown-up fare. Another 11.6% indicated that restaurants won't let them purchase a children's meal - and indeed, some dining spots have strict rules about that.

Experts say the underlying causes behind the boom in adults buying kids' meals speak to changing eating habits. With many Americans on appetite-suppressing GLP-1 medications, they say, it's natural that many diners may want to order less food.

But people taking those drugs are not the only ones who feel this way. Chauniqua Major, a 36-year-old resident of Orlando, Fla., says she opts for kids' meals simply because she prefers a lighter option.

"I'm looking for sustenance, but not a full meal," she said.

At the same time, the rising cost of dining out is clearly influencing the trend, experts say. The latest consumer-price index data show a 3.8% uptick in the category of "food away from home" over the past 12 months. That's higher than the overall rate of inflation, which stood at 2.7%.

A kids' meal is typically a few dollars cheaper than a standard menu item, so it's one way to save. At fast-food establishments, kids' meals typically run around $4 to $6, while at sit-down restaurants they may cost around $6 to $9.

"It's economical and it's filling," said Maleeka Hollaway, a 35-year-old Atlanta resident.

Of course, adults ordering kids' meals means the restaurant is losing out on some revenue. Experts say that may not matter, however, because in any group of adult diners, it's unlikely that everyone is going to order a kids' meal.

The goal for dining establishments, be they fast-food or sit-down, is to get customers in the door - and the hope is that the overall spending will compensate for any kids' meal purchases.

"There still should be money to be made," said Izzy Kharasch, president of Hospitality Works, a Chicago-based restaurant consulting firm.

McDonald's $(MCD)$ is arguably the country's biggest seller of kids' meals. The fast-food giant sells 3.2 million Happy Meals every day, according to one report.

McDonald's didn't respond to a MarketWatch request for data or comment about the trend of adults ordering kids' meals. Nevertheless, it's clear the company is addressing the trend through one of its latest regular-priced offerings.

McDonald's is now selling what might be considered an adult version of the Happy Meal, which it's calling the McDonaldland Meal: a Quarter Pounder with Cheese or a 10-piece order of Chicken McNuggets, plus fries and what's billed as a Mt. McDonaldland shake.

The offering is packaged much like a Happy Meal and celebrates characters such as Ronald McDonald, Grimace and the Hamburglar. Plus, like many a kids' meal, it comes with a toy - or as McDonald's refers to it, "a first-of-its-kind collectible souvenir."

McDonald's is homing in on another key aspect of what may be driving adults to kids' meals: the nostalgia factor. Or at least that's how Michael Della Penna, chief strategy officer at InMarket, a company that tracks marketing performance, views it.

"We're seeing adults increasingly lean into trends that bring about feelings of nostalgia as they battle everyday life stressors amidst tariffs, inflation and economic uncertainty," he said.

If you're just starting out on your money or career journey and have questions about how to navigate your finances, we want to hear from you. Write to Dollar Signs, MarketWatch's new advice column, at dollarsigns@marketwatch.com.

-Charles Passy

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August 23, 2025 09:46 ET (13:46 GMT)

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