Whether travelling abroad or dining out locally, Mom and Dad have come to expect more than just pizza and fries on menus for their little ones. Children’s palates have become much more sophisticated, particularly for those who are well travelled and exposed to a variety of different foods, tastes and cultures.

The National Restaurant Association survey* highlighted healthful kids’ meals as one of the top menu trends for 2009, so it’s no surprise that nutritionally balanced children’s dishes and allergy-conscious meals are amongst top priorities for chefs.

“It used to be that parents and chefs thought kids’ tastes ran only from mac and cheese to pizza and burgers,” says Tanya Steel, author of Real Food for Healthy Kids and editor-in-chief of Epicurious.com. “But now, kids pop edamame into their mouth as if they were potato chips, know a passion fruit from a star fruit and consider tuna maki to be fast food.”

This gastronomic evolution has made its way into many Four Seasons hotels and resorts around the world, where dining outlets offer gluten-free, whole wheat, soy milk, vegetarian and organic options in their kids’ menus.

Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, for example, worked in partnership with Northwestern Memorial Hospital to develop healthy menu selections – with a creative twist. Some favourites include the T-Rex Dinosaur Oatmeal and Ants on a Log, where children can build their own celery boats with natural peanut butter and raisins, both extremely popular amongst little and big guests alike. Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta offers complimentary healthy snacks by the pool with their kids’ pool amenities that include sliced fruit, fruit smoothie shooters and sorbet scoops.

Four Seasons properties in Jackson Hole and Prague have responded to this growing demand by developing entire gluten-free menus and options for children, while properties in Aviara and Dublin are amongst many providing organic programmes specially designed for children. For its tiniest diners, Four Seasons Hotel Washington offers in-room organic baby food and biscuits. Executive Chef Carl Middleton at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney has also focused on revamping the children’s In-Room Dining menu with nutritionally balanced dishes, including meatballs with tomato sauce, steamed rice and fruit salad.

Recognising children’s evolving tastes, all Four Seasons hotels and resorts will gladly prepare a kid-sized portion of anything on the main menu for kiddie foodies. Four Seasons Hotel Milano serves a children’s version of their award-winning risotto by Executive Sous Chef Silvano Prada – recent winner of the title of “Best Milanese Risotto” – called Snow White’s Risotto. Children will also find healthy adult favourites that include steamed sea bass served with sautéed vegetables on the “Alex the Camel” kids’ menu at Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria, or steamed filet of sole with boiled broccoli and carrots at Four Seasons Hotel Florence.

Shifting from the dining room to the classroom, Executive Chef Alessandro Cartumini of Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley recently participated in the Junior League’s “Kids in the Kitchen” event at the Costano School – classes encouraging healthy eating and staying active. There he arrived with healthy barbeque chicken roll-ups and led food demonstrations for all of the children to get them excited about healthy cooking.

*Source: National Restaurant Association’s third annual “What’s Hot” chef survey, December 2008