“The new menu is just one of the ways we will be looking to impact health and wellness of the children that stay with us. We hope that this critical step forward will change the way that our guests and the industry think about kids menus.”
With nearly one in three children diagnosed as overweight or obese in the U.S., Hyatt is leading the industry in making children’s health a priority and has worked to make the healthy choice the easy choice for guests. In addition to the new menu, kids also have the option of ordering a half portion off the regular menu at half the price.
Hyatt worked with Alice Waters, known for her culinary philosophy that maintains cooking should be based on the finest, freshest, seasonal ingredients that are produced sustainably and locally, to develop a full organic meal offering including a salad, chicken entrée and a dessert.
“All children deserve to eat real food -- fresh, seasonal, organic, and delicious,” said Alice Waters. “I wanted to do a small, three course meal, within the context of Hyatt’s initiative, that could be sourced exclusively from organic farms across the country. Of course it’s about taste and ripeness and seasonality--but it’s bigger than that, too: it’s about supporting the people who are taking care of the land for our future generations.”
The “For Kids By Kids” menu was tasted, tested and approved by kids, including 11-year-old Haile Thomas, who is spearheading a campaign for healthy eating through her online cooking show, Kids Can Cook. Hyatt’s food and beverage team worked with Haile and her peers to ensure new menu offerings not only meet the brand’s standards for nutrition and quality, and are also fun. Through their research, Hyatt learned that kids today have a greater level of sophistication in their taste preferences, but also enjoy items with which they can interact. To that end, new menu offerings will present a creative way for kids to engage with their food, such as customizing their own pasta dish and “shaking” their own salad.
“We have made an industry-leading commitment to serving food and beverages that are good for our people, our planet and our communities. That is why we have transformed our children’s menu and looked to experts such as Alice Waters, to help guide our offerings,” said Susan Santiago, vice president of food and beverage, North America operations, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “The new menu is just one of the ways we will be looking to impact health and wellness of the children that stay with us. We hope that this critical step forward will change the way that our guests and the industry think about kids menus.”
“For Kids By Kids” further illustrates Hyatt’s commitment to Partnership for a Healthier America, which will hold Hyatt accountable for continuously improving the nutritional profile of food menus at full-service Hyatt properties across the U.S. over the next ten years. Through this commitment, Hyatt’s “For Kids By Kids” will offer fruits or vegetables as the default side item, make low-fat milk available with free refills, meet the most recent U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, MyPlate and PHA’s standards and ensure food illustrations depict healthier options.
Select menu items include:
* Breakfast: Top Your Own Taco, a whole wheat tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, cheese and fun toppings; Waffle Dipping Sticks with peanut butter, maple syrup and fruit sauces.
* Lunch: Shaken Chopped Salad with roasted chicken, vegetables, brown rice and yogurt basil dressing; Build Your Own Whole Wheat Sub Sandwich with turkey, lettuce, tomato, cheese on a whole wheat mini-sub. (These offerings are also available during dinner hours).
* Dinner: Natural Beef grilled and served with potatoes, roasted vegetables and garden salad; Vegetable and Sesame Rice Noodles with marinated tofu, corn, green beans, basil and cherry tomatoes.
