Adults Turning to Kids’ Meals at Fast-Food Restaurants: ‘How Do You Card for That?’

While fast-food fans may be vexed by the persistent hiking of menu prices at chains nationwide, some consumers have come up with a somewhat unique solution: simply order from the kids’ meal menu.

According to The Wall Street Journal, that’s exactly the position that many American adults are opting for as they visit McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, or any number of other fast-food establishments with a prominent children’s menu.

Circana data indicates that the prevalence of adults ordering kids’ menu items rose by 28% in 2024 as compared to 2019, and on Yelp, searches for kids’ meals were higher in December 2024 than at any point since 2019. Quoting C.J. Person, a retired special-education teacher from North Carolina, the WSJ found her motives were primarily based on frugality.

“It’s satisfying, cheaper, less calories, and sometimes there’s a little prize or treat,” she said.

Fast-Food Kids’ Meals May Not Be Intended for Adults, but They’re Ordering Them Anyways

While it may seem apparent that kids’ meals are intended for younger guests, adults are ordering them at an increasing pace. Can, or should, fast-food restaurants curtail that behavior?

Dan Rowe, an Arizona-based restaurant investor, suggested that fast-food operators shouldn’t even try.

“How do you card for that?” he asked, before indicating that this trend belies larger problems with the industry as a whole.

“I’m mercenary about this topic,” he said. “If people are ordering off of your kids’ menu, you have other issues.”

As FinanceBuzz reported, fast-food prices have surged as of late. Between 2014 and 2024, menu prices ticked upward by 39% to 100%, outpacing inflation during that period (31%). McDonald’s was found to be one of the standout offenders (with menu prices doubling), followed by Popeyes (up 86%) and Taco Bell (up 81%).

Given the immense increase in fast-food menu prices, consumers have been keen to extract further value from their food-away-from-home selections. This heightened perception of value has spurred several fast-food chains in the space — including McDonald’s and Burger King, among others — to refocus efforts on marketing value meals.

Further, the spreading adoption and usage of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, which mitigate hunger and make users feel fuller for longer periods of time, is also at the heart of this trend, per NewsNation.

Fast-Food Kids’ Meals Drive Influencer Interest

The novelty of the popular adult Happy Meal and other adult-oriented kids’ meals in recent years may have been an offshoot of the trend toward wanting variety — and a toy or collectible — with your order, but social media influencers are also showing that they’re young at heart.

Ashley Garrett, as detailed by the WSJ, has reviewed nearly 200 kids’ meals on TikTok. She goes by the nom de plume of the “kids’ meal connoisseur” on the platform.

“Give me chicken tenders or a basic pasta dish, and I’m happy,” she said, stating she orders kids’ meals about five times weekly. Her videos focus on unique items not often found in such meals, as well as a review of the nutritional content and cost.

Arizonan Haley Hanson also shares her kids’ meal purchases on social media, using a 10-point rubric to score the offerings. Quality, calorie density versus cost, and overall satisfaction are scored, in addition to other metrics.