Sorry, no kids meals for you, Taco Bell announces!

Well, there goes the neighborhood. They've decided kids don't warrant the effort to pack a toy in a special kiddie size meal with kid size portions. Hmmm... Well, lets just see what they have to say about this, eh?

"Kid's meals and toys simply no longer make sense for us to put resources behind," said Greg Creed, chief executive officer of Taco Bell, in a statement early Tuesday. He added that the move will have an "insignificant impact on sales."

They figure that, do they? Well... That may be something they come to be a bit surprised about. I can go to a place a thousand times, see an option and not use it once. Take that option away? It'll be all I think about when the name of the place comes up again. Funny how that works, isn't it?

Kids meals have been criticized by some public health groups for contributing to childhood obesity by making young children more eager to eat high-calorie, fast food meals.

Fair enough on the reasoning, at least as publicly stated anyway. Do I buy that as their reasoning? Nope...but it sure sounds nice, doesn't it? I think it's far more likely to have the end result theorized by the last bit of the story.

But at the same time, it expressed concern that parents will now get adult meal combos for their children. "It's not as if its adult menu is full of health food," it said.

Source

For those not outright put off by the Nanny-like reasoning they offer? I think the last bit is exactly what this will do. REAL accomplishment there, eh? Parents will just ask their kid which combo on the big board they want, rather than limiting them to the kid size meals. Yup.... I'd call that something to classify as progress (Sarcasm).

I have a feeling this is far more about the side contracts for toys, special bags and packaging as well as food items, whatever they may be. Dropping all that extra crap consumers liked will save them money and heck....people who want a Taco will still buy their Taco, so why offer anything neat when they don't strictly have to? Another blow for corporate greed disguised as a good deed, is my take.

Anyone else think this is a good idea for the actual situation and beyond just theory of kids eating less fast food being a positive thing (Which it is, generally speaking)?

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


To be honest I don't care what reason they give. No children should eat fast food. Hell, no adult should either.

So if they want to remove the insidious products and marketing programs that target children during their Saturday morning Cartoons, than I'm perfectly OK with that.

Personally I consider Taco Bell to be on the lower end of quality in fast food, not that the bar is high, but you know what I mean.

~Tenth

I remember being a kid and wanting a happy meal simply for the toy, not because I cared much for the food. In hindsight, happy meals are more of a trap than anything else. You shouldn't be putting that fast food garbage into a kid's body, let alone an adult's.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


I fully agree with tothetenthpower. I'm fin with Taco Bell dumping kiddie meals.
Isn't their 'meat' just pink slime or something?
It's not exactly stuff that I'd want my child to be eating anyways.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


LOL... Indeed, that's certainly fair enough. In full disclosure, I stopped giving Taco Bell any of my business when I started seeing them outright rape customers on pricing, depending on where they could get away with it. A Taco I could get here for $.89 with $0.20 to get extra cheese how I like could cost me anywhere from $2 to THREE dollars on the road and particularly in truck stops (T/A Truckstops to be real precise about it..) Part of that was concession costs, I understand that, but stand alone locations aren't exactly on land they personally own either ...and still manage to sell a Taco without causing you to check a credit card balance first.


You are right about the food quality over all though. Well, if we want to call it food, I suppose. Filler to carry over hunger until real food is available, perhaps? My wife worked at one early in life though and once brought home a bag of cheese to use in our tacos. It got forgotten in the back of the fridge. Normally, that's a very nasty and disgusting discovery to make a month or two later. Cheese? ewww... Not Taco Bell cheese. It looked delicious, despite the age. How wrong is that??

Personally if I had children I'll never take them to any fast food "restaurant." I can understand businesses would capitalize in anyway to make a sale. But I would rather save my buck and have good health than a nasty "taco" from a place called Taco Bell.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Taco Bell was anouncing that their meat was no longer being called meat. It was going to be called Protein.

FWIW maybe this is a good thing.

This doesn't bother me at all. I don't even eat at taco bell much less my son!! Now he does manage to get a Happy Meal from Mcdonalds out of me on occasion, after the 750th "MCDONALLLLLLLDSSSSSSSS" but that's for both of our sanity and rarely.

I didn't even know they had the option.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I can't imagine a parent who's willing to admit being negligent enough to feed their kids Taco Bell so much that it warrants a complaint about taking away their "feliz comida".

And do people really need combo meals? If they absolutely need to feed their kids fast food, why can't you just buy them a small bean and cheese taco? Why do you need the soda and whatever other crap that comes with it?

When my wife and I go to Taco Bell in a moment of weakness, the last thing we think about is getting our daughter a big bag of crap. Kids have to eat what their parents feed them so it's not like they have a say in parents killing them or setting them up for a lifetime of health failures.

I applaud Taco Bell for this.

No big deal here to me. To be honest I didn't even know Taco Bell had kids' meals, even when I was a child. If I wanted a happy meal I'd think of McDonald's or Wendy's first. In any case happy meals are a waste of money, fatty low grade food with the addition of a piece of plastic that the kid may play with a once or twice then forget about and wind up in the bottom of the toy bin. Just what a kid needs...

I'm curious to toss this out as a question, given the direction of response.

Assuming for a moment that the parents who do take their kids to Taco Bell regularly enough to notice this, don't stop taking them just because of this change in menu? Is it really a good thing they've done? If the garbage is what's for dinner, one way or the other, which is better? A half size meal in the Kids menu (Which I'd call more a snack from some I've seen at those prices) or not having the smaller option and just getting the kid the full adult combo as the next best thing?

It's essentially starting from the premise of a bad option being taken for granted. That being Taco Bell for diner, no matter what this changes. Which is worse, given that? Having kiddie size or not?

reply to post by Wrabbit2000




Made that with my own two hands! Translation: I want tacos with toys

Of course this is double speak and dripping with hidden political correctness... Reading between the lines it says:

Dear First Lady. We have removed the toys from our restaurants and made a public statement about health. Please do not make us the poster child for you next Gestapo-like attack on freedoms. Ban McDonalds or Burger King... but please leave us alone. Have you seen the movie Demolition Man? It's proof we share your ideals about choice. Yeah, McDonalds... You should attack them! Their mascot IS a clown after all and we have it on good authority that the Grimace is a racist and possibly a right wing agitator.

Yeah... McDonalds...

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

Assuming for a moment that the parents who do take their kids to Taco Bell regularly enough to notice this, don't stop taking them just because of this change in menu? Is it really a good thing they've done? If the garbage is what's for dinner, one way or the other, which is better? A half size meal in the Kids menu (Which I'd call more a snack from some I've seen at those prices) or not having the smaller option and just getting the kid the full adult combo as the next best thing?

You see the problem is that parents don't take their kids to fast food for their kid's sake. Sure, the kids get enjoyment out of it, but it's all for the parents. It's a bit selfish if you ask me, to put your child's health at risk for your own convenience and pleasure.

We all know there are tons of very crappy parents out there. Businesses like Taco Bell capitalize on that market.

Which is worse, given that? Having kiddie size or not?

The best of two evil's argument is the kind of mentality that leaves us with mediocrity as the only choice, as opposed to demanding premium, high quality services.

~Tenth

Im ok with them removing the toys, less reason for kids to eat at a fast food place.

Its sad many people use fast food as their daily meals... its quite sad, then they train their kids to follow their etiquette.

When i was watching over my nephew(7 yrs old), he demanded i get him McDonalds, i put a fruit salad in front of him, just said eat or stay hungry and i left.

Had a talk with my sister about frequently visiting Fast food places, her excuse was, it was easy for her.

Now she is worried her daughter(10) might hit puberty early.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
It's essentially starting from the premise of a bad option being taken for granted. That being Taco Bell for diner, no matter what this changes. Which is worse, given that? Having kiddie size or not?

So should we start coming out with kiddie sized cigarettes and beer that only has 2% alcohol just for kids? Because since we don't have those things now, kids are smoking and drinking a crap-ton!

I don't mean to be an ass (and I really mean that) but it's almost like you are saying that we need to keep less deadly things around just so parents won't give their children the fully deadly things. I think the ball and accountability is in the parents' court right now.

Besides, they are doing this out of their own free will which is what free-market supporters are supposed to endorse. It's not like the government is making them do this.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

"insignificant impact on sales."

That's Exactly right. Those kids will be running to McDonalds quicker than you can say "Mom Take Our @$$es to McDonalds".

AND THATS Where the sales will go. No loss at all.

"It's not as if its adult menu is full of health food,"

Yes, but the first time I see a parent get their kid 2 - #1's, 2 Apples Pies, and a LARGE DIET COKE I am going to have a cow.

Aside from how funny that is the countries eating habits are not.

I know that it is impossible, BUT, if we could just eliminate fast food for 2 months out of the countries diet we would notice one hell of a difference.

What we really need to do is re-educate the parents. After all that is where kids get the Influential eating habits from.

reply to post by tothetenthpower

The best of two evil's argument is the kind of mentality that leaves us with mediocrity as the only choice, as opposed to demanding premium, high quality services.

True enough I suppose, but isn't that carrying a bit far for the implied comparison where that argument is more commonly used in debates? It's not a question of whether the kid gets stuffed with junk. In fact, it was an eye opener on another thread to find something in the neighborhood of 20% of United States public schools have Branded Fast Food available to students with a majority having fast food within walking distance. Apparently, school proximity is considered prime land for that industry. Sad, isn't it?

So, removing the more overall issues of the state of food in the nation today and particularly, the state of "food" in fast food, doesn't this come down to a more simple question of 'Small meal' or 'Large meal'?

In terms of it not being for kids in stopping there? I'd have to say yes..and no. I certainly see the advantage in not cooking for an evening. I used to do this myself before realizing there was a connection between a weight I literally wouldn't live with anymore and where I chose to eat. (I know... Doh!?). On the other hand,. I've been in the car more than once with my son and his friends just making a chorus of "We want ....." and fill in your notable fast food item for the blank. Depends on their moods ....and usually being told no for the reasons we're all discussing here.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Personally I think this will make people take their business elsewhere, just think about all those parents that give in to their kids when they are out and about. Parents like to give children treats and a lot of parents consider the likes of McDonald's or places like Taco Bell a treat. I can see kids with parents like that complaining about Taco Bell simply because they don't get toys their. McDonald's makes a lot of money with it's "collect famous characters" style approach with kids.

I agree with other posters here that kids and parents shouldn't eat this crap but sadly they do, plenty of them in fact and that is why these are big chains with huge profits.

Another thing that is obvious is kids who go to Taco Bell now will have a much bigger risk of being obese, simply because they will have to get adult size portions and meals. I can see this as a risky move, that could go either way in terms of profit from children. But one thing I can pretty much guarantee is this is going to create more food waste or it will revert back to obesity and both are not good in society. Kind of silly isn't it?

Anyways if you think Taco Bell is bad you should try some of this stuff they call doner kebab meat here in the UK, nasty stuff and full of empty calories.

What's a Taco Bell?


Oh the one with the EVIL EYE! Yeah I haven't at there since almost the 90's
LOL I am serious we don't eat fast food and I would never give a child that crap!

I thought Taco bell food was full of horse meat anyways.......

Its better to take the kids to McDonalds or something where they can get a real burger made from hormone/steroid/antibiotic/vaccine injected cows and get a toy to boot!

I used to like getting a happy meal when I was a kid back in the early 80's.

But heck, now these kids have so many distractions, ipods, ipads, cellphones, texting, video games, etc. etc. that I doubt any of them will care much if Taco Bell takes away their happy meals.

Besides, most of the toys nowadays suck in comparison to the old days.

I remember getting cool stuff like transformers and matchbox cars and stuff in the happy meals when I was a kid.

I took my little nephew to get one a few years back. The "toy" inside was a crappy 3 page coloring book and like 3 crayons that were only half the size of normal crayons.