Eating out is one of life’s pleasures; a lovely meal enjoyed in the company of one’s family and friends must surely be one of the best ways to unwind and relax.

With an ever-increasing selection of restaurants offering an array of cuisines to please our palates, it comes as quite a shock to find that a family with young children can be quite restricted when choosing a restaurant for a family dinner or lunch.

With any number of eateries describing themselves as being family-friendly or boasting ‘children are welcome’, one would think choosing an appropriate venue to dine accompanied by children is a doddle.

Until one looks through the average children’s selection on most menus – nuggets, fish fingers, pasta with tomato sauce and the ever-present pizza with sausages, which seem to be the selections available in most places.

Parents are continuously being advised to make sure their children enjoy a healthy diet. Most schools have introduced healthy eating policies; doctors will routinely ask about a child’s diet to ensure appropriate nutrition and prevent the child from becoming obese.

With Malta heading the table on obesity and childhood obesity being proven to progress into adult obesity, healthy eating is a priority for most parents and primary care workers.

My own children eat smaller portions of the same meals my husband and I do at home. Thus fast food is food they usually eat at parties and not to be consumed on a regular basis. A quick glance at the children’s menu (or children’s table at buffets) reveals the same lamentable selection.

My crew is clamouring for food, not keen on eating pasta again, wanting to try the entrees. Most restaurants serve starter size pasta and some offer smaller pizzas but very few will prepare a small portion of an entree.

This is when having three children is something of a blessing – assuming they all opt for the same entree, we order one adult portion with extra plates and then share the meal between them. It’s not a perfect solution but works most times.

Most restaurants offer a generous selection of food for adults, knowing that failing to do so would result in a loss of clientele – after all we don’t all like the same food. Yet, when it comes to the youngsters, it is assumed they will all eat the same standard fare based on a stereotyped preconception of what children like to eat.

It is time for catering establishments to recognise the fact that children are individual customers with tastes as varied as their adult counterparts.

Now it is true that not all meals can be prepared in small portions but a restaurant that truly caters for children could offer half portions of many entrees, such as baked chicken with gravy, salmon, seafood dishes and any salad.

Accompany these meals with a selection of healthy drinks served in small glasses (have you ever seen a four-year-old trying to drink out of a highball glass?) followed by small dessert portions and a restaurant is on to a ­winning combination with ­families.

After all, given the choice, most parents would probably return to places where their children are properly catered for.