College is a time in which you’re breaking free, breaking the rules, and totally breaking the bank aka you’re broke.
Want a nice night out with good non-dorm food but don’t want to spend the remainder of your bank account? Satisfy your need for quality food and be thrifty while doing it with these home run kids meals.
Because we’re all kids at heart right?
1. Chick Fil A
Who doesn’t love some Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets with a side of polynesian sauce? But what I don’t love is paying full price for the chicken nugget meal...but then there’s the kids meal. You can get chicken nuggets either grilled or breaded with fries and some of that famous lemonade for just $5.
2. Chipotle
A pretty well-known Chipotle hack is getting a kids meal, you have the choice between a quesadilla or tacos. With the tacos you get a make your own taco kit, my order is usually steak tacos with white rice and you get chips and a drink all for under $5!!
3. Culver’s Butter Burger Kid's Meal
Gotta say this kids meal gives you the most bang for your buck and you don’t have to pay that much. The kids meal from Culvers comes with the iconic butterburger, fries, a drink, AND best of all, a scoop of Culver’s custard with a topping. Now that's a bargain!
4. Rubio's Kids Chicken Quesadilla
My usual go-to for a quick lunch, a great quality chicken quesadilla with chips and fresh churro..my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Not in the mood for a quesadilla and want something more sophisticated? You can get the famous rubios fish taco as one of the kids meals or just plain grilled chicken with black beans if you’re feeling the California health craze.
5. Boston Market
Love Boston Market but hate that they’re so expensive...like way overpriced? But the kids meal comes with an entree, two sides, and a drink. Comparing portion sizes it’s not that much less food for a significantly lower price.
6. Qdoba
My personal lifesaver because of its close proximity to my university, a kids burrito bowl. Again not that much smaller than a regular burrito bowl, but you can also fill it with all sorts of healthy or unhealthy goodness. It's also an amazing break from dorm food plus tortilla chips and a drink, college bouge on a budget much?
7. Panda Express
I adore Panda Express but don’t love the calories in every single dish. With the kids meal I can have my orange chicken and chow mein with portion control and still not feel super guilty. Win win for everyone right?
8. Islands Tiki Tender Meal
This one is sadly a California exclusive BUT A long time running joke in my family is that I have had the same Islands order since I was five and they can mock all they want but Jr. Tiki Tenders with Onion Rings and Strawberry Lemonade will forever be my Islands order. To be quite honest when I have kids I will probably have them order two meals just so I can eat one and not feel the shame of being an adult ordering a kids meal..which is technically the case now but I still think I have a few years to go before I really feel as if I’m making the wrong life decisions.
9. CPK curly mac n cheese with edamame
And finally, my crown jewel of kids meals the CPK curly mac n cheese. Pay the extra 60 cents for the edamame, and they give you free bread and olive oil with a drink for $6. My kinda heaven.
