Oh, wouldn’t it be lovely to have access to wholesome, quick and kid-friendly food when out and about? Several eateries around the country have mastered quick and healthy on-the-go meals offering seriously fun and flavorful dishes that definitely won't bore the kids. Need proof? Take a look at these innovative restaurants providing nutritious menu items fit for even the toughest chicken-finger addict. 

Photo by Rey Lopez for Beefsteak

At Bark Hot Dogs they serve a hot dog you can trust. Sourced from all-natural farms in New York where animals are humanely raised, these frankfurters contain only whole cuts of meat — pork shoulder, belly, jowl, belly and beef shoulder. The veggie version is prepared from barley and wheat, Yukon gold potatoes, apple, sage and special Bark seasoning. Relish is made from scratch from pickled local cucumbers seasoned with chile and lime juice. As for sides, in summer there’s roasted local corn on the cob with raw zucchini and a Sungold-buttermilk dressing. Come fall a kabocha squash hits the lineup with a Grafton cheddar-hot pepper-maple dip. Everything that’s produced at Bark (from the food to the packaging) is compostable and sent out to be turned into biofuel.

Photo by Evan Sung

When LYFE Kitchen needed a chef with the chops to design a healthy and satisfying menu, they called upon Oprah Winfrey’s pal Art Smith. Having lost 100 pounds, Executive Chef Smith drew upon his own good-for-you recipes. Clearly it’s working, as the restaurant now sells more than 11,000 Brussels sprouts per year. A favorite on the Little LYFERs menu is the Unfried Chicken Strips. Good news for the parents: Kids can’t order soda, as there is none. Instead, they can sip on smoothies like Banana Date or pick from flavored waters like a hibiscus tea infused with beet, apple, lemon and ginger.

Photo courtesy of LYFE Kitchen

When Keith Richards (no relation to the lead guitarist of the Rolling Stones) returned from a trip to Greece, he couldn’t stop the recipes from swirling around in his head. So he took out a second mortgage and began Taziki in 1998, and now he’s close to opening his 50th outpost. At the core of Taziki’s popularity are the menu favorites like the Sneaky Taziki — a roll-up stuffed with a protein and cheese (kids' choice) and served with a side of fruit. Richards isn’t focused only on keeping kids happy at the table. He hires young adults with special needs, who are employed in the chain's Alabama-based herb garden, where they pick oregano and basil that is shipped to all of Taziki’s locations.

Photo courtesy of Taziki