Parents enjoy meals out with the kids, survey says

Restaurant.com revealed today that parents enjoy dining out with their kids and cite many benefits to the experience, with family quality time and education opportunities topping the list. A recent survey by the company found that 59 percent of parents dine out with their children once a week or more. In fact, 70 percent say that going out to eat with their kids is a great way to spend time with the family.

The survey also found that 66 percent of parents believe taking children out to eat offers educational benefits and provides the opportunity to try new foods they normally would not have at home. More than half (57 percent) said that eating out is a good time to emphasize good table manners.

Additional Restaurant.com Dining with Kids survey findings include:

American cuisine: The most popular cuisine choice for family dining is American, with 40 percent reporting it as their family's favorite. Italian came in second with 25 percent of the votes, followed by Mexican with 21 percent.

Food options: Parents are overwhelmingly satisfied with the menu selection that restaurants provide for their families, with 83 percent reporting that most restaurants have kid-friendly food options, and 56 percent saying restaurants have healthy food options for kids.

Entertaining the kids: As for keeping the kids entertained while in a restaurant, 74 percent of parents report that good, old-fashioned conversation is the best entertainment, followed by crayons and paper (53 percent).

Dining deals are the best: Nearly all respondents (96 percent) have used a coupon or a deal when dining out with their children, with 37 percent reporting they do so more often than not.