One of my favorite parts of travel is EATING! I love trying local, traditional dishes and am not oppossed to trying most anything at least once. Eating out with kids can be a challenge at home and can feel even more burdensome when you’re eating out while on vacation or traveling. You may find that high chairs are limited, the food is prepared differently than western standards, or maybe the food is just prepared with spices and sauces that your child hasn’t been exposed to yet, or maybe you are afraid of the mess and chaos your child will create. Whatever the case may be, I hope that with my tips below will help you and your little one be adventurous eaters!
1. Invest in a portable high chair. I can’t stress this enough. Not all restaurants have high chairs. This is more true in Europe than the US so you’ll definitely want to have one if you’re traveling abroad. Also, it’s unlikely you’ll find highchairs at most mom and pop, hole in the wall shops which usually have some of the best food. You wouldn’t want to miss out because you’re not prepared. Not only does a portable high chair come in handy when eating out but it also great if you are staying at a vacation rental or Airbnb since most – even if they are family-friendly and come with a pack n’ play – won’t come with a high chair.
2. Disposable place mats. We’ve been using these every time we go out to eat since Jacob has been able to sit in a high chair. You can put the food directly on the mat and not have to worry about your child throwing or knocking the plate off the table. Even if your child is using a plate, the mat underneath makes for an easy clean up for all of the food they manage to spill. Sometimes I wish I could put one under my husband’s plate 😉 haha. I also love using these on the tray tables on the airplane. I can safely put Jacob’s food and water on the tray and even if he drops something and picks it back up to eat I don’t have to worry about all of those nasty tray table germs.
3. Disposable Bibs. Why would you want to take the mess with you in your diaper bag? And, what if dinner is so messy you need to throw one away for round two? Yes, silicone bibs work great too but think hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant with no public restroom to wash the bib that’s drenched in marinara sauce.
4. Snack Pack. I never leave home without a snack pack full of Jacob’s favorites foods. This has been a game changer not only at dinner but traveling in general. There may not be a whole lot of food on the menu that your child can enjoy or maybe they just don’t like the food that is offered so you definitely want to bring food that they will enjoy. Instead of just tossing an unhealthy bag of chips in my purse, I can bring a variety of healthy foods for him to nibble on. I seriously never leave home without it!
4. Spoon and Sippy Cup. I always bring my own utensils and sippy cup since most places don’t have children’s utensils or cups.
5. Time your meals. This is huge and can make those restaurants you never would take your kids to actually more enjoyable. Make your reservations for earlier in the evening or when the restaurant opens for dinner. This can help to assure that your kid isn’t cranky and is ready to eat. More than likely, there will also be other like-minded families eating there at this time too. It also gives you an opportunity to pick a back table and be served faster. If a place is open for lunch and dinner, maybe even opt to go there for lunch when the atmosphere is more relaxed.
6. Techonology at the dinner table. Before having Jacob my husband and I vowed to never allow iPads, cell phones or any other electornics at the dinner table. We stuck to it (and still stick to it when we are at home) until our second night out in Spain when our choice was take out the iPad or forfeit having any more meals out during our trip. See, the European people dine when they eat. There is no eat and drink and be out of the restaurant in 20 minutes. Europeans take their time and Jacob just doesn’t have the patience for this. We knew if we wanted to eat at some of the best restaurants and enjoy our meal we needed the Ipad. It’s not for everyone, but it is something to think about when eating out while traveling.
You definitely don’t have to skip out on enjoying new cuisines and eating out when you are traveling with children, just be prepared!
