Before you click away, hear me out. I’m not totally wacko, I promise! (And if I am a wacko, I’m a wacko who saves hundreds of dollars on each vacation we take.)

If you like eating out on vacation, this article is still for you. I’m not suggesting you entirely cut out restaurants on vacation. Instead, I invite you to consider how you can make my tips to prepare food on vacation work for you.

I also outline just how much money you can expect to save with some of the budget travel strategies below.

And I’m betting you haven’t tried at least some of these strategies—so definitely read to the end!

Curious? If you’re into budget travel, keep reading to learn how I save hundreds of dollars on every vacation.

And don’t forget to pin this post so you remember these tips later!

This post contains affiliate links. That means when you click and buy, I earn a small income at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting To & Fro Fam!

Quick cold foods

If you have young kids, I’m betting that you are plenty familiar with “cold meals”—you know, when you don’t actually cook anything but everyone’s fed just the same.

These cold meals are money for budget-friendly tactics like prepping food on vacation. You can prepare so many meals with an absolute minimum of work, supplies or clean-up.

Think of what quick, no-cooking-required foods your family relies on at home. Some ideas to jump-start your brainstorm:

• Sandwiches
• Cereal
• Yogurt and fruit
• Salad
• What else? Let me know your cold meal ideas in the comments at the end of the post.

Grocery store hot and cold bars

I’ve written before about how grocery stores are the best place to “eat out” on vacation, especially if you have selective eaters or food intolerances in the family. Rely on their hot and cold bars for a quick meal that requires no work on your part but still saves money!

Not every grocery store has a stellar selection in its hot and cold bars. More high-end shops like Whole Foods have more options beyond jojos and macaroni salad. Consider adding these ready-made foods to your cart:

• Pasta salad
• DIY a delicious custom salad
• Sushi
• Pre-made sandwiches and wraps
• Quinoa salad and other grain salads

I typically have the girls pick a few foods from the salad bar. That way, I can grab a few baby tomatoes, some sliced cucumber and a few hard-boiled eggs—without buying a whole package of each. It also helps me include some healthy options on the kids’ plates.

If you haven’t tried this strategy to save money on food on vacation, give it a (delicious) try!

Freezer meals FTW

For me, 2020 has been the Year of Freezer Meals. I’ve fully embraced the fact that a pre-made meal from the freezer aisle helps keep me fed without stress. I’ve chosen to not hold myself to a ridiculous standard of cooking every meal from scratch—and the same goes for vacations.

That’s why we sometimes microwave freezer meals to save money on a budget vacation. I typically buy Amy’s or another brand with gluten-free and dairy-free options.

(I also heat the meals on an actual plate rather than the plastic packaging. It looks so much nicer and alleviates the worry of microwaving plastic.)

If you’re stressed about the sodium levels of freezer meals, remind yourself that you’re not eating them every day for the rest of your life. A few freezer meals on vacation isn’t going to permanently overwhelm your system with salt.

Another bonus: Everyone can choose what they want! So Max and Edie might pick macaroni and cheese (I’m sure you’re shocked), Hubs might opt for stir fry and I get veggie enchiladas.

Snack board meals

Charcuterie board, anyone? Snack plates aren’t only for parties or fancy gatherings; put one together and call it dinner. (No, call it super-easy, budget-friendly, stress-free dinner!)

Get some cold-cuts, slice some cheese, arrange crackers, cut up some veggies—and declare dinner done. Kids tend to love DIYing their food, so encourage them to make tiny cracker sandwiches.

Want to go the extra mile? Add some olives, cornichons, grapes, apple slices or dip like hummus. Even with these final touches, you’ll still save tons of money on food.

Pack meals for when you’re on the go

When my family travels, we rarely eat out. That’s partly because we want to save money and partly because Maxine eats like 10 foods. Whatever the reason, though, we make it happen by packing food to eat throughout the day.

That means a little planning and prep on the front end, but it actually saves time and effort throughout the day. That’s because you don’t have to figure out where to eat, travel to a restaurant you choose, wait in line, or wait for your food to arrive.

Instead, when you pack lunch and snacks for on-the-go-eating, you have ready-made meals. This money-saving strategy really helps when you have a kid on the edge of a hanger meltdown!

Whenever we can, we eat these meals as a picnic in a pretty spot. That way lunch doubles as a sightseeing activity. Plus, Max and Edie can run off and play while Hubs and I finish our meals!

Don’t underestimate the power of a microwave

For the first year or so of Edie’s life, we didn’t have a microwave. Then we bought one and I was seriously floored by how much easier it made everything.

You may be rolling your eyes at me (duh, microwaves are life-savers for parents of young children, you might be thinking). So consider how helpful they can be on a budget vacation!

Yes, you can warm up freezer meals (which I wrote about above). Their use goes beyond freezer meals, though.

Reheat leftovers (including takeout or restaurant meals you didn’t finish). Warm up foods your kids eat a ton of at home. (In my family, this is dino nuggets: Edie eats them almost nightly, including on vacation.) “Boil” water for foods like instant oatmeal. Warm up soup.

The microwave is your best friend for preparing foods in your hotel room—and saving money while you’re at it.

Cook in your hotel room—seriously!

This tip might make you think I’ve crossed the line from budget-savvy to downright loopy. But hear me out!

With a tiny bit of prep and extra supplies, you can cook a legit meal, even in a hotel room.

Part of how I saved more than $2,000 on a Disneyland vacation was preparing about 95% of our own meals. We had road tripped from Oregon to Southern California and had brought a small electric griddle (totally easy to pack). So one morning I made eggs and pancakes for my family of four plus my in-laws. I fed all six of us for about $5 total. Compare that to what we probably would have spent at a restaurant—an estimated $60—and the slight amount of hassle is well justified in my mind.

Tips to save money on food on vacation

If you want to save money on food on vacation, prepping some meals in your lodging is the best way to do just that. Follow these tips to make this money-saving strategy work.

• Avoid strong-smelling foods. If you’re staying in a hotel, keep in mind that people in other rooms will be able to smell certain meals. Avoid these delicious but strong-smelling foods, such as curry or fish.
• Take care of your trash. You may want to empty your own trash cans more regularly, so scope out a common trash bin near your room.
• Leave an extra tip. Preparing food in your room may cause a little extra mess. If that’s the case, don’t forget to leave housekeeping an extra tip.
• Check room specifications. Before you book a hotel room, or even a home rental, notice the accommodations it includes. Does the room have a mini fridge? A microwave? Even a kitchenette? Take this into account when you book your lodging. Factor in the money you’ll save by preparing food on vacation when comparing prices of hotel rooms.
• Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good. To save money on vacation, you don’t have to eat in for every meal. Strike a balance between eating in restaurants, getting takeout and preparing food in your hotel. Do what works for you and your family for a budget vacation that’s still fun and relaxing.

Bring these budget travel meal prep supplies

Life will be much easier if you bring these supplies for preparing food on vacation. Add them to your packing list!

Here’s what to bring to prepare food in your hotel room:

• Sponge and dish soap. You’ll want to wash up after making and eating your meals. It’s a lot easier to do the dishes if you don’t have to rely on a washcloth and bar soap!
• Tupperware or storage containers. Bring reusable containers to store leftovers and food to go. I usually pack a few empties in addition to the containers that store food I bring with us.

Pro tip: Use square or rectangular food storage containers. They pack more easily and are more efficient with space.

• Ziplocks or reusable bags. I’m obsessed with these reusable silicone “bags,” which nest inside each other—making for more compact packing. Use them for leftovers, ingredients and foods you bring on the day’s adventures. Alternatively, bring different sizes of zippered plastic bags.
• A knife. Bring a sharp knife; we typically bring a small paring knife like this one. It’s compact and gets the job done. (Make sure to pack it with its sheath.) I use it to cut everything from apples to cucumbers to sandwiches. (Will the kids ever eat a sandwich with the crust on? Time will tell.)
• Plates, bowls and utensils. We do our best to avoid single-use items like disposable plates and forks. So I bring sturdy plastic plates and bowls for each of us in addition to silverware. (In fact, we carry a set of silverware and cloth napkins in the glove compartment at all times we use when eating takeout on the road.)
• Disposable plates and utensils. If you can’t get around the idea of washing dishes in a hotel bathroom sink, pack disposable cutlery and plates. This option still generates less waste than takeout (with its non-recyclable clamshell containers and plastic to-go bags). Look for plates made from recycled materials or biodegradable cutlery.
• Seasonings. We definitely don’t make anything gourmet on the road. But having a small assortment of seasonings and spices helps! At the least, you may want salt and pepper. I also bring cinnamon (for oatmeal) and nutritional yeast (for pretty much everything!). I love these travel-friendly spices kits, which include a variety of seasonings in one easy-to-pack container.
• Cutting board. A compact cutting board will make preparing meals on vacation so much easier! Plus, you can use it for that snack board dinner.

Budget travel doesn’t have to be hard. And you don’t need to feel like you’re depriving yourself on vacation just by preparing some of your own meals instead of eating out.

Pick and choose which of these strategies works for you. Then apply one (or all!) of these tips to save money on your next family vacation!

The post 7 ideas to save money on food on vacation: How I save hundreds of dollars appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

Raise your hand if you’ve been there: You’re on vacation with your family. You’re traveling to a new place. It’s time to eat—but you don’t know where to go. You end up googling and Yelping, and the kid friendly restaurant searches are coming up with nothing that looks good (to you or your picky kids). Meanwhile, your kids are getting more hangry by the minute, and you’ve run out of granola bars and fruit leather. DISASTER! Or is it?

You see, my kids went through the pre-meal meltdowns so many times that I just knew there had to be a better way to find a kid friendly restaurant no matter where we traveled.

Then I figured it out: Pretty much wherever you go, you can find a midrange to high-end grocery store that’s guaranteed to have plenty to keep any kids happy and well fed. When we’re on a family vacation, we often eat at Whole Foods, local natural food stores and even Safeway—and we always find something good to eat.

Read on for my tested tips and recommendations to find a kid friendly restaurant on vacation—at the grocery store!

Find a kid friendly restaurant ANYWHERE

Picky kids? Impatient husband? Gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, Paleo, keto, vegan? No matter what the combination of your dietary requirements and preferences, most grocery stores can satisfy your whole family.

First of all, even picky eaters can find something to eat at a grocery store. Hot delis have corn dogs, cold delis have sandwiches, and the rest of the grocery store is a treasure trove of ready to eat, kid friendly food.
Secondly, eating at a grocery store is waaaay cheaper than a restaurant (especially considering that your kids might not eat anything at the Thai place you picked after an hour of searching for family friendly restaurants on Yelp.)

Yes, you’ll want to branch out and explore other (actual) restaurants, but if you’re ever in a pinch and need to find a kid friendly restaurant like NOW, the grocery store is your best bet. Here’s how to make the most of the grocery store for any meal.

Rock the hot deli

For my older daughter’s fifth birthday, her Grandma offered to take her to lunch anywhere she wanted. Where did Edie choose? The fancy grocery store 5 minutes from our house.

She and her sister love the macaroni and cheese there. I also get them jojos, and occasionally a corn dog.
Other common hot bar options to turn the grocery store into a kid friendly restaurant: pizza, chicken tenders, stir fry and much more.

Many higher end grocery stores also serve made to order foods. Our neighborhood store, for example, serves customizable burritos and burgers.

Don’t forget the salad bar

My kids love salad—what don’t yours? OMG kidding! My girls have literally never eaten a piece of lettuce. But that doesn’t mean the salad bar is off limits.

Even when the girls get mac n cheese (which is, let’s admit, every single time), we stop by the salad bar to make our yellow and beige meal slightly more colorful.

One more thing I love about supplementing our meal with goodies from the grocery store salad bar: I can get a wide variety of healthy foods in small portions. I can also satisfy both of my girls. (For example, Edie loves beets because they turn her mouth purple, and Maxine almost always will eat hard boiled eggs.) Finally, I let my kids choose what they want (and how much), which gives them power over their meal—and makes them more likely to actually eat it, research shows.

The most common delicious (and healthy!) tidbits we get from the salad bar to make the grocery store into a kid friendly restaurant:

• Cubed turkey
• Grilled chicken
• Cherry tomatoes
• Beets
• Hard boiled eggs
• Raisins
• Peas
• Bell peppers

Find your jam at the cold deli

Many grocery stores have a huge spread just waiting to get on your table. And with so many options, there’s something to please all the members of your family.

In addition, the deli staff are happy to serve you whatever size portion you need. So if your littlest is the only one in the family who likes quinoa salad, get just a scoop and let everyone else pick what tickles their fancy.

Don’t be limited to the potato salad and coleslaw though. Although those picnic favorites are familiar, many grocery stores have so much more. Take for example my local grocery store, which serves teriyaki salmon skewers and chicken pot pies they’ll warm for you while you wait. There are so many options!

You can also get, say, a quarter-pound of your favorite deli meat and pair it with an avocado and a piece of fruit. That’s a gluten-free, keto-friendly meal I’ve taken advantage of many times while traveling.

Sandwich bar #ftw

This is the area of the grocery store I first head to when I eat at the grocery store. There’s something for everyone at the sandwich bar, even those of us who are gluten free, since most grocery stores now offer GF bread.

I usually choose a build your own option and load it up with all the veggies (which is even more important when you’re on vacation and get out of your healthy eating routine). My sandwiches usually include lettuce, tomato, spinach, cucumbers, avocado, pepperoncini and even shredded carrots.

Not everyone loves a sammie loaded with all the fixings though. Kids can pick the toppings they like, including the plain turkey and cheese option.

What’s more, many grocery stores offer a kid friendly peanut butter and jelly sandwich too. You can’t go wrong with that!

Finally, if you’re in a hurry, there are usually premade sandwiches ready to grab and go next to the sandwich station.

Groceries for lunch make the fastest meal ever

Sometimes when you’re on vacation you just want to eat something familiar —and the same goes for your kids. (Probably even more so for your littles, whether they’re picky eaters or not).

So when you’re on a family vacation, it’s 100% legit to put together an entire meal from ready to eat groceries.

Don’t feel any guilt whatsoever: you’ll end up eating well, with fewer complaints from the kids.

If they (or you) need any persuading, consider this: Picking up ready to eat food from the grocery store is perfect for getting a picnic ready in record time.

Ideas to make a meal out of grocery store options:

• String cheese
• Yogurt
• Sliced lunch meat
• Sliced cheese
• Baby carrots
• Premade crudités with hummus
• Avocado dip
• Fresh fruit
• Peanut butter and crackers

Yes soup for you!

I’m a giant fan of soup, especially on the chilly days we’re famous for here in the Pacific Northwest. It’s no surprise that I regularly get a cup of soup from the grocery store when I travel.

Pair soup with a sandwich, wrap or even a roll (usually found next to the soup or in the bakery section) to round out the meal. You can also get a grilled cheese from the sandwich bar to go along with your kids’ tomato soup for the classic, kid-friendly combo.

Grab and go sushi

A friend of mine has a daughter who literally turns up her nose at pizza but will eat like three sushi rolls. You just never know!

Even if your kids don’t like raw fish, the all-veggie sushi and freshwater eel rolls are delicious meals.

And the freshly made sushi available at most grocery stores is a great option for adults of kids who just want chicken fingers and fries. After all, one of the beautiful things about turning a grocery store into a kid friendly restaurant is that everyone can choose something different! So if you want sushi, one kid wants a corn dog, your partner wants soup and another kid wants yogurt, you’re totally good to go.

Level 10 travel tip: Make sure to get chopsticks and soy sauce at the sushi counter. Most grocery stores don’t have these utensils and condiments where they have the other plastic silverware.

(Want to get your kids to branch out? Click over to a post I wrote on my motherhood blog about getting even picky eaters to try sushi!)

Save the best for last

Chances are, when you hit up the grocery store for meals when you travel, the whole family will happily find something they want to eat. My kids are always thrilled!

Then again, if anyone in the family is underwhelmed, you can always tantalize them with a promise of dessert.

Grocery store bakeries make cupcakes, cookies, cakes, and even other goodies like mousse and gelato. Many places will also sell these treats a la cart, so you and your kids can each choose what you like.

My local grocery store makes amazing flourless peanut butter cookies, and the girls swoon over their cupcakes. Just make sure to save room for dessert when you eat at the grocery store—uh, I mean the kid friendly restaurant!

Your kids will never go hangry again

With this vacation-saving family travel hack in your back pocket, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find a kid friendly restaurant anywhere you go. So instead of wasting precious vacation hours searching for a kid friendly restaurant with a play place, simply find a decent grocery store nearby. It’ll feed your whole family on a budget—and everyone will leave happy.

Have you ever stopped at a grocery store for lunch or dinner? What do your kids think of it? How else do you find a kid friendly restaurant when you travel?

And don’t forget to pin this post for later!

The post Find a kid friendly restaurant—no matter where you vacation appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

At my younger daughter’s recent doctor’s visit, the nurse went through the standard questions. Among them, of course, were the questions any parent of a picky child dreads: How many servings of vegetables does your child eat per day? How about fruit? Meat? Other protein? Um, does macaroni and cheese count?

No? Dang.

You see, my younger daughter in particular is a picky eater. She basically lives on bananas, peanut butter and varying combinations of carbs with cheese. Parents of picky eaters totally feel me when I say that travel with picky eaters is stressful enough to make you reconsider that weekend trip you’ve been looking forward to.

Here’s the thing, though. There are totally useful, totally doable ways to make your picky kids eat on vacation. Using a combination of these tactics has taken a huge bite out of the stress out of mealtimes when we go on family trips. They didn’t cure my daughter of her picky eating habits—I’m still hoping time will help with that—but they do ensure she doesn’t starve while we’re out of town.

#parentingwin!

So the next time you’re planning family travel, don’t forget these crucial tips to make picky kids eat on vacation. And pin this post for later so you’ll remember—and so you won’t stress during your next trip!

How to make your picky kids eat on vacation

1. Screen the restaurants

Before we eat at a new restaurant with the kids, I look at their menu online to make sure there’s at least something my kids will eat without complaint. Even if there isn’t a kid menu, I’ll scan other items to see if they can make a kid-friendly version—e.g. a mushroom-cheese panini can totally become grilled cheese.

2. Google maps the heck out of your itinerary

When we go on a family trip, first I search “restaurant with kids play area” and the best kid-friendly restaurants of our destination. Then I add the best ones to a custom google map of our family vacation.

That way, wherever we are—and in whichever neighborhood—there will be a family-friendly restaurant I’ve pre-screened nearby.

Getting the girls to try gluten-free cinnamon rolls at Kyra’s Bake Shop wasn’t a hard sell.

3. Order something familiar…

Young picky eaters are not going to suddenly decide that they’re totally down with seaweed salad if all they eat at home is plain spaghetti. So let them order something that will actually deliver the calories they need to continue living. French fries for the win!

4. …and put unfamiliar food on their plate, too

That doesn’t mean you have to eat buttered pasta, though! (Though if you want to, by all means, go for it! Vacation!!!)

So go ahead and order whatever you want to eat—then put a teeny tiny portion of your meal on your child’s plate. They may freak out and insist you get it off their plate—or they may try it. Hey, I’m an optimist.

She tried the arepas at Portland Mercado, at least!

5. Encourage adventure bites

In our family, we never require my kids to eat everything on their plate. Instead, we ask them to take an “adventure bite,” a phrase we learned when my nephew was visiting. (The fact that their cousin takes adventure bites totally helps my picky eaters branch out.)

Sometimes, though, adventure bites are too much. So to help my picky kids eat on vacation, I ask them to touch the food with their tongue instead. (I know, the lengths we parents go to. *eyeroll*) Sometimes it’s a no-go. But other times, like when my 3-year-old touched a slice of peach with her tongue, it’s a slam-dunk. “I love it!” she yelled!

6. Ketchup on everything

Kids like ketchup—it’s pretty much a universal rule. If your kid agrees, then ask for the server to bring you ketchup—even if you’re at a Japanese restaurant. (They probably don’t have it but hey, they might!) Then let your picky eaters put ketchup on whatever they want. If it helps them try teriyaki chicken, what’s the harm?

7. Order family-style

Some restaurants serve family style—Chinese restaurants with their lazy susans come to mind—and some research suggests that letting everyone serve themselves from food at the center of the table encourages kids to try more foods and develop the skills they need to become healthy eaters. Some experts suggest this is because family-style eating transfers control over mealtimes—which can be stressful for picky eaters and all of us—to the kids. They get to choose what, and how much, goes on their plate.

What’s more, family-style dining models to your kids what healthy eating looks like. They get to practice estimating serving sizes and putting a balanced mix of food on their plate.

So the next time you’re eating at a restaurant on vacation, agree as a table what you’ll order—and ask your server to place it all in the middle of the table. Then your family can choose what they’d like to sample from the center.

8. Enjoy—I mean, really enjoy—your food

Do you remember that scene in the movie What About Bob? where Bob is eating corn on the cob and enjoying the heck out of it? The kids at the table think it’s hilarious—and your kids will, too, as you “mmmmmmmmmm!” over your salad or stir fry. The over-the-top enjoyment adds a bit of silliness to the meal, and your kids might just try some—and “mmmmmmm!” over it too!

9. “Steal” bites

A while back, my family went out to dinner with some dear friends whose toddler is a gold medal-winning, A+, poster child eater. Seriously, he loves all food, which is kind of the opposite of my girls, whom we used to call “breathatarians” because they were seemingly convinced they could live on air alone.

Well, at one point in the meal, my friend picked up his son’s fork and pretended to try to “steal” a bite. His son immediately gobbled it up—and it was a hilarious game. My girls caught on, and now we sometimes try to “sneak” their food—which really, really helps my picky kids eat on vacation.

10. Introduce a new toy

On a recent trip to Seattle, I was on my own with my kids for a while, including several meals. Well, Mama planned ahead, and I brought a new toy for each kid. I’m not talking fancy, batteries-required toys; I brought a memory game and a tiny toy car. No matter: My kids were delighted. The distraction helped them wait while the restaurant made our food, and it made the meal fun. What’s more, it gave the kids something to do when I needed more time to finish my meal.

And—you guessed it—the unexpected surprise of getting a little toy at dinner made these picky eaters eat more.

11. Pre-order your food

In one of the greatest mysteries of life, hangry kids are actually less likely to eat. (Have you noticed that, too? What gives?!) So one way to make your picky kids eat on vacation is to put food in front of them before they’re absolutely starving.

One way we do this is look at a menu before arriving and deciding what everyone is going to eat. That way, when the server comes around, we don’t have to wait for them to take drink orders and come back 15 minutes later—we can order and eat in record time.

If you’re really under a time crunch and approaching hangry kid meltdowns, you can order before you even get to the restaurant. Just tell them you’ll be there in 10 or 15 minutes (depending on how far away you are, of course), and then they’ll seat you just before your food is ready. Genius.

12. Eat a little of a lot

If you travel with a picky eater, opt for some meals that serve small portions. That way, you can order a bunch of food, and chances are, your kids will like at least something.

Tapas and conveyor belt sushi are great opportunities for kids to see and taste a wide variety of foods. I take my kids to an inexpensive conveyor belt sushi place near our house during happy hour sometimes, and I let them pick anything off the belt. The catch is they have to try what they pick. Most things are a no go, but once Kiwi tried—and liked!—raw salmon! She even used chopsticks!

13. Don’t force them to sit the whole time

Kids are squirmy. That’s just reality. And it’s asking a lot of any young child—including a picky eater—to sit for an entire meal without getting up. So don’t sweat your kid getting down from the table before everyone has finished eating.

14. Pick a kid-friendly restaurant

Of course finding a kid-friendly restaurant that serves more than chicken nuggets is a plus. But beyond the menu, I’ve found that eating in kid-friendly restaurants eases a ton of the stress of eating at restaurants on vacation with kids. The staff tend to be less worried about french fries on the floor and other delightful side effects of family travel.

15. Enlist a pint-sized travel agent

Once you’ve found a handful of family-friendly restaurants, you’ll next ask your kids their opinions. Offer them two options you’ve already vetted and give them the power to choose where you’ll eat.

If your picky eaters feel like they’ve contributed and exercised some of their own control, they’re more likely to eat on vacation.

16. Decide on dessert ahead of time

It’s a giant pet peeve of mine when servers ask—in front of the kids—if we want dessert. Um, what kid is going to say no to that?! This suggestive selling makes parents the bad guys, and you probably agree that being the bad guy is no fun.

So instead of waiting until your server offers ice cream, decide and discuss as a family if you’ll  be having dessert or not. Making the decision even before you sit down lets you say, “Remember, we talked about how you had cotton candy at the fair, so we’re not going to get dessert after dinner.” In my experience, my kids are way less likely to throw a tantrum if they know a “no” is coming. (Or when a “heck yes!” is coming!)

17. Calories are calories

When I was pregnant with Kiwi and Peeper was about a year and a half, I flew solo from Detroit to Portland. While we waited for our flight to board, I needed to feed Peeper dinner. We sat down at a restaurant—and I had zero effs left to give that she ate nothing but french fries.

I sometimes channel that exhausted, who-cares attitude now when we eat at a restaurant with my kids. You see, I strive to serve my girls balanced meals when I’m at home, so I figure one meal that consists entirely of fried, salted potatoes won’t hurt. After all, even french fries can keep kids alive for a while!

18. Load up on breakfast

Generally, you have the most control over the first meal of the day. So to get picky kids to eat on vacation, load ’em up in the morning. Either check ahead of time that your hotel serves something they’ll eat, or—better yet—bring along their usual breakfast foods.

When we go on a family trip, we always bring a jar of peanut butter and bananas. Heck, I even bring a variety of sprinkles, ’cause once when my picky eaters were on a hunger strike I resorted to putting dyed sugar on their bananas and I’ve never gone back. #noshameparenting That way, I know I can get them to eat a full meal first-thing.

19. Food is a part of the adventure

When we go on a family vacation, we talk up the trip—the museums we’ll see, the hotel where we’ll stay, the hikes we’ll go on, the playgrounds we’ll visit. Why not do the same with food?

When you travel with a picky eater, especially, discuss the foods you’ll try and the restaurants you’ll visit. Getting excited about the food of your vacation—and talking about it in the same breath as the other awesome stuff you’ll do—helps your kids associate food with fun. It also prepares kids who don’t like surprises or who may have anxiety around new experiences.

20. Eat a smoothie

If your kids like smoothie, then by all means order a smoothie as an entire meal. I love taking my kids to Moberi in Portland because they both eat the green smoothie—even Kiwi, who will not touch a single vegetable.

21. Don’t eat dinner; eat happy hour

Forget brunch; happy hour is my favorite time at a restaurant, and that’s even more true now that I’m a mom. Happy hour is perfectly designed to help picky kids eat on vacation:

• Happy hour is early (so no hangry meltdowns)
• Happy hour is cheap (so you feel less bad that your kid ate only a single bite of the sliders she ordered)
• Happy hour isn’t busy (so there are fewer strangers to judge you when you give your kids a tablet so you can finish your cocktail in peace)

Happy hour menu items are also usually smaller than full plates so you can order a few extra dishes—and increase the chances your kids will try something they like.

Traveling with a picky eater—made easier

I wish I could wave a magic wand and make your kids open and excited to eating all the foods. Heck, I wish I could to that to my kids.

Until I get that magic wand, then, I’ll continue working these family travel dining hacks: I’ll strategically pick where and when to eat, give my kids some control over what they eat (and don’t), and find lots of ways to simply stress less about what goes on their plates.

I’m confident that you’ll be less anxious about traveling with a picky eater after reading these tips. And I’m fairly sure these ideas will help your picky kid eat on vacation.

Do you have tips for traveling with picky eaters? Tell me your magical (or not so magical) ways to make picky kids eat on vacation!

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