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Picky Eaters

7 Tips For Managing a Picky Eater When Away From Home

Having a picky eater can be really frustrating. You spend hours preparing healthy kids’ meals and they just push the plate away without even trying a bite. You might also worry that your child is unhealthy because they refuse to try different foods.

While this can be frustrating enough when you are at home, it can be an even bigger problem when you take the family on holiday. You want to enjoy your time away and have fun with your family, but you can’t get your fussy eater to settle down for a meal. For many picky eaters, the pickiness even gets worse when they are away from home.

With the following tips, you can manage the behavior of your picky eater and have a better time on holiday.

Stay Positive

This is one of the most important tips. You don’t want to force your child to eat something if they do not want to and you should avoid rules like not being allowed to leave the table until their plate is empty. You are trying to enjoy your time away, so you don’t want to turn mealtime into a battle of wills.


Do it Together

Take the time to plan some of your holiday meals together. Bring your child to the supermarket and let them pick out some of the foods you will eat on holiday. Encourage your child to pick new foods and try new things – let them select some recipes they want to try and tell them it can be something new to try while you are away.


Offer Choices

You don’t want to cook one special meal for your picky eater every day while you are away, but you want to know they are going to eat. Make one meal for everyone, but make sure to include at least one thing your picky eater enjoys. This will guarantee that they will at least eat something at mealtime.


Make it Interesting

Presentation can go a long way toward getting your picky eater to eat better away from home. If you can find ways to make food fun, your child might be more willing to eat and they might even try something new while you have them away on holiday.


Ask Questions

Try asking a few questions if your child won’t eat when on holiday. You might find that the issue is something simple and solvable. They might just want a dipping sauce or for the food to be cut up or presented in a different way.


Let Them Help

Get your children involved in food preparation. Even if you have to make up a job, it can be a good way to get them interested in the food. When they see the food they helped to make, they will want to try it. This can be a great way to make sure your child eats when away from home.


Keep Trying

Don’t give up just because your child is giving you a hard time about eating on holiday. You don’t want to force them to eat, but a little gentle encouragement can go a long way. You might even be able to get them to try new foods when they are away from home.


It isn’t always easy to get your children to eat. This can be a real problem when you are trying to have a nice getaway with the family. With the above-mentioned tips, you should have an easier time managing your picky eater, and that will leave you with more time to enjoy your holiday.


 

Author: Jennifer Stone

 

Family Friendly Holidays

Treat your family to a fantastic self-catering caravan or lodge holiday across the UK.

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