Traveling With Children: Eating On The Go

Experiencing new things is the highlight of most foreign vacations - unless you have children. Kids thrive on routines and disruptions in bedtimes, naps or meals can lead to chaos. With picky eaters, it is meal time that presents the biggest challenge when visiting a new country. Wisdom suggests that they will eat when hungry but the hours of whining and tears that precede that moment are best endured at home, not while on vacation.

Kids in the United States are spoiled by the ubiquitous kids menu with its standard list of chicken nuggets, grilled cheese and hamburgers. The children's menus in other countries, if they exist, tend to feature favorites from the local cuisine. It is common for children to be served smaller portions off the standard menu. Tourist restaurants may offer you an "American kid's menu" but that is usually best avoided. The traditional favorites - often marginal at best in the US - are not edible elsewhere. Plus, part of the trip is about trying new things. Do you feel like you are balancing on a tightrope between avoiding a food meltdown and pushing the kids to try new things? Use these tips to help find the balance on your next vacation.

Every country has a stereotypical food (think rice in China or pasta in Italy) - use that to your advantage. Talk about what will be on the menu, find local restaurants featuring that cuisine or try making some at home. The goal is to make a new menu not quite so foreign. Use this time to learn a little about the country's standard dishes and, more importantly, what to avoid.

Next, it is time to establish a rule that everyone must try at least two bites of a new food at very meal. This can be difficult if your daily meal routine has settled into a familiar pattern of serving kid-friendly foods. Now is the time to change the pattern and add a new side dish to each meal. This helps the kids get used to seeing (and trying) new things that are on their plates.

When all else fails, have an emergency jar of peanut butter and crackers in the suitcase!