Going on a timeshare vacation is a relaxing and enjoyable treat for all members of the family. Trips involve visiting historical attractions and art museums, shopping at the local stores, and enjoying new foods.
Encouraging children to eat certain foods, especially when they are already picky eaters to begin with, can be challenging. Try some of these tricks to help your little ones truly experience all that a trip has to offer.
1. Make It Interesting. If you head to your same old fast food or chain restaurant on a trip, children will probably be quite tempted to just order some of their old favorites from back home. Instead, go to a restaurant for which the area is famous.
When in the southwest, choose a smoky barbecue joint or an establishment with plenty of Cajun entrees. If you’re on holiday in Italy or Germany, be sure to go to restaurants serving authentic cuisine. Before heading to the restaurant, tell children what they can expect there so that they are already familiar with the menu and not as scared of the foods upon arrival.
When wandering around resort or city where you are holidaying in the day – you can always scope a few of the best restaurants for your evening meal – making a mental note of the menu offerings.
2. Limit Snacking. Yes, it is certainly difficult to limit snacking when ice cream cones, popcorn, pretzels and other delicious treats seem to be at every turn on your trip. However, try not to allow your children to overdo it. When they fill up on lots of sweet treats and junk, they will not be as hungry for dinner.
Additionally, if they are full and not feeling well, trying a new type of food that might have a different smell or be in a different shape than what they are used to can be a big turn off. When kids do ask for a snack during the day, offer them some healthy options that represent the food of the area that you are visiting. This is especially easy to do when you utilize the kitchen in your timeshare.
3. Let Children Have Input. Introducing new foods to children should not become a free for all where the children dictate what is going to be eaten and when. However, allowing them to have some input helps the process. Let older children read the menus from a few different restaurants, or read the menus to children who cannot yet read.
Look for menus that have foods that are a little bit different but not completely out of left field. For example, some ideas include small sized steaks, pasta with a sauce or simple fish steaks. Chicken cooked in a variety of styles are often popular with children and examples of this sort of dish can be found throughout world cuisine. Children are familiar with these choices, but they still have different elements to them.
Following some simple steps helps you, the parent, to encourage children to eat new foods without entirely stressing yourself or your young family members out.
This is a guest post from +Sarah Clarke who writes for the Al Fresco Holidays blog.
Photo Credit: ehow.com