Eating on the Go With Little Ones

If I have become an expert on anything this past holiday season, it would have to be eating out with two small children. Whether we’re at someone else’s home, sitting in a fast food drive through as we travel, or eating at a restaurant, taking two kids out to eat can be a real challenge.

Michael is at the age now where he knows what is expected of him in a restaurant. Mostly, that’s because we expect him to act the same way at our kitchen table as we would expect him to act in a restaurant, so there’s little confusion about table manners. Of course, there are times when he’s tired or cranky or exceptionally hyped up, and those meals are a bit more challenging. But, generally speaking, Bean is pretty good when we go out now. He’s two and a half and so he sits in a booster seat next to me or Chris. We try to get a booth, when we can, because it is easier to contain Bean. Most of the time, Bean sits in his booster seat through the entire meal. I make sure to order his meal when we order our drinks, so that he has his food sooner rather than later. I’ve also started bringing crayons and paper for him to play with while we eat. Restaurants are also one of the only times he ever gets to use a real pen to write with and so that’s always good for a few minutes of novelty.

Gracie is now nine months old. She can sit up on her own and so we get a high chair for her. Usually, I put my shopping cart cover in the high chair, just because she likes to chew on anything around her. It’s also convenient because she tends to drop things (like, EVERYthing…) and that cart cover helps trap falling debris. I like the cart cover because it has these rings that I can hook toys to, so even if she throws them, they just dangle.

For food, we used to order Bean a children’s meal every time we went out, but lately he is so hit and miss on whether he’ll eat a whole meal or not and so we’ve been just ordering him a side item or two. Gracie is also eating table food now and so we usually just give her pieces of whatever is on the table that she can gum to death. Here is a quick list of what are our go-to foods at each meal when we eat out:

Breakfast – Bean:

Plain biscuit (which we put butter or jelly on at the table – we keep it plain if we’re in the car)
Yogurt
Cheerios (he likes me to mix his yogurt and Cheerios together in one bowl)
Fruit cup
Single pancake (no butter or syrup because I’m a Debbie Downer and don’t like the sugar, although his Nana always gives him syrup)

Breakfast – Gracie:

*All of Gracie’s food is cut up into bite sized pieces and she either feeds herself or I feed her as I eat.  I usually let Gracie sample whatever we have on our plates.  Be sure if you’re giving your baby something for the first time, you wait about 3 days before introducing anything else new so that you can monitor for an allergic reaction.  I’ve had one pediatrician who said to stay away from nuts and peanut butter strictly until they were one year old, but I’ve had another pediatrician who said that we could try it now at nine months with Gracie in small amounts.  We’re choosing to wait a bit, simply because that allergy can be really dangerous in wee ones.  We also don’t do honey until they are two years old and we keep the shell fish out of their diets until they are about two years old, as well.  Other than those two things, though, we really let her try all kinds of foods.  Be sure you talk with your pediatrician about what they recommend for introducing new foods to your baby.  These are simply big hits that work for my particular family.*

Toast (If you butter it a little and let it sit first, the bread becomes a little soggier and easier to chew)
Biscuit
Single scrambled egg (be sure to ask that they not cook it in butter, if you’re particular)
Cut up pieces of fruit

Lunch or Dinner – Bean:

*He can pretty much eat anything and he tells us what he wants or doesn’t want, but these are some of the most popular when we’re out. Our best bet is usually to look at the side items part of the menu, instead of the kids menu for Bean, unless I know he’s particularly hungry.*

Grilled cheese
Fruit cup
Grilled chicken strips (usually from my salad)
Mashed potatoes (especially if they are sweet potatoes)
Applesauce (the biggest thrill EVER, if you are Bean)
Yogurt
Cheese quesadilla (sometimes I get chicken and cheese to get some protein in there for him, but Bean usually picks it out. He’s not much for meat…)
Avocado

Lunch or Dinner – Gracie:

*Basically, if it’s relatively bland and unsauced, Gracie gets to try it.*

Fully cooked turkey or chicken
Fruit
A french fry (if I’m desperate and she’s getting fidgety. She’ll slobber all over a french fry for an hour!)
Pasta
Any vegetable that’s on someone’s plate
Applesauce
Yogurt
Avocado (these are great in Mexican restaurants with a cheese quesadilla. Both my kids love that meal.)
Rice (brown, when available)

With the kids getting a bit older now, eating out and on the go has become much easier.  The trick is to get them in, keep them happy and as healthy as possible, and get them out quickly!  Meals on the run aren’t necessarily relaxing anymore for me and Chris, but they certainly are an adventure!

What about you?  What are your kids favorite things to eat when you’re out and about?