Mealtime On the Go: How to Feed Your Toddler whilst Travelling

Dreaming of exploring the world with your little one, but the thought of feeding them while travelling has you feeling a bit overwhelmed? We get it! Travelling with a baby or toddler can feel like a big challenge and knowing how to best feed them can add another layer of complexity. But with a little planning and the right approach, you can absolutely conquer mealtimes on the go, making this an easy part of your family adventures. This post is your guide to navigating mealtimes while travelling, from planning and packing to adapting to different situations.

Planning & Preparation: Setting Yourself Up for Success

Before you even start packing, a little research and preparation can go a long way in ensuring a smooth experience while traveling. Here are some key considerations:

Know Your Destination (and its Food Scene): We are pescatarian and so we know in some countries finding appropriate meals for our family can be difficult. We will usually bring a packed lunch/dinner to have on the plane and we'll make enough to last 2 meals for Malva. This gives us the flexibility of knowing we won't need to immediately find food when we land meaning we don't have a hungry toddler to deal with! Our go to meal for the airport now will usually be a vegetarian quinoa salad and boiled eggs - not exciting but after a few tries it is protein packed and keeps well during travelling. Bringing sturdy food containers is also great for packed lunches on the go!

Allergies & Dietary Needs: When Malva was little she had an egg allergy which did make things challenging - fortunately she has since grown out of it but one thing we did was to have a picture or screenshot of the allergen (and to have it translated) so we could easily show it at restaurants to ensure we avoided egg. As she was young we would bring lots of pouches from home so we could relax knowing that she would be able to eat something until we could sort out food for her (homemade or store bought). We also always had antihistamines with us in our carry on and had a printed letter from her doctor to accompany it so it wouldn't be confiscated by airport security.

Hotels or apartments: We usually stay in a mix of both but tend to favour apartments because of the flexibility they offer us. Even with a basic kitchen you can whip up incredible meals using local ingredients, which gives you the reassurance that you will always be able to feed your toddler food they are familiar with. However, when you do stay at hotels with breakfast I would often ask if we could have or pack a few extra items for our daughter so she can snack on it later - even in places which don't have breakfast buffets they have been extremely accommodating and it's surprising how even a slice of bread from the hotel breakfast can be a lifesaver when you're trying to find somewhere for lunch!

Snacks, snacks, snacks: You know these are the most powerful things you can offer your toddler! Make sure you pack plenty and also have a few "emergency snacks" hidden away. We will usually bring packs of raisins, pouches and biscuits with us as our go to items and make sure we have them on hand - based on where you go or how packed your itinerary is it might take you a while to find a supermarket so having enough is key to making your life as easy as possible!

Flexible feeding: Mealtimes on the move

When you're travelling things don't always go to plan so it's important to have a flexible mindset. This is especially true for travel days or road trips when you are on the move.

Airplanes: You definitely don't want to have a hungry meltdown on the plane so make sure you pack plenty of food and snacks on board! Remember that if your child is still drinking milk you can bring a total of 2L with you - Malva used to drink plant-based milk so we would bring 2 x 1L cartons with us as this would also ensure we definitely had some for when we landed at our destination.

Road Trips:  Whenever we go on a road trip we will always bring a packed lunch for as it means we have flexibility and don't need to worry about trying to find food. It ranges from leftovers from dinner the previous day if we've cooked in our own accommodation, hotel breakfast supplies we have put into containers or picnic lunch such as bread, cheese and fruit. We've had some random roadside meals with beautiful views as a result! Remember to pack plenty of snacks and drinks, to make the journey as smooth as possible and use pit stops as a deserved leg stretch and feeding break.

For more tips around road trips, check out our road trip guide.

Should I bring food from home?

I know what you're thinking - why would I bring food from home? It's not like where I'm visiting doesn't have food... and yes you're right! However bringing a few home comforts can really make your life easier. It can be especially reassuring if your child has allergies or dietary preferences or is a particularly fussy eater. This means they can get used to the food at your destination at their own pace, and it also gives you the time to get to a supermarket to do a shop.

If your baby/toddler is still weaning it's much easier as you can bring pouches and jars. As Malva doesn't eat meat and when she was younger had an egg allergy it made it extremely difficult to find the right food for her when we were abroad so we would bring plenty of pre-made pouches and jars. Having lots of pouches gave us reassurance that we wouldn't accidentally give her an allergen and it was ideal for making sure we could always feed her! Malva loved the Ella’s kitchen pouches and the veggie biryani was her favourite. As she got older, the Tilda microwavable rice pouches were very useful for a quick meal.

I really enjoy cooking and even more so abroad as I get to explore local markets and buy fresh local produce - this means there’s no need to go overboard here but it is helpful to have some basics to help make mealtime more convenient. So, if you're staying somewhere with cooking facilities and know you won’t be able to get to a supermarket immediately, you can pack some basic ingredients such as:

• Instant porridge sachets: Easy to prepare with just hot water.

• Dried Fruit: Lightweight and nutritious, perfect for snacking on.

• Stock cubes: Instantly add flavour to any meals or make a quick soup base.

Finally, it's so important to expose your child to different tastes and textures to expand their horizons and ultimately improve their attitude towards food. Being in unfamiliar environments with different cuisines is undoubtedly an amazing opportunity to be able to do this - we will always offer our meals to Malva who will at this stage try anything. She will tell us what she doesn't like and we are sure to be very respectful of that but I do think exposing her to so many different flavours, ingredients and types of cuisine early on has helped make her an "easy" eater.

Gear Must-Haves: Making Mealtime Easier

These essential items will make mealtimes much smoother, wherever you are:

• Portable travel highchair: A lightweight highchair is a game-changer, especially if you're not sure about the availability of highchairs at your destination. There are several different types available however we opted for the Totseat because the clever design securely attaches onto different types of chairs, folds into a lightweight compact pouch and is completely machine washable.

• Bibs: Pack several, as they can get messy quickly! Make sure they are waterproof and wipeable as you’ll be using them several times a day. When our daughter was younger, we would double up for mealtime with a waterproof coverall bib and a silicone catch all bib on top. We’ve tried a few different catch all bibs but found she would often manage to rip them off – the only bibs which would manage to resist her would be those from Griptight which really live up to their name!

• Spoons: Bring a few, in case one gets lost and you have a spare for when they are dirty.

• Sippy Cup: I highly recommend the Tommee Tippee Superstar Sippee Weaning Cup as it doesn’t leak and is easy to hold. After you’ve spent lots of time wiping water off the table and floor, you’ll appreciate having a bottle which is leak and spillproof.

• Bowls: Small, non-breakable bowls are essential for serving food. We found silicone bowls with a suction cup on the bottom the best to keep food on the table! This is a nice silicone bowl set which includes cups and spoons.

• Food Masher: If you're planning on making food on the go, a portable baby food masher will be invaluable. We used this at home and away and it was a great way of letting our daughter try our foods.

• Cleaning Supplies: As you can imagine this will get messy! You will need lots of baby wipes and antibacterial wipes to ensure that you and baby stay as clean as possible. To clean things up afterwards, remember to bring or buy a washing up sponge and a small container of washing up liquid.

Managing Mealtimes on the Go: Practical Tips

• Be Patient: Feeding your toddler, especially when they are new to food can be slow, messy and frustrating! Being patient will help keep this a relaxing and low-pressure situation which remains enjoyable for you all (easier said than done, I know!)

• Embrace the Mess (within Reason!): Even will bibs, mats and wipes the spills and splatters are inevitable. Be glad it's not your home and clean up when the ordeal is over - try to relax and enjoy your toddlers exploration of new tastes and textures.

• Offer Familiar Foods: Even when trying new things, it's helpful to offer some familiar favourites to ensure your toddler eats something. We tend to do this more at the start of the holiday so she has time to adjust to the local cuisine.

• Don't Stress Too Much: Traveling can disrupt routines, and your toddlers appetite might fluctuate. Don't worry too much if they don't eat as much as usual. Just continue to offer nutritious options and let them guide you.

  
  

Conclusion: Happy Travels & Happy Eating!

With careful planning, the right gear, and a flexible approach, feeding whilst travelling can be a positive and enjoyable experience for both you and your little one. Remember, every child is different, so find what works best for your family. Embrace the journey, enjoy the new experiences, and bon appétit!