5 Expert Tips to Meeting Your Picky Eater’s Needs During a Family Vacation

In Barcelona, my daughter ate 10 days of tomato toast, hold the garlic. When we went to Greece, it was croissants, corn, and French fries. In France, instead of steak frites or Quiche Lorraine, she frustratingly subsisted on Pret.

But since then, things have changed.

On a recent trip to Anguilla, she ordered her own sushi and miso soup, took a ginger shot, and tried pretty much everything else that she was served. She’s become an incredibly adventurous eater and it’s mostly because I ditched most of the gold-star parenting advice I’d heard and simply committed to the process.

According to the 2025 Parents Food Study, 2 out of 3 parents surveyed say they have a child who is a picky eater. What’s more, 53% say they prepare separate meals for that child. Once you take a picky eater on vacation, a difficult eating experience becomes nearly impossible.

Danielle Zold, RD, LDN, CLC, CGN, a pediatric registered dietitian and founder of Nourished Pediatrics, says that there’s “no quick fix” for what can feel like a truly taxing problem but there are a few ways to support picky eaters when they’re on a trip or even back at home.

Talk Through the First Bite

Through her practice, Zold recommends starting with “sample-sized” portions. She suggests that parents serve that food without pressure or expectation to eat it.

“You can explore the food together by talking about its shape, color, or texture. This helps build familiarity. If the child feels comfortable, they might pick it up, smell it, or even take a tiny ‘baby bite,’” she says. “These small steps help kids feel more in control and curious, which is how real progress with new foods begins.”

At home, we always start by smelling foods because that gives us a preview of what they’ll taste like. Then we try one bite. My daughter can spit it out and never eat it again, but what we’ve noticed as we have conversations about what we like, what we don’t like, and why, is that many foods “taste better than they look.” So, sampling next time becomes an even more positive experience.

Go Places with Your Picky Eater Before the Place

Controversial take: Too many parents expect their kids to act like brand-new people in public.

After relying on screens at dinner, we want kids to make conversation with their grandparents on a cruise. After serving nuggets and fries every night, we want them to eat something they’ve never seen before at an expensive restaurant. The truth is, our kids will be our kids in Europe or the Caribbean, just like they were our kids back at home.

Even though my travel buddy and I had a rough patch in 3K when she only ever wanted to eat carbs, when she was smaller, she ate what we ate. She went to her first restaurant as an infant and I never used an iPad. She used silverware and sat in full-sized chairs as soon as her chin cleared the table.

That said, there was a lot of walking out of restaurants, dropping silverware, and moving candles. It was a long and sometimes challenging process, but now, as a spunky 5-year-old, she doesn’t just sit still at the dinner table; she can order from the menu and make conversation with the people next to her.

Zold says that parents should keep in mind that raising expansive eaters isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. “Across the board, progress happens through a slow, gentle, and low-pressure process. It’s about building trust, creating consistent routines, and supporting the child’s relationship with food, not forcing change overnight or bribing them to take one more bite,” she says. 

Start with the Kids Menu

In my opinion, a new food on a menu designed for kids is a little less scary to a preschooler than eating the green thing her mom ordered for herself. Even though my travel buddy has gotten used to going to restaurants of all varieties, we still do prefer kid-friendly places.

When we went to Anguilla, we stayed at Aurora Anguilla Resort & Gold Club, a luxury resort with a family-friendly water park located on the property. When we headed to Toyko Bay, a Japanese restaurant located on the property, the vibe was the same—fancy and family-friendly. Kids’ sushi was wrapped in lettuce, and my little one had miso soup with chicken in it. At home, she’d already eaten California rolls and tried miso soup (see our one-bite advice above), so this was easy. I imagine the experience would’ve been much more challenging if she’d never seen these foods before or had ordered one of the more adventurous offerings from the adult menu.

Focus On the Food Groups

So, all of this advice is great, but it’s Day 3, you can see your kid’s ribs, and you need a solution ASAP. Even if you’re worried, I’m here to remind you it’s okay if dinner is carrot sticks, yesterday’s buttered noodles, and some nuts from the vending machine. The goal is to feed your child as much nutritious food as many times as possible during the course of the trip. In fact, for parents who are in a pinch, Zold recommends pairing snacks together for nutritious combos that kids will enjoy.

“I like to recommend pairing two food groups together for snacks: protein and fat, fat and carb, or carb and protein,” she says.

But remember, it’s your vacation too. If you’ve missed a food group or struggled to get your kids to eat nutritious foods, don’t worry about it. Zold says it’s a win as long as they’re eating. 

“Travel throws everyone off routine, and most kids eat much better once they’re back home in a familiar environment. While you’re away, aim to at least offer a protein, a produce, and a starch at each meal, but don’t stress if they don’t eat equal amounts from each group. This is just temporary.”

Pack Snacks for When All Else Fails

Now it’s Day 4 and your kid is not eating anything from the hotel. This is why you’re glad you packed those emergency chicken nuggets. You can start with Zold’s first tip when you get home. Zold suggests packing backup foods you know your child will eat. She recommends easy snacks like crackers, cereal, muffins, pouches, and bars.

“Some kids eat better on vacation, and some kids eat worse on vacation—it really depends on the child. There’s a lot of change: new routines, unfamiliar food, and a lack of structure. For kids who are already sensitive to those things, it can feel overwhelming. I always recommend that parents prepare ahead of time by packing familiar, easy-to-serve foods and having those available at mealtimes.”