Traveling with a picky eater

Perhaps if you have a bit more information about what she does eat, we could make better suggestions
ie -what type of meat (if any) does she eat, does she eat eggs, does she mind if her food touches, does she eat pizza, pasta with sauce or just butter, does she eat cheese etc? Veggies yay or nay?

You can get roasted chicken in lots of resturants. In Germany there are lots of plain (or with butter) noodles and potatoes. Wienier Schinchel is just veal or chicken breaded and fried- tell her it's a large chicken tender. They also do a simple beef dish with vegatables- something like a yankee pot roast. Schenken (ham - not chicken like I first thought) and case (cheese) sandwiches are common as are wurst (tell her they are hot dogs- they really are the original) but they are often served with a round roll on the side, rather than IN a bun. Pomme Frites (french fries) are ubiqutious in Europe. I am a very picky eater and found Germany to be an easy place to find something I liked. France may be harder- lots of sauces, etc.

Kris, I totally know what you are going through. Before our first trip to Europe when she was 11,our younger daughter was an incredibly picky eater. What has totally changed her are the 6 trips she's taken to Europe. Seeing the beautiful food being served all around her, along with seeing other children happily eating their native foods, slowly changed her attitude and sense of adventure about eating. We tried to careful to never to force her to eat anything she didn't want, but always gently encouraged her to try a small bite of others' dinners. By not giving her too much negative attention for her picky habits and trying to minimize our accommodation of her so as not to ruin the experience of others, she gradually opened her mind and palette. At 17 she is developing a fairly sophisticated taste in food, something we could not have ever imagined being a possibility just 6 short years ago.

When my step-daughters were small girls, they were not permitted to say "I don't like" something or other when it came to food. They were taught to say "I haven't acquired a taste for that yet." YET being the important word.

How old is she?

There are plenty of fast-food-like things to eat with the ability to point to the item or a photo of the item to order. Not so in sit-down, service type restaurants sometimes. That may not be a realistic option for a picky eater. However, human beings have very strong survival instincts. If she gets hungry enough, she will eat. Of course, if you keep finding things she wants, she will never get hungry. It's a vicious circle.

She is ten.... I smiled when I read "If she gets hungry enough, she will eat" - - she's of German ancestry... as stubborn as they get. THANKS for the help!

Kris - I had the same problem with my 15 yr old daughter last summer. We ate alot of pasta, although She did find a cheeseburger she liked in Paris. I wish you luck.

Does she like pancakes? Crepes are a good choice. You can pretty much get anything in a crepe in France.

Hurrah! Crepes are her fav and pasta is on her list. Pl keep the support/ideas coming so I can stop worrying about her and concentrate on packing toiletries, etc. THANK YOU!!!

Unfortunately your need to cater to her desires will result in your not being able to fully enjoy the wonderful choices that are available.

We were in Germany last summer, and my picky 14 year old admitted that he liked the food much more than he anticipated. He usually ordered wiener schnitzel or roasted chicken, and fries-I don't think we ate dinner anywhere that one of those was not available. Spaetzle with no sauce or just butter is usually an option-basically plain pasta. Most kids will at least eat the bread, so they won't starve!

My son was also pretty picky but we traveled to many different countries from the time he was 9 and he always seemed to find at least one thing that he really liked and basically ordered that for the whole trip. In France it was Croque Monsieur (grilled cheese) and in Germany it was Wienerschnitzel. Breakfasts were always great for him because he likes bread, fruit, yogurt, cheese. We often looked at the menu before sitting down and we did learn to say what he liked in the local language - for example, when we were in Italy he ate Pasta Bianco - plain pasta. We didn't really order off children's menus at home - so I knew ahead of time what kind of "adult" food he liked. I would NOT pack any food from home. You will surely find bread & snacks there that she'll like and you'll figure out the dinner thing.

THANKS for the Wonderful ideas! Terry, It's nice to know that there is a small chance of future dietary adventures! Grilled cheese, pizza, pancakes/crepes, hot dogs (not spicy), plain spagh with shred cheese, mac and cheese, and quesedillas (any taco bell's in germany?) are her usual fare. Can/do they melt cheese over spaetzle. One thing going for us, she loves choc and I bet the dessert carts will be spectacular!

France - Grilled cheese could be a croque monsieur (though they have ham, you can try and ask for it without it she won't eat it). If she likes pizza and pancakes, then she will likely like a tomato and cheese crepe. There is always bread, the French are famous for it, and if you are worried about her protein intake, you can always bring a small jar of PB from home if she eats it. Pomme Frites (fries) are everywhere, not sure if she eats eggs, but many places will make a plain omelet (omelets are dinner food in France not breakfast) She will love their desserts, chocolate mousse is fantastic! Stop by the markets to pick up fresh fruit, cheese etc. You can always make a picnic or stop by a street vendor to feed her, and then go out for a nice dinner of your choosing and she can have dessert.

Germany - lots of pizza around, schnitzel if she's ok with pork, pretzels, spatzel which they may butter or add cheese on top, potato pancakes etc.

Also, I know it can be tough I was an extreme picky eater too, I'm talking no meat of any kind, no spices, basically I ate carbs and a little bit of fruit and raw veggies. It took a long time, I was almost 18 before I got more adventurous, but now I eat almost anything (still don't eat red meat, but that's more of an ethical/health choice).

There are many reasons why she may be a picky eater, it may be that she be a super taster (I am) who finds the flavour of food overpowering, especially hot and bitter things. It will take a while for her senses to dull. The best advice I can give is to not make a big deal of it, don't push her, but if she asks to try something, let her, and if she likes it don't make it a big thing, say great and move on to a new topic. I hated the pressure my parents and others put on me, and it took me being on my own and trying foods alone with no pressure to overcome my pickyness and realize hey this actually tastes good!

Relax and have a great trip!

Kris- yes the spatsel often is served with a mild cheese sauce. Kase or case??? is cheese is German. They also serve a more traditional noodle with some dishes. Grilled cheese sandwiches with or without ham are very common. Does she eat meat of any kind? Pork is served many ways in Germany- from plain/grilled/baked to sauces. Same for chicken and veal as well as beef. If she eats chicken patties (like in a Wendy's sandwich), chicken nuggets or fingers or tenders, the weiner schintzel is very similar. Sometimes it is veal (traditional) sometimes turkey or chicken (less common). Our kids loved the hot dogs (wrust)- just explain about not spicy. Most seemed to be rather mild. If necessary (and I'd keep for absolute emergencies) you can get things similar, if not identical to the Easy Mac microwave in grocery or convience stores.

Vanessa, and Kris- Peanut butter is great, but you can't take it in your carry-on. TSA has problems telling it from explosives (LOL) and even if they didn't, it would be limited to 3 oz. in your 3-1-1 bag. However, you may find some in the grocery stores there. But she may find that she loves Nutella. It is a hazelnut and CHOCOLATE spread, like peanut butter, but sweeter. Most groceries also have small packets of cheese- cheddar types, etc. Hubby loves cheese and we usually get several each day for his evening snack back in the hotel room. In addition to bread, there are some excellent crackers in the grocery stores.

GREAT! Vanessa, Yes, I believe she is a super taster too. saw a NOVA pgm on PBS where kids tasted a clear liquid, to some it was like water to others it was the most bitter thing that they had tasted. That is so her. At least she'll fit into a slinky size 000 dress from Paris (just what she'll need for 5th grade back to school clothes). I am much more relaxed about this. I will go with the flow and just make sure she takes her vitamins each day too! THANK YOU EVERYONE!

Fair point about the PB, I assumed she would be checking a bag, yes Nutella is amazing, and the bread in France is so good, you can just eat it plain!

Hang in there! My daughter was also a picky eater [no tomato for example so it had to be plain pasta or white pizza] but we traveled to the UK when she was 10 and she was much more adventurous on the road than I expected. We were in Germany a few years later, and Kaesespaetzle, which others have mentioned, was a big hit! Don't forget gelato in the afternoon; there are so many amazing flavors that my mouth is watering just thinking about them... With my daughter I often ordered something for myself that I thought she would like, in case she didn't like her selection or just wanted to try mine. Don't worry about nutrition; give her a daily multivitamin but don't stress about protein or vegies or whatever if it's less than 2 weeks. Just let her relax and explore. The food in Germany and France will be so much better than a typical US restaurant that she may surprise herself [and you].

I am one of the most pickiest eaters I know, and I found foos of all kinds I loved in Germany. Haven't been to France, but crepes are good anytime. In Germany the menus are huge, they have a hard rock in Munich and endless tasty food choices.

My youngest daughter is a picky eater. When she was 12 (she's 18 now), we went to Europe for 3 weeks and I made a deal with her that if she would try something new every day without complaining, I would let her get fast food every 3 days. It worked! She is still a picky eater, but has added new things to her repertoire. In Germany, she actually found that she liked pork...so, I make a pork roast once a week now.

Maybe Europe is as good a place as any for picky eaters to get the word: the World does not revolve around you; some flexibility may be needed to get through this life, or at least through your European trip.

Or use ice cream as bribery (people here are going to think I have an ice cream fetish...). In Germany, you can find Magnum bars almost anywhere, and restaurants/cafes will have some of the fun ice cream dishes, like spaghetti eis -- it's soft serve ice cream made to look like a plate of spaghetti.

And the funny thing about my "picky" son is that while he remained picky on our trips about some things (i.e. cooked vegetables) he was actually adventurous about trying really new things. So along with the plain pasta he ate every day in Italy, he also order Prociutto & Melon. And in France he was the only one to finish a serving of foie gras. So really, not stressing about what they are or aren't eating is the way to go - they really will figure out something they like eventually.

And we ate ice cream or chocolate or something really good and "local" EVERY day - no matter what else was eaten. It was a vacation after all, so food, even dessert food was part of the experience!

" At least she'll fit into a slinky size 000 dress from Paris (just what she'll need for 5th grade back to school clothes). I am much more relaxed about this. "

Houston, we have a problem.

Ice cream is a great "carrot" to entice her to eat or try something new. Bob... lol on the dress coment. ;-)

Mom, you worry too much and you are not going to enjoy yourself catering to her every whim. When the kid is hungry she will eat. Germany has great grocery stores with prepared food in the deli sections. Gelato is a great motivator. The spazle with cheese is fantastic -- better than any mac and cheese.

Kris, if she likes steak you can get steak and french fries at almost any nice Paris restaurant. Does she like granola bars, stuff like that? Pack some of those for long days, or if she can't/won't eat anything else...sometimes you just need something from home!

She will eat if she gets hungry enough! A healthy child wont suffer for long. She will just make herself miserable.

Granted this was back in the 80's, but from the posts above it sounds like Schnitzel and Pommes Frites are still the Kinder Teller of choice (kids plate). I liked them back then, but I was definitely not a picky (8 year old) eater so sometimes my parents had to convince the wait staff that I would indeed eat the Sauerbraten or stuffed cabbage or other non-Kinder dish I ordered.

So just remember to look for Kinder Teller, or ask if there isn't one on the menu.

Hopefully she'll like some new foods. One of the joys of eating, for example, Nougat over there is that it is made with chocolate and hazelnuts, not like that sticky, overly sweet "nougat" filling that is in Snickers or Milky Way over here.

My son is apprehensive about trying new stuff too, but that's what travel is all about!

He didn't starve on a recent trip and your daughter won't either.

Absolutely not, do not, NO NO NO food along! Part of being a parent is doing hard stuff like this. If you bring food along, you are enabling her behavior.

There's always bread was our motto and surprisingly, our son figured out pretty quickly that this was it, eat now and no complaints. And he did. And he's been raving about the food more than anything! She may just find out she likes some stuff. It was good for our kiddo. He's now a much more daring eater!