How to Enjoy Eating Out with a Picky Eater
If you’ve got a picky eater it’s likely the thought of eating out fills you with dread. I hear from parents all the time that they avoid restaurants or going to eat at friends’ houses because it’s just too stressful. But, with a slight tweak to your mealtime mindset, you’ll see that eating out experiences are about more than just the food.
Remember that one meal is just a snapshot of your child’s overall food intake. It will be far more beneficial to enjoy eating out together rather than focus on what is or isn’t being eaten. Let them just eat the bread or the chips if needs be - it’s ok!
Just being exposed to a variety of different foods and cuisines, and watching others eating and enjoying them, is a great starting point – there’s plenty of time for tasting later. While your child chews on a breadstick, picks at olives, or munches on chips, they are also:
listening to (and maybe joining in with) conversation,
experiencing connection and togetherness,
learning about how to enjoy a mealtime from watching those around them eating a variety of foods, chatting and having fun.
This is all key to helping children learn about eating well and can stand them in good stead for future healthy eating habits.
Here are my top tips for a positive eating out experience:
Plan ahead > Be flexible within your usual mealtime structure. Don’t stress if you know you’re going to be travelling or socialising over the time when your child usually eats - just offer them a bigger breakfast or more substantial snack before you leave, or take bits and pieces with you.
Park nutrition concerns > Take the focus off the food and remind yourself that one day or one meal is just a snapshot of the full picture. This should enable you to focus on the experience of being out, having fun and, the best thing of all, a break from meal prep!
Offer a familiar food > Always make sure there’s one of your child’s accepted foods available, or bring a little tub of cooked pasta pieces, cheese, sandwich or other familiar food from home if you are not sure what will be on offer. This will help your child feel less anxious and more like to relax at the mealtime - and being relaxed may even have a knock-on effect of being more open to trying new foods.
Be a role model > Remind yourself that your child is learning about food and eating by watching others, even if they’re only chewing on a piece of bread. Sociable, relaxed mealtimes are a valuable opportunity for role-modelling.
Remove pressure > Don’t try to get your child to eat something they don’t want to. Even seemingly harmless phrases like “just have one little bite” or “you might like it if you try” can feel very pressurising to an anxious or avoidant eater.
Allow dessert > Don’t negotiate with dessert or use it as a reward or bribe. If dessert is part of the meal that everyone else is enjoying your child should be offered it regardless of what else they have or haven’t eaten.
Manage expectations > Keep mealtimes short and expectations in check. Children can get quickly bored and frustrated. It’s better not to drag it out so everyone can leave feeling happy. As your child gets older they’ll be able to sit for longer.
Which tip is most helpful to you? Is there anything else you’d add? I’d love to hear - drop me an email to hello@juliawolman.co.uk and let me know!