Getting children to eat healthily can be a challenge even at home. It gets even more difficult when the rules are relaxed, the schedule gets mixed up and lots of sugary treats and fast food lure you on a family holiday as a quick fix. While it can be difficult to ensure proper nutrition for the family on the go, it is entirely possible.

Healthy nutrition also important when traveling

A healthy diet for babies and toddlers is particularly important. This is because they are in a phase of life in which they need a balanced diet in order to develop healthily. But when traveling, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy diet, because when you’re out and about, it’s especially tempting to resort to readily available but unhealthy foods. What is perfectly okay for a short weekend trip becomes questionable at the latest on long trips. In addition, it becomes all the more difficult after the holiday to get the children used to the usual, balanced meals again.

In addition, an unhealthy diet on the go carries the risk of the youngest family members getting digestive problems and stomach aches. What is already not nice at home is even more annoying when it spoils the family’s holiday. Therefore, it is important for parents to ensure that their children eat healthily even when traveling. In this sense, it is important to make sure that sufficient fruit, vegetables, whole grain products and lean protein are consumed, that children drink enough water and refrain from eating too much sugar and salty foods.

Tip

: Especially for children with sensitive stomachs

, parents should think about remedies for travel sickness and diarrhea for the first-aid kit.

Healthy nutrition on the journey

Eating at rest stops, at the drive-in or eating on the plane is usually neither healthy nor particularly tasty. Therefore, it is advisable to put together an attractive picnic for the journey. This is not necessarily the best time to try new things. Especially for younger children, the usual snacks should be packed – the favorite fruit and vegetables can be cut and wrapped in bite-sized sizes. This also serves to use up leftovers before departure. Nuts and wholemeal crackers are also available to take away.

Tip
: Especially when traveling by air, it is important to make sure that no fresh food is packed that may not be allowed to be imported into the destination country.

Other countries, other foods

At the destination, it may be difficult with the usual fare. But local cuisine can also be a great opportunity to introduce children to new ingredients, flavours and dishes . Some children are even particularly keen to experiment on the road, when everything is new, exciting and different anyway. In any case, it is worth encouraging even the youngest to try unknown foods. For this purpose, the adults should take the first bite in an exemplary manner. If the child is rather skeptical, it can help to make it clear that he does not have to eat the whole dish, but at least a tasting bite. A great way to make it easier for children to get started with a new kitchen are divisible platters with different dishes for several people. If the child does not like the national cuisine at all, there may be simple appetizers on the menu as an alternative and these are then supplemented in the hotel room or on the go with healthy snacks from the supermarket in the form of well-known fruit and vegetables.

Breastfeeding on the go

A breastfeeding baby on the go may seem very practical at first glance, as the breastfeeding woman almost automatically has everything with her that the baby needs to be full and satisfied. But be careful: A few eventualities should also be planned for here. So it can happen that breastfeeding on the road no longer works so smoothly. This is because the baby can also react to a new environment and milk congestion and breast inflammation cannot be ruled out even on the go. For this reason, it is a good idea to take a breast pump and bottles with you in case the baby cannot always be breastfed or you do not always want to breastfeed. If you travel abroad, you should also find out about the cultural norms and expectations regarding breastfeeding in order to avoid unpleasant situations.