All inclusive

Are you overwhelming them OP?

At home you just give them there meal they don’t get the vast choice of AL, would it not be better if you just went and for them some of the foods they like and leave them sitting with another adult while you picked their plates?

Haven’t been on one since my youngest was 5 (only time we went). Had similar food choice issues!

He’s now 9 and we are going again - I’m looking forward to him being able to go up and select buffet food himself (without this being massively unfair to other dinners as when little kids do it and make a mess everywhere) and being able to carry his own beach/ swimming stuff about! And being able to sit on the side and watch him swim (not all the time but to have the option). Hooray!

So I think it will get better!

Bread and butter @headcheffer ! Think of the generations of Europeans who have lived off this as a good 80% of their diet. And in so many rich forms: sliced bread, bread rolls, garlic bread, etc!

Don't take them up to the buffet. Instead you or DH go up, while the other waits with the kids. Get two plates of food - one savoury and one sweet. So bread, chips, plain pasta, nuggets etc all on one plate - just a spoon of each. Fruit, cakes etc on another. Put in front of them and say they can have anything they like, including just bread and butter. They may find it easier with a smaller selection in front of them, and if they're all known foods. Don't bother with veg unless you know it's a favourite - it's one holiday, they'll survive. Then you and DH go and get your food one at a time. Ditto breakfast - toast, pancakes or whatever on one plate and fruit on another.

They need to go and have a look! So much choice can be overwhelming but they are capable of looking for something they’d like!

Maybe make a game of it and let them choose your dinner?

We have just returned today and it sounds exactly like my son.
First day he hardly ate anything, day 2 I ended up buying cornflakes from the shop and taking them into breakfast with us. But by day 4 he had some porridge or cheese spread sandwiches.
It didn't get much better, he lived off chips, pizza and ice cream for all the other meals. I did get some yoghurts and fruit pouches from the supermarket which he ate absolutely fine.

From experience, small human beings can indeed survive off melon, cornettos and Parma ham for over 10 days. We have now conducted this experiment with 3 children and on recent holidays have brached out to chips with too much salt on, Nutella pancakes and fizzy pop. All 3 have gone back to eating normal, home cooked food with 2 kinds of veg when we got home. Let them eat any old chap as long as they're fed, and teach them to carefully refill your wine (into a glass with no stem if they're only 4). Enjoy!

We go to Menorca all the time. Don’t worry. There’s always something to eat, I find. There’s always pizza, pasta, chips, loads of salads and fruit available at lunch and dinner, and breakfast choices are great, too.

Have a wonderful time.

Would they not eat some pancakes, or croissants, or crusty bread and jam and some fruit for their breakfast? There’s usually big bowls of yoghurt or, in some hotels, there’s pots in a fridge. There’s always scrambled eggs, beans and toast. Maybe they’re a bit tired still from the travelling?

TBH I wouldn’t care if they had pizza for lunch and chips for tea while they’re on holiday. It’s just a week, or two after all.

They might surprise you, especially once they realise the usual rules don't apply

I honestly believe it's not until kids are a lot older that holidays are remotely likely to be less stressful than home.

At 4 it's just same shit different place.

Dd is infuriatingly fussy with food.
it doesnt get any better but as she has gotten bigger she can trawl the buffet herself
🤣🤣

This is the last thing I needed to read today OP. Heading to Menorca AI on Saturday with the fussiest eaters known to man. Plus one has (medical) dietary requirements. No idea how it'll go.

We have a 3 year old who is a fussy ish eater at home - good with veg / fish etc but quite specific. I have not yet taken her on an all inclusive holiday for this reason.

We try and go to a hotel complex that does self catering and all inclusive so you still get the nice pools, park, entertainment etc but we can do what we want with the food.

We have managed absolutely fine like this as someone else said most shops in Spain/ Portugal etc do similar foods. I also take a packet of pasta and some peanut butter / dry snacks in the case.

We often feed her in the flat / villa and then eat out later and give her a dessert and her sticker book at that point. Perhaps not ideal in terms of eating habbits and behaviours but she is happy and well fed and we are not stressed out.

Hope you find something they will eat x

Agreeing with what others have said, but also, I always found mine didn't eat as much on holiday, or preferred to graze. I just went with it. They had to sit with us at meal times, but if they didn't eat, fine. There were always snack options outside of meal times, so they just grazed on chips, biscuits and ice cream during the day... Not the healthiest, but nor were the multiple sangrias I had each day so... 🤷‍♂️

Hope the cereal helps! I would leave them at the table with one parent while the other goes and picks up whatever they will eat.

If that ends up being plain bread and chips, so be it. They can have ice cream etc during the day. It will be fine for a week or two.

It's disheartening if kids don't want the food on offer but I'd just go for path of least resistance as they are only 4 and its probably just all a bit much for them.

If it's any consolation, I went to Spain with my Aunt and Uncle at 4. Not AI but an apartment and they took me out to ear every night. Despite loving all foods at home, did I try any Spanish cuisine? Nope, I ate fried egg and chips with ketchup, every single night for the whole two weeks 😂😂

I thought it was great and lived to tell the tale 😂

They won't die of hungry if they skip a few meals while they get used to the idea of the food that's on offer.
Just make sure they have plenty to drink, especially if you're somewhere
hot. Milk is a good option to try. Don't turn it into a battle, if they're crying then something is wrong.

Can you go slightly earlier so it’s less busy?
Or is everyone doing that?

Breakfast is always my favourite at AI. Surely there is something for them?!

Fry ups
Toast
Cereal
Pancakes/pastries
Fruit
Ham/cheese

I don't stay in classy joints & have never struggled to find something to eat

Do they do pizza at lunch and dinner time, do the twins like pizza?

How about pasta with some cheese on top.

Toast?

Ignore any moaning, praise either of them eating anything.

Don't be ridiculous. They're 4 and overwhelmed by a new place, busy room and unfamiliar food. This isn't something that they need to be punished for.

Do they have headphones, if so could they wear them in the restaurant to dull the noise level?
It does get better, mines 6 and loves AI! She tries loads of things but is also very happy to have almost free reign over the croissants/cake and ice cream! 🤦🏼‍♀️

It’s not just the food I imagine.
They are probably hot and overwhelmed by the big dining room and all the places.
Just try and find anything they will eat and forget being healthy for now and consider SC in the future.
We didn’t do AI until the kids were 12 and 16 and even then we went back to SC as we aren’t really keen on people while we are on holiday

"They come with me but I think they find it overwhelming"

Right, then stop taking them up. You're doing it wrong anyway, I always wonder why people don't plan this better.

One parent walks around outside with them, goes to the playground if nearby or whatever while the other goes in to the restaurant and sets up dinner. So get everybody's drink on the table and a plate of whatever the kids will eat plus starters for the adults and a basket of bread for the table. Text the other one to say you're ready 🤗.

Then you all have a settled first course all day together and the adults go up one at a time for their main.

You tell them the cereal is the same not go to get them what they've tantrummed for! If they won't eat it then they can have cake or nothing. It's the milk that's different anyway IMO.

Considering the way they are reacting, this holiday is a very important lesson for them in flexibility so use it to teach them to get on with things without moaning and whinging.

Id try teach them independence here and make a game out of sending them on short trips to pick something from the buffet themselves. Then lots of positive reinforcement when one or both of them do go get even a bread roll.