Page 22 | Toddler pack lunch in cafes

Casheeeew · 2022-02-07T14:51:06+00:00

I eat a about 3 cafes near me regularly, but only once per week, occasionally twice. I have always taken my son (18months) a full packed lunch, and I buy myself lunch and a coffee. Its never occured to me to question this until today. Is he too old to be having home brought food? They do have a kids menu but I prefer him to have a selection of things to pick at that I know he'll like. Aibu - or if not, how long before he's too old?

OmgIThinkILikeYou · 12/02/2022 21:28

I take snacks to keep ds occupied while we wait for the food but always ask them if they mind of he eats them. Have never bee told no but have been thanked for being considerate at a few places. Really I just hate getting told off so asking helps me avoid those situations.

I always buy him a meal though.

user1496146479 · 13/02/2022 08:51

@Casheeeew

Ordered toast. It came with a packet of salted butter. So DS has plain toast, so glad I did bring other bits :(

Oh my! You don't allow him normal butter on toast?!

Canaloha · 13/02/2022 09:04

Someone at toddler group would recoil in horror at the butter for toast claiming it was too salty, whilst pulling out an array of salt laden snacks instead. The mind boggles.

appleturnovers · 14/02/2022 09:23

no need to feed your children "kids' meal crap" as you put it. Just take your kids to decent places. My kids have always eaten well when we've gone out without recourse to nuggets and chips, because that's not the kind of place I would choose to go to. You're the parent - take responsibility!

During Covid have you forgotten that if you don't like the food a cafe offers you can and should go elsewhere?! Stop taking your child to places where you don't think the food is suitable for your child, it isn't rocket science!

Have you people seriously never been in a situation where you're just knackered from shopping and just want to sit down anywhere that's got a table? Or wanted to get out of the rain? Or been in a town or neighbourhood you weren't familiar with? Or been with a group of other adults where you didn't want the group's day to be dictated by your toddler, who will probably only eat a few mouthfuls anyway? Or been to a cafe that didn't have the menu displayed outside?

I'm sure it would be wonderful fucking boring to live such a perfectly life, but alas, not all of us have such perfectly predictable lives.

Dyrene · 14/02/2022 09:26

The ridiculousness of ordering toast, recoiling at salted butter and making him eat it dry. 🙄

Perspective needed here I think.

Original poster

Casheeeew · 14/02/2022 12:50

Maybe I'd find some of the clothes/activities/foods/TV content you choose for your children ridiculous. Will that stop you? No. So thanks for your contribution. I'll continue to feed my child how I see fit.

OP posts:

blyn72 · 14/02/2022 12:54

We are not supposed to add salt or eat things that are very salty but a moderate amount of salt is good and there is nothing wrong with salted butter on toast. It tastes nicer than unsalted too. It is hardly going to be your or your children's staple diet.

What about cheese? That contains salt and most people, including children, eat it.

Whenever I have been unwell, as soon as I start to recover I actually fancy something that tastes salty - like Marmite on buttered toast - and I have it. Our bodies tell us what we need. I don't generally add salt to anything I cook.

Moderation in all things.

JustBlethering · 14/02/2022 13:51

@Casheeeew

Maybe I'd find some of the clothes/activities/foods/TV content you choose for your children ridiculous. Will that stop you? No. So thanks for your contribution. I'll continue to feed my child how I see fit.

People are allowed to find it ridiculous though

Original poster

Casheeeew · 14/02/2022 14:43

@blyn72

We are not supposed to add salt or eat things that are very salty but a moderate amount of salt is good and there is nothing wrong with salted butter on toast. It tastes nicer than unsalted too. It is hardly going to be your or your children's staple diet.

What about cheese? That contains salt and most people, including children, eat it.

Whenever I have been unwell, as soon as I start to recover I actually fancy something that tastes salty - like Marmite on buttered toast - and I have it. Our bodies tell us what we need. I don't generally add salt to anything I cook.

Moderation in all things.

Cheese, as I said above, serves a nutritional purpose, calcium and fat. And you can't make hard cheese without salt. Butter comes salted or unsalted. My 18m old has never complained of his unsalted butter being bland. Lol.

Lots of things he eats has salt in it. Bread, oat cakes, etc etc.

I'm not gonna give him salted butter once or twice a week.

Some people give their 1 year old MacDonalds. Some people don't let there kid have chocolate until they're 3. Everyone's parenting is different and they will make their own decisions for their children.

My aibu wasn't about what I feed my child. I'm perfectly happy with his diet thanks.

OP posts:

blyn72 · 14/02/2022 16:33

I'm glad you are, I'm sure it is fine. I didn't suggest otherwise, did I? I don't think so anyway. For some reason salt came up in the discussion and I was musing.

Of course an eighteen month old is not going to be fussed about whether to have salted or unsalted butter.

Original poster

Casheeeew · 14/02/2022 17:11

People are allowed to find it ridiculous though

Of course youre allowed to find things ridiculous. Just know that making your pointless opinion known serves no purpose other than to try and tear another mum down. Why don't you consider if your comment will contribute before you critize.

OP posts:

TrippinEdBalls · 14/02/2022 17:19

Have you people seriously never been in a situation where you're just knackered from shopping and just want to sit down anywhere that's got a table? Or wanted to get out of the rain? Or been in a town or neighbourhood you weren't familiar with? Or been with a group of other adults where you didn't want the group's day to be dictated by your toddler, who will probably only eat a few mouthfuls anyway? Or been to a cafe that didn't have the menu displayed outside?

But if this is a spontaneous, unplanned thing why do you have a packed lunch with you?! I find it much easier to go with the flow and just feed my children what's there and assume they'll survive having a non-nutritionally perfect meal - they always have, and perhaps unsurprisingly they're a lot less fussy for it! I wouldn't eat somewhere that serves absolutely nothing they can eat - just like I wouldn't eat somewhere where I hate everything - but I don't find it comes up that often if you're not completely uptight about food. I certainly don't carry around packed lunches constantly in anticipation of every cafe in town only serving food that is toxic to toddlers.

JustUseTheDoorSanta · 14/02/2022 18:51

I have possibly the world's least fussy child imaginable. I carry snacks for emergencies, and those can be more chunky like a savoury pancake and half tomatoes where needed. When he was under 2, I frequently took his meal out "just in case". If he could have or share a cafe snack then great, but if not he had whatever was packed. It's so little food really that it's not worth anyone fretting over, restaurant staff can see clearly that a 7 month old won't tuck into a full chicken nugget meal and don't care accordingly.

Yabyboda · 14/02/2022 19:43

As long as the cafe staff don't mind then who cares. The only time I'd think it was cheeky was if it was super busy and people were waiting for tables so they were missing out on business.

DappledThings · 15/02/2022 07:55

But if this is a spontaneous, unplanned thing why do you have a packed lunch with you?! I find it much easier to go with the flow and just feed my children what's there and assume they'll survive having a non-nutritionally perfect meal
Totally. When mine were small I ended up ordering jacket potatoes with tuna and cheese quite a lot more often than I would otherwise have chosen as I know they were guaranteed to share that with me happily. Still far less faff doing that thn bringing out tons of snacks or packed lunches.

And the amount of salt in the butter on one slice of toast is really so miniscule it isn't worth giving any thought to.

JustUseTheDoorSanta · 15/02/2022 08:29

How much money did the cafe make from your toddler sharing some bites of the cheapest dish on the menu, versus you getting what you want and supplementing whatever isn't suitable (e.g. giving some halved cherry tomatoes instead of the edamame beans, beansprouts and bits of nuts)?

Kinsters · 15/02/2022 08:35

Normally I'll bring some snacks for DD (2yo). If we're going out for an expensive/nice meal where I know she won't eat much of the food then I'll bring something for her and give her that as well as bits off our plates. Partly to make sure she has enough to eat and partly to keep her occupied while we're eating.

Dumbledoressister · 15/02/2022 08:38

I'm in the minority but I think this is 100% fine and I would do the same but, as you do, ensure that I buy myself a lunch and coffee.

They definitely don't hate you - probably haven't even clocked it.

OnaBegonia · 15/02/2022 08:52

Stay away from chain cafes as they have a set menu and everything is pre prepared, so no ability to adjust an item to a child's portion.
My son in law owns a cafe and will basically cook anything for a child portion that you ask for. Their child size toastie and side salad is hugely popular.

bruffin · 15/02/2022 08:58

@BrambleRoses

I remember sitting in the Waffle House in St Albans and a woman I knew doing this with her then-three year old - just got a full packed lunch out and we were told nicely to put it away. Bit embarrassing.

Poor child!

We love breakfast at the Waffle House

Dumbledoressister · 15/02/2022 09:13

BTW my brother runs a cafe and I just asked him and he said it wouldn't bother him at all if you were eating.

Changechangychange · 17/02/2022 22:03

@blyn72

I didn't know there was such a thing as a courgette muffin

. Doesn't sound very appetising.

They are quite nice actually. Don’t taste like courgettes. Like carrot cake doesn’t taste of carrots. Our local cafe does a courgette and pistachio cake. DS definitely eats that

changenametimeagain · 17/02/2022 22:21

I have done this with my 3yo a few times and regret the times I've not packed some kind of emergency sandwich when she turns her nose up at a different looking pasta! Usually try order from the cafe though even if it's just toast or a juice for her. Didn't realise how cheeky it was!