11.5 month old - Going on Holiday - What Food?

[NappyChange]

First hols abroad with DD and we are off to France. She has only ever had my home cooked stuff and refuses jars. She eats casseroles etc. at lunchtime and finger food (cheese on toast/falafels/fish fingers/risotto/pasta) for tea. I've never really fed her in a restaurant and getting into a right paddy trying to work out what to feed her on. Pathetic I know but grateful if anyone could give advice.

pack some wheatabix in your suitcase.

Then if you have always given her 'proper food' surely she can eat what you have? Simply sit her beside you, and share your food with her. Maybe sometimes you need to order something a little less exotic than you might choose, but if she isn't generally picky (and it doesn't sound like she is) then you'll have no problems.

BTW, how do you eat risotto as finger food

Ha! My mistake. Risotto is spoon fed; apart from last night when it was grabbed and became hair food.

i agree with clumsymum

just give her what you are having. i f there is nothing on the menu you think she will like just order some bread, cheese, pasta, in France they are usually very helpful, you just have to ask

She's a wise one refusing jars...i remeber stressing about this when ds the same age and we went away but never had a problem as everywhere has bread,cheese and always found it possible to get pasta with some kind of sauce. Casseroles should be easyish to come by in france as well.

I also head to the local shop and get fruit/snacky type things for him as well.

FWIW ive found that ds (who is a monster eater normally) never eats as well when out...think there is too much going on for him to nosey at but he is always fine.

Enjoy the holiday!

True NP.
In loads of restaurants in france or Italy they will fall over themselves to provide food suitable for a young child (generally anticipating that they just need a smaller portion/more diced up version of something on the main menu). Thank god they don't go in for the revolting "Chicken Nuggets/Mancky Pizza" kids menus that we get shoved at us in the UK.

At that age my ds ate what we had - ie the odd chip, bit of fish, mouthful of croque monsieur, bread and butter, all sorts. In France most cafes will happily make an omelette for a baby for next to no money too.

oh god yes
i can say with confidence i truly have never seen a 'childrens' menu with nuggets and chips in France

Just back from Italy with 11.5mo who, like yours, eats more or less what we do and turns nose up at jars. They could not do enough for her in restaurants, cafes, etc. Mini portions of ravioli were recommended then produced, extra bread rolls, high chairs, you name it. Waitresses would coo over dd first, then ask us what we wanted, and no mess was too great for them to clear up.
That said, dd did have a cold and her appetite was reduced, so a few days she existed on breadsticks, biscuits and fruit (but their fruit is so much better than ours). We took a few bits of tupperware with us and just filled them up everyday with snacky things and tried not to worry about it. Have a great trip (I now hesitate to call it a holiday if you're taking a baby...)

Pop to hypermarche and stock up on yoghurts and fruit compote things - ds was abouut the same age as your DD when we went to France last year and he survived on these and gouda filled wafer-y straw things!!

Although usually fed home-cooked, he would eat from jars so we had those as a standby if our food wasn't to his taste (!!) (paella etc), but he also nibbled on saucisson and steak, saute spuds etc

agree with other posts - just give a bit of what you're eating, and top up with bread, fruit, yoghurt. i always used to take vitamin drops with me to appease my conscious, but really, the French are great with kids and you will be able to get most of what she likes on the menus over there. And the restaurants will be perfectly ok about you giving them fruit/yogs you've brought with you. Our first 2 holidays with DS1 were to France. He loved the croissants, and his first chips!

My twins are a similar age. In restaurants we often order soup and give them bread or veg we've dipped in. Or a pasta dish - they're happy to nibble on spirals or similar.

Buy bread, yoghurts and fruit when you arrive so you have a fall-back if nothing on the menu is suitable (highly unlikely in France but good for piece on mind!)

Mine also refuse jars (and rightly so - have yet to find a brand that tastes like "food").

Enjoy your holiday!

Thank you all so much. Feel so much better.