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Original poster

3 year old not eating proper food in Canaries

32 replies

kitchenSink5 · 05/12/2022 17:09

We arrived yesterday to our lovely hotel in the Canaries (on our first ever family holiday) and since then my 3yo DS has eaten practically nothing and certainly nothing good. He half tries things in the restaurant - as in a cursory lick and then demands ice cream. We gave in once and now feels like all hope of getting anything proper into him is gone. He didn't even eat much ice cream!

Any advice from all you knowledgeable parents out there will we very gratefully received. Thank you x

OP posts:
captncrunch · 05/12/2022 17:10

What kind of things does he eat at home?

TomTraubertsBlues · 05/12/2022 17:11

It's only been one day! Surely he'll eat when he's hungry, if he normally eats well at home?

greenacrylicpaint · 05/12/2022 17:12

is he notmally fussy?
does he seem under the weather?

tbh holidays are for fun. if he eats a lot of yummy fruit and some ice cream that's fine.

TizerorFizz · 05/12/2022 17:12

What does he eat at home? Buy fruit? Is he not hungry? Don’t give in to ice cream. Try bribes? What else does he like? What other treat could round off a meal? Sounds miserable so far.

Namora · 05/12/2022 17:13

Just relax. DD was 4 when we went to Ibiza and she was completely overwhelmed by the change. For near enough 10 days she had a pain au chocolat for breakfast, a few chips and an icecream for lunch, and a few chips and an icecream for dinner. One day she ate some apple slices, we were very excited. DH and I got very worked up about it and tried to 'make' her eat better in the beginning. We started enjoying the holiday properly when we gave up. It won't do any harm for a week. Just give a vitamin and extra fruit and veg when you get back, and encourage fluids so there's no constipation.

Lovetotravel123 · 05/12/2022 17:13

We had this in Sardinia. Ours would only eat bread and fruit. We look back on photos of that time and he was healthy and not skinny. Just try not to stress. I think your DC will eat when hungry, and as long as he has energy and isn’t I’ll turn it will sort itself out.

cestlavielife · 05/12/2022 17:14

He s on holiday
A week of chips and ice cream is fine. Try some fruit. Chill.

NotAnotherTaco · 05/12/2022 17:16

My son always has eaten really well, never fussy whatsoever.. until he was on holiday! There he would turn into the fussiest little thing you've ever seen, wouldn't even eat the simplest things - pasta, chips, bread, cereal, yoghurt...! As soon as we were back in the UK, back to normal and eating everything he could get his mitts on.

It was absolutely exhausting but in the end I just had to go with it and anything he showed the slightest interest in, let him go for it.

By the time he reached 4 or 5, he was absolutely fine and now eats everything on offer on holiday.

RunLolaRun102 · 05/12/2022 17:16

If it’s a buffet restaurant there might be too much choice. See if the management’s willing to give you his meal as room service so you can feed him beforehand & then he can just eat icecream while you eat.

Treacletreacle · 05/12/2022 17:19

All kids are like this. I remember my sister panicking in Portugal with my nephew as he wouldnt even have the ice cream. Apparently everything tasted funny. I found some strawberries at a local market and told him they were from sainsbury's. He ate all of them. My son wouldn't eat on our first holiday i think it was all the strangers and noise. Maybe see if you can take a plate back to your room? Might be less overwhelming for him

LIZS · 05/12/2022 17:22

Just offer a bit if whatever you are eating. Even if he only ate chips and bread he won't get malnourished in a week.

PuppyMonkey · 05/12/2022 17:24

We went to Tenerife once when DD was tiny and all she ate all week was olives and oranges.Grin

WaddleAway · 05/12/2022 17:24

As the parent of an autistic 3 year old who once ate only yoghurt, literally nothing else, for 5 whole weeks, he’ll be absolutely fine if his diet is limited for a week or 2.

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 05/12/2022 17:26

When I was 2 my parents took me to Greece for my first abroad holiday and apparently I ate nothing but Greek yogurt with honey and fried honey batter balls for the whole two weeks we were there, I wasn’t usually fussy this was also early 1970s though so maybe less in the way of pizza etc there.

I wouldn’t worry! I’d also try pizza and chips if your DD eats that.

Original poster
kitchenSink5 · 05/12/2022 17:26

Thank you everyone. At home he eats most things except chips - never thought I'd wish he would eat chips. I think it is all a bit overwhelming but he is drinking and even took his vitamin without a fight so gonna try your tips about bringing things to room and maybe getting something out and saying it's from home. But the reassurance of not stressing about it...that sounds like the best plan.
Thank you again!!! Very much appreciated!

OP posts:
spiderontheceiling · 05/12/2022 17:33

Two things:

  • first, don't worry. Everything will taste slightly different and that will unsettle him. This is particularly the case is milk/things in milk (like cereal) are a staple part of his diet back home as they will taste really weird so that will put him off other things. Things tend to go out of the window on holiday and normal meals are part of that.
  • secondly, do keep him hydrated. If he won't drink water or milk, then juices and ice lollies are the way to go. If he's not hydrated, he'll feel lousy which may cause more eating problems etc
poorlybubbas · 05/12/2022 17:36

My son eats so badly every time we go abroad that he ends up constipated.
I think it's just all the change and lack of routine. The same thing to a lesser extent happens every school holidays too.

MrsCarson · 05/12/2022 17:39

I can remember doing this myself when I was 4 back in the 6's we went to Majorca for two weeks. I remember my Dad feeding me peaches at breakfast. I turned my nose up at a most stuff so did my sister who was 7 and before we went home I ate a plate of squid (fried). There's no rhyme or reason, a week of rubbish won't kill him.

MrsCarson · 05/12/2022 17:40

60's not 6's

ofwarren · 05/12/2022 17:48

I remember my DS doing this. He literally ate only baked beans for a week 🤣

SirenSays · 05/12/2022 17:49

Ah it wont last forever, keep letting him try things.
On holiday as a teen I only ate doughnuts, nachos and popcorn. I was the only person not to get food poisoning

LucySno · 05/12/2022 17:56

Is it a buffet restaurant or is it a La carte situation? This affects my advice having been through this last year

parrotonthesofa · 05/12/2022 17:59

Just enjoy your holiday and don't stress! It's doesn't really matter what he eats while you're on holiday, you'll just get back into normal routine once you're home. Enjoy!

katienana · 05/12/2022 18:09

My 6yo was like this in Turkey this year, hardly ate and wouldn't touch the pizza which was all really nice. I just put things on his plate and let him pick. He ate a bit more when he discovered the afternoon tea with cakes and sandwiches, maybe eating more at 4pm just suited him better. No harm in filling up on ice cream he'll be fine!

gogohmm · 05/12/2022 18:20

Last year at an ai hotel I saw most families brought back a plate for their toddlers to graze off - mixture of cheese, crackers, chips, fruit, veg, bit of meat or fish or pasta with sauce, then went to fetch their own obviously one at a time, no dessert until both adults have eaten, even if they aren't eating what they have, but then as soon as the first parent finishes they brought a little cake and ice cream back (even when no food was eaten). No punishment for not eating but reward for patience, and whilst they are waiting they just might eat something!

I heard the same story in multiple languages, none of the toddlers wanted the savoury food because they knew about the ice cream and cake!