Toddler 'out and about' food suggestions

[Popcorn23]

I live quite far from the town centre so often have to feed my toddler lunch outdoors when we are out shopping.

The problem is that he has become really fussy and will barely eat anything when we are not at home.

I have tried giving him fruit and sandwiches which he won't touch. I have given him hot kids meals from restaurants (though the salt content worries me). I have also tried Ella food pouches out of desperation though he has outgrown them, but he won't touch anything.

At home he eats proper hot meals like lasagne, curries and stews, he just doesn't eat outside the house.

Any suggestions about what I can do to get him eating whilst we are out and about? He is 18 months old.

How is he with cold pasta in sauce? Or a pasty/sausage rolls? Obviously not ideal due to calories etc but every now and again would be ok I would think?
Soup in a thermos with bread? If you get a traditional one it will have a cup to eat/drink it out of (mine loves this but is 2 and a half so slightly older).

What will he eat? I’d just give him that.

At that age, it’s more picky snack foods: breadsticks, crackers, cheese cubes, scotch egg, cocktail sausages, grapes, blueberries, satsuma. Basically just insert any portable food he will eat that isn’t a packet of crisps and biscuits and it will be fine. They are very distracted by the world at that age and won’t eat lots if things are busy around them. I’m sure he’s eating plenty at breakfast and dinner.

To be honest, unless he's hungry and upset I wouldn't bother. If he eats when he gets home that's fine!

And nothing wrong with the occasional biscuit!

How long are you out for? Not the end of the world if he has a big breakfast before you go, whatever snacky bits he does eat and then a proper dinner at home. As for snacky stuff, my usual go tos would be a banana, breadsticks, berries, yoghurt pouch and sometimes would just grab a fresh baguette from the supermarket and tear bits off.

Thank you for your replies. I probably should relax a bit as he does eat quite well when we are home.

I'll stick to the bananas and yoghurt as suggested when we are out and not worry too much as he definitely eats breakfast and dinner.