The Challenges Faced
I am quite certain every parent can relate to the frustration of trying to feed a picky eater. This can be especially challenging when traveling for a number of factors:
Trying to eat at odd or forced times such as during a layover
Rushed transfers leaving no time for meals
Restaurant closures at airports, train stations, etc.
Lack of choice for the little one’s preferences
Long lines at the restaurants the kids do like
Airplane food!
Dietary restrictions and allergies
I’ve experienced every one of those pain points above at some juncture in my earlier travels. We simply could not find anything for our daughter to eat, or at least nothing substantial. We’d get stuck with granola bars and organic milk tetra packs. Not particularly filling especially when we would be flying overseas and could be upwards of 10 hours on a flight. Our flight had a meal service but it was never anything she'd eat. Some airports are admittedly much better than others but unless you’ve flown through there before and know what to expect, it is just wishful thinking that you’ll find something. Pizza was usually the only option but it was impractical and messy to take on the plane and one can only suffer so much airport pizza.
I can’t even count the number of times we’ve arrived at an airport either to depart or during a layover and found all the shops and restaurants had closed. There are a few airports that have some handy little vending machines where you can grab a sandwich or a small salad but usually nothing that appeals to a child. I remember my mom used to pack a good ol’ PBJ for us kids on any plane trip but that doesn’t work in today’s world where you may have someone with a nut allergy on the plane and you are out of luck. Not to mention the sandwiches often get squished and a picky eater may outright refuse.
An Ah-Ha Moment
We landed on a solution just prior to
the pandemic when we were returning from abroad in Türkiye and a relative packed a little Tupperware container of köfte (meatballs) for our daughter to eat on the plane. Mid-flight she got pretty hungry so we opened them up for her. She complained at first that they weren't hot and that we didn't have ketchup but she was hungry enough that she ate them all and was content the rest of the flight.
Well, once the pandemic struck we curtailed all of our travel plans and hunkered down like millions of others. My daughter was virtual school for the next 18+ months and as such was eating all meals at home. It was only when schools were going back to an in person model that there was a merging of ideas in my brain.
My daughter did not like any of the food that the cafeteria offered, or rarely did. She’d grown accustomed to my cooking which, to toot my own horn a bit, is pretty fantastic. Again, sandwiches were an option but she couldn’t take PBJ to school for allergy reasons, and I didn’t want her to be eating the processed foods like Lunchables. My little gourmand doesn’t like PBJ or Lunchables anyhow! I was safe sending in a Caprese sub but 5 days a week? I won’t eat the same thing 5 days a week, why should she?
The Perfect Hardware
So I did some research online and at a local camping store and found the product line of Hydro Flasks among several other brands like LL Bean and Thermos. I liked the feel of the Hydro Flask and had read consistently better reviews for it with respect to maintaining temperature longer. Despite being a bit more expensive, I bought the two flasks pictured above figuring that the quality would be worth it. Needless to say, I was totally impressed, hence this blog. The food was kept nice and hot (or cold) until she opened the container. Usually this was around 4 hours into the day but one day a classmate brought pizza for everyone and as such my daughter did not eat her lunch so the container came back unopened. The food in it was still perfectly warm and that was about 10 hours later.
Fast forward a few months and we were once again preparing to venture out into the world of travel and it just made such perfect sense to use these flasks for her food on the airplane. We tried it out with some mücver (a Turkish zucchini fritter) and it worked like a charm. She loved it, and ate all of it. Problem solved.
I made up a double batch and froze them in meal sized portions so we could grab a couple the day before departure. We’ve used it every flight since as well as a couple of road trips. We just need to make sure it is a solid food if we are flying, i.e. no soups, pastes etc., since we want to make sure TSA doesn’t object to it.
Some Travel Suggestions for Food
Even if you don’t do a lot of cooking but just want to make sure you’ve got something your little one, or you for that matter, might eat then this is the way to go. Just remember to make a review of the items you can and cannot take through security. Here is a handy TSA page that breaks it down nicely. They will most likely ask you to open the container to show contents but we’ve not had issues as of yet with any of the items below. Also bear in mind the limitations on transporting fresh veggies and fruit if crossing international borders. Some ideas to bring along include:
Broccoli bites
Meatballs
Mercimek Köftesi (Lentil balls)
Hot dogs (I put them in the bun and cut them in half)
Burger
Macaroni and Cheese
Pizza bagel bites
Mücver
Grilled cheese
Chicken strips or nuggets
Veggie fried rice
Dumplings
Mini Pierogies
Falafel
Cous cous
Tip: If you are bringing something that kids would use ketchup on, make sure to grab a couple of packets from one of the restaurants in the airport. Now, I always have a handful of emergency ketchups in my carry-on or backpack.
Summary
And there you have it, a means to ensure your little ones can get the nourishment they need when traveling. I cannot of course guarantee you won’t have any issues with TSA with a given food item, but to date we haven’t. Most are very understanding when it comes to bringing the food along as they likely have faced the same challenges with their own kids. At some point soon I’ll be linking to my sister site “Dad’s Delicious Dishes” where I’ll be blogging my recipes so you might find some other ideas there too.
Thanks for the read and happy (but not hungry) travels!
Here are the links to the two products that I purchased. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Pink Hydro Flask 12 ounce Food Container
Blue Hydro Flask 20 ounce Food Container
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