When you travel with your family, do you have problems feeding your kids?
By doryvien
@doryvien (2284)
United States
May 26, 2010 5:08am CST
I just came back from a week-long vacation in Hong Kong, China. I must say despite its size (it's a small city), it is an amazing and magnificent place. My kids enjoyed the famous destinations - the Hong Kong Disneyland, the Ocean Park, the Victoria Peak, among others.
Yes, the kids enjoyed all right. Except when it comes to meals. My kids are picky eaters, they only eat spaghetti and pizza, and no other(other than native dishes in my country -sinigang, nilaga, etc, which they love but can't be found in Hong Kong). I didn't know that McDonalds and KFC in Hong Kong don't offer spaghetti(in my country they do). So my kids settled for french fries from McDonald's. Good thing we brought chips-ahoy and chocolates, these became the main food/dish of my kids, together with the french fries from McDonald's - I know, not healthy foods, yes, but I didn't want them to starve to death, so I allowed it while we're there. And we stayed there for 7 days! Didn't want to ruin their vacation by forcing them to eat something they don't want.
Have you encountered this kind of problem? Are your kids difficult to feed when when they're not in their "comfort zone"? What do you do when this happens?
1 person likes this
8 responses
@smiley83 (1534)
• Malaysia
15 Jun 10
hahahah your kids seem to be so funny and cute through your description 
well, as for my situation; I don't have children as i'm still single, however; I have to take care of my little siblings & cousins 
once I remember grabbing my little baby cousin on the seashore and she had accidentally called me mama while passing by some cool guys who might have thought that i'm really her mum 
well, as for my situation; I don't have children as i'm still single, however; I have to take care of my little siblings & cousins
once I remember grabbing my little baby cousin on the seashore and she had accidentally called me mama while passing by some cool guys who might have thought that i'm really her mum @doryvien (2284)
• United States
15 Jun 10
Hi Smiley,
Wow, your siblings and cousins must love you dearly, for you to take be a willing to take care of them when other girls your age would prefer to hang out with friends and do girls stuff.
Your little cousin blurting out mama at a very inopportune time, when there were cool guys around - was very funny indeed
. I hope it didn't happen again though, or you'll be missing out on potential boyfriends and good husband-material.
Thanks for dropping by.
. I hope it didn't happen again though, or you'll be missing out on potential boyfriends and good husband-material.
Thanks for dropping by.
@msfrancisco9369 (10002)
• Boston, Massachusetts
29 May 10
Hi Doryvien,
THat is our problem too with my eldest son. He only eats french fries, pancake and fried chicken. but there's a brand of pancake and fries that he loves that make it difficult for us to get when we ran out of stock while on vacation or travel.
I admire your kids for surviving it.
@doryvien (2284)
• United States
30 May 10
Hi Winky,
Looks like our kids eat the same things. And yes, they're brand conscious too, they need to see the logo of the container (like the styro) before they even touch the food. It really is something that bothers me everytime we plan to travel out of town, specially in places where fastfoods are too far, or worse, unheard of.
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
28 May 10
My oldest son is such a picky eater he chooses not to travel with me anymore. I took him to Italy and he didn't like the food there at all. I offered him ice cream but he hated the look of it. He wouldn't touch the pasta. He liked the fruit I am glad to say. It is a shame that fast food chains have found their way to many locations in lots of different countries. My toddler son likes to have all his food and drink brought from home. I guess my baby daughter will be the same. My oldest son is vegetarian and the rest of us are vegan.
@doryvien (2284)
• United States
29 May 10
Hi Max,
Oh yes, this sounds really familiar. While my kids are extremely excited about traveling, the problem on what to eat in an unfamiliar place almost always becomes a setback. At one time my son uttered something like "next time I won't come with you anymore, I'd rather stay home than see places but starve". Of course I know he also appreciates the fact that he can have as much cookies and chocolates as he can as a substitute, and it leaves me more worried about its(sweet foods) effects to his health in the long run.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
27 May 10
i haven't traveled outside the country, and so as my kids. so i don't have a problem with this kind. i am also shocked to know from you that these food store, just two of our favorite name when it comes to food and kids' entertainment, do not serve spaghetti in hongkong.
@doryvien (2284)
• United States
27 May 10
Yes, Neil, it came as a shock to me too, because I was counting on these two giants to feed my kids while we were there. Now I realized, it seems it's only in the Philippines that spaghetti is being served in these fast food chains. Jollibee and Pizza Hut, which I thought would be better alternatives, were on the other part of the island, too far from where we stayed.
@doryvien (2284)
• United States
26 May 10
Yes, the problem on food always crops up whenever we go on vacation, coz they would always ask for the ones they're used to. That's why I always bring something that I know they love just in case there's nothing else in our destination that they would fancy.
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
14 Oct 12
I don't have problems feeding my kids as we travel at home instead of abroad. So the food at home is somewhat alike except that some are spicy and some are sweet dishes. It is not a big deal. And we choose dishes that they like. Have a good day, dorvien.
@med889 (5941)
•
26 May 10
I once remember going for a vacation with my three sisters,and their kids, I am not yet married and well hopefully I though when I saw the problems with kids. We went to spend some days on an island, it was beautiful and very relaxing until when the food problems crop up.
There were five children and all of them had a particular choice and taste about food. They won't eat the food in the hotel, in the restaurants and we had to bring them out every time to pick up something trendy like KFC or McDonald food for them. They are used to eat food in our country, so local food there was indigestible for them.
@doryvien (2284)
• United States
26 May 10
Yes, KFC and McDonald's actually slways saved the day. My older son eventually tried the KFC chicken once, at first he said it tasted different, but eventually he finished it. But he never tried it again. He preferred the chicken wings of McDonald's, but I had to find steamed rice to go with it, which was not available at McDo. Good thing the hotel has steamed rice. My younger son was more stubborn, he stuck to his McDonald's french fries, but still I was thankful he had something to eat other than the chips ahoy and chocolates.
